What I think.
new trick feels like a very interesting change of direction for ROSÉ, and honestly, I think pop rock fits her much better than I expected. Coming from rosie, which was much more melancholic and emotionally heavy, hearing her move into something brighter, louder, and more playful was immediately refreshing. The guitars give the song more energy, but her voice still keeps that vulnerability that has always been one of the strongest parts of her solo music.
And apparently that difference is completely intentional. ROSÉ said that while working with Amy Allen, she realized she was no longer connecting with writing sad song after sad song the way she did during rosie. new trick came from wanting to make something that was simply not sad, and you can genuinely hear that freedom in the song. She also mentioned the pop-rock songs used in Apple commercials during the 2000s as part of the inspiration, which honestly makes so much sense once you hear it.
I really like how the production embraces that early-2000s pop-rock energy without making ROSÉ sound like she is playing a character. There is a grittier guitar presence, the chorus is immediate, and the whole thing has this slightly messy and carefree energy that contrasts really well with how controlled and delicate a lot of rosie sounded. The song was written by ROSÉ and Amy Allen, with Andrew Wells handling the arrangement, and at just over three minutes, it also has enough time to actually feel like a complete song instead of ending immediately after the second chorus.
Lyrically, I also like that she has not completely abandoned the emotional side of her writing just because the production is happier. The song still starts from heartbreak, but instead of sitting inside that sadness, the entire point is getting yourself back up and moving on. That makes it feel connected to the ROSÉ we already know while showing a different response to those emotions. It is less crying alone in your room and more realizing you have cried enough and deciding to go out.
That is probably what excites me most about new trick. It does not feel like ROSÉ completely throwing away her identity to start over; it feels like her expanding it. She has said that she is still figuring out the balance between the world she wants to create, who she is now, and who she is becoming as a musician. Interestingly, this is being treated as a one-off single rather than the official first single from her second album, which is currently expected in 2027.
I genuinely liked this a lot. The sonic change was noticeable immediately, but after listening more, it started making more and more sense for her. ROSÉ has a voice that works beautifully with this kind of guitar-driven pop, and new trick gives her a different energy without losing what makes her recognizable. If her next album actually explores more of this direction, then please keep going, because I really want to hear where she can take it.
