Every person is on a journey that brought them to where they are. For celebrities who are often idolized and placed on pedestals, it is a common misconception that their journeys are smooth. For Korean band, The Rose, their path to 2025 has been full obstacles. But, through their music and their bond, they’ve made it through stronger than ever. Through their documentary, The Rose: Come Back to Me, the four members – Sammy, Leo, Jeff, and Dylan – share their full journey with their fans, known as Black Roses, for the first time.
Although they’ve shared pieces of their story through their music and social communities, this film is the first time all this information is compiled in one place with additional insight. In an industry where it’s taboo to talk about mental health or appear imperfect, the band bares their heart in this documentary. The film depicts their journey into three main sections: their formation, debut, lawsuit, and military enlistment; their healing process; and their path forward.
The film began at the very beginning, from the formation of The Rose. Fans got a glimpse into how the four members, who are so different as individuals, came together to create a band. More than that, fans got a look into their creative process. How did they first start to create music together, and how did they come up with the name of the band? These are some of the questions that were answered within the first part of the movie. Sammy, Leo, Jeff, and Dylan were all chasing music in different places, but all as trainees in the South Korean K-pop training system. The traditional K-pop industry and trainee system are notorious for being highly structured with limits to creative freedom, and this was a dealbreaker for the quartet who aimed to create their own music.
Dylan and Jeff first met as trainees within the same company, and they later met Leo, who spent his time outside of his agency going busking. Making an instant connection, the trio formed a band, but continued to search for that one missing piece. As the band was looking for someone “good looking” who could sing, Leo recalled a mutual friend he’d met a few times, Sammy. Taking a chance and reaching out to him, the four young men met up for the first time, performed some covers, and instantly bonded over their love for music. Sammy also had a pending deal with a record label at the time, and leveraging their desire to sign him, he turned his contract from one for a solo artist into one for a band of four. Going back and forth with the label, the band eventually settled on releasing the music they wanted with their debut track “Sorry.” Luckily for them, the song saw immediate viral success, and they were soon whisked off on their first European tour.
Then, the film focused on the nostalgia and innocent wonder during this part of the journey. Featuring narration from the members, the movie went through clips of their trainee days, busking days, and their first rehearsals together. There was one particular scene that demonstrated how much the band has grown. In present day, the four members of The Rose went back to the apartment they shared when they first met. Walking down the hallway and standing before the apartment front door, their eyes said it all: ‘This is where we started. Who would have thought we’d come so far?’
However, things weren’t smooth sailing. Fresh off their tour, the band realized they were broke. They weren’t being paid by their company, and when they requested paperwork, they received nothing. Making a unanimous decision, the band decided to sue for contract termination. Bad turned to worse, and the company countersued. As they let their hope ride on the court’s decision, another ball dropped—COVID-19 broke out, and the courts were shut down. With their fate unknown and the clock ticking, Leo, Jeff, and Dylan decided it was time for their mandatory military enlistment, and Sammy came back to the States to pursue some solo activities. While enlisted, Jeff was diagnosed with depression. He began to see a counselor, and the band felt as if they were drifting apart. So much was left unsaid, and many became uncertain if music was even the right move anymore. Sharing their inner turmoil, the band even admitted that when Jeff told them about his struggles, they were worried and uncertain how to approach him and the situation. However, once they reunited, they talked things out and became closer than ever, putting their past rift behind them.
The Rose let everything out in the open. They discussed mental health, how freeing it can feel to seek help and talk it out with a counselor, how even the closest of friends or family can drift apart and find their way back to each other, and how it felt in their darkest times. Jeff, in particular, really opened up about his depression, his guilt towards his father because he was depressed, and how he found solace in music. This part of the film was all about finding yourself when you’re lost, and being able to heal and embrace the fact that healing is not a linear journey. The band, though known for their musical talent and witty humor, dug down deep and illustrated how healing can exist in the small, seemingly mundane things. It can be in a joke someone makes, letting yourself cry it out, and the songs you listen to. Being honest was their first step to healing, and the documentary presents a moment for fans to contemplate their own hardships and find their own healing. The band called attention to their song “See-Saw,” which was written by Jeff, and the tour they were on at the time, HEAL TOGETHER, as revitalizing moments.
The last part of the film focused on moving forward. The band won their lawsuit, found a new home with Transparent Arts Agency, which was created by Asian American group Far East Movement, and things began to look up. Past mistakes unfortunately came back to haunt them, and the film once more allowed an introspective look into what this type of “scandal” in the K-pop industry can look like for those it affects. Pushing through the hardship once more, the band brought their DAWN TO DUSK tour around the world, even selling out the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. From there, they went on to perform at the famous music festival, Coachella, and they’ve continued to grow since. The film offered a look into the preparations for the festival, showing the band’s creative input. Leo, in particular, showcased his passion for planning and creative direction, taking charge of not just producing music, but also the directing for the marching band that participated in their Coachella performance. Giving pointers, changing choreography, and marching with them, he showed off a different side to his usual goofy persona.
All in all, the film was not only a great introduction to The Rose, it also offered major fans a closer look at the band’s raw, genuine selves on their journey of musical growth and expression.
