Babymonster

Following the launch of YG Entertainment's representative girl groups, 2NE1 (2009) and Blackpink (2016), news of their next girl group circulated as early as 2018.^[2][3] They received applicants from various countries, some of whom were accepted into its training program as early as age 10, training an average of four to five years.^[4] In the number of recruits, each prospective member placed first against thousands in their respective auditions.^[5] In January 2020, "Babymonster", one of many names initially considered for Blackpink,^[6] and "Baemon" (a syllabic abbreviation of the former) were trademarked in English and Korean by the label and tentatively used by media outlets until the eventual disclosure of their official uses.^[7][8][9]

Its selection process was chronicled in Last Evaluation (2023), a reality show filmed in the previous year prior to its airing, showcasing seven potential members.^[10] Label founder, Yang Hyun-suk, enlisted assistance by Lee Su-hyun of AKMU, and Winner's Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon amidst others to judge, rank, and determine its formation for the duration of the show.^[11][12] Yang revealed the number of members he first planned was five;^[13] however, a seven-piece ensemble was finalized with three South Koreans (Ahyeon, Rami, Rora), two Japanese (Ruka, Asa), and two Thai members (Pharita, Chiquita).^[14] Ahyeon, Ruka, Chiquita, Rami, and Pharita were selected by the label, while Rora and Asa were contemplated to be placed into two different projects before ultimately joining the final line-up as the "fans' choice".^[14]

Leading to their acceptance into the label, Rami started as a child model at age two;^[15] Ruka debuted in the Japanese girl group Shibu3 project [ja];^[7] Rora joined the children's music group U.SSO Girl with Hyein of NewJeans;^[16] and Pharita modelled in contests and sought for audition programs.^[17] Ruka, the longest trained member of the seven,^[18] Rora, and Asa, trained under the company for six years anterior to their debut.^[19] Rami and Ahyeon honed their craft for five years,^[19] while Pharita, who was chosen out of 1,226 applicants in her audition,^[20] trained for four years.^[21] Chiquita, the final addition to the prospective group,^[3] joined after three months of training,^[20] the shortest period of all members;^[3] cultivating with its members for three years.^[21] In this time, their vocals were often recorded in their labelmate's work (i.e. the final chorus of Kang Seung-yoon's "Iyah" (아이야; aiya)).^[22]

YG Entertainment signaled the septet's formal introduction on December 30, 2022, with a poster and the subtext "YG Next Movement".^[23] It heralded a trailer-esque video posted on YouTube on New Year's Day that garnered 15 million views in three days,^[24] and featured appearances by members of Winner and Blackpink, sibling duo AKMU, dancer and choreographer Leejung Lee, and label founder Yang Hyun-suk.^[25] The seven members were revealed to the public through the gradual releases of live performance videos starting on January 12,^[7] (in order: Rami, Ahyeon, Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Pharita, and Ruka).^[26] They released a pre-debut promotional single titled "Dream" on May 14, 2023, coinciding with the release of Last Evaluation (2023);^[27] the YouTube exclusive debuted atop the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart.^[28] Their channel soon surpassed one million subscribers in 52 days since its creation on December 28, 2022,^[20] and two million subscribers in 129 days, becoming the fastest K-pop girl group to achieve this milestone.^[29]

The group released two singles as a six-piece titled "Batter Up" and "Stuck in the Middle" on November 27, 2023,^[30] and February 1, 2024,^[31] respectively, with the former serving as the sextet's debut single and Babymonster's pre-debut release.^[32] Label-mates Lee Chan-hyuk of AKMU and Choi Hyun-suk of Treasure contributed in penning the piece, while its member Asa, worked on both its music and lyrics.^[30] Its music video amassed 22.59 million views within a day, became the most viewed debut music video in the first 24 hours in K-pop history,^[33] and became the fastest debut music video to reach 100 million views on the platform, eighteen days after its release.^[34] It found further success on Spotify, achieving 10 million streams in ten days, the fastest for a rookie K-pop girl group.^[35] Ahyeon, who was absent from its releases for health reasons,^[36][37] soon recovered and returned from her hiatus, joining the ensemble to promote their future activities as a seven-member group.^[38]

Marking the group's official debut,^[39] their first extended play (EP) Babymons7er, was released on April 1.^[39] It was primarily supported by the titular single "Sheesh" and included re-recordings of "Batter Up" and "Stuck in the Middle" with all seven members.^[39] A gift titled "Like That" by Charlie Puth following a viral cover of "Dangerously" sung by Ahyeon, was also included.^[40] The eponymous release received over 460,000 pre-orders,^[41] and debuted at number three on the Circle Album Chart.^[42] Initially released to lukewarm reception,^[43] "Sheesh" experienced a surge in popularity through its live performances,^[43] peaking at number ten on the Circle Digital Chart.^[44] It became the highest-charting K-pop girl group entry on Spotify that year,^[45] debuting at sixty-ninth place on the Daily Top Songs Global Chart with 1.76 million streams.^[46] To commemorate their debut,^[47] a pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul, which was held for ten days,^[48] attracted 2,000 visitors in its first two days.^[47] In tandem with their EP, the septet embarked on their inaugural fan meeting tour in May, covering six Asian regions: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea. Consequently, Babymonster entered "arena-class" venues within forty days of their debut,^[49] selling out 26,000 tickets at their Tokyo stop alone.^[50]

For Babymonster's first studio album, a pre-release digital single titled "Forever" was released on July 1.^[51] The studio album Drip, was released on November 1, and was led by the two singles, "Clik Clak" and "Drip".^[52] Notably, G-Dragon participated in the composition and demo recording of "Drip",^[53] while Mino of Winner co-wrote the album's b-side, "Really Like You".^[52] The album marked a new career high for the septet, with 820,000 orders within a week—nearly doubling the sales of their debut album Babymons7er in the same timeframe.^[54] Furthermore, Drip became their first entry on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 149.^[55] The titular single of the same name, recorded a new personal best, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Global 200,^[56] and acquired belated popularity in Korea and Japan, following the virality of their live performance videos on SBS Gayo Daejeon and The First Take, respectively.^[57] In result, the septet obtained their second top ten hit on the Circle Digital Charts, and reached an all-time high on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 at number 26.

From January 25–26, 2025, Babymonster held a two-day concert at KSPO Dome in Seoul, the onset to their first world tour Hello Monsters; it drew an audience of est. 20,000 attendees.^[58][59] The group became the fastest female act to headline the venue, accomplishing this feat within eight months of their debut.^[60] Following the success of their North American leg, which included shows in Newark and Los Angeles,^[61] six additional dates were added in the region, featuring performances in Toronto, Rosemont, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Oakland, and Seattle.^[62] In Japan, all 100,000 tickets were sold, prompting the opening of restricted view seats and additional shows to accommodate to demand.^[63] In result, the act garnered an audience of 150,000 attendees across ten shows in the country, in record time for a K-pop girl group.^[64] Due to health concerns, Rami was absent for the remainder of their Asia leg and world tour, starting from Singapore on May 17,^[65] which amassed 100,000 people across ten sold-out performances.^[66] Hello Monsters concluded with a cumulative audience of 300,000 concert-goers across thirty-two shows in twenty cities.

On July 1, the group released the digital single "Hot Sauce", which was recorded as a six-member ensemble due to Rami's continued hiatus.^[67] The song paid homage to Seo Taiji and Boys' 1992 debut, both in sound—drawing from late-1980s hip-hop—and in visuals, which featured a logo styled after the trio's original album font.^[68] Their sophomore EP We Go Up, supported by the lead single of the same name, was released on October 10.^[69]

Babymonster's major blueprints include the girl groups 2NE1 (left) and Blackpink (right).

Babymonster was crafted to personify the contrasting personas reflected in their name, projecting charm and innocence offstage, while delivering a fierce performance onstage.^[39][70] Additionally, they were designed to embody 2NE1's charisma and Blackpink's glamour,^[71] encapsulating what is often referred to as the "YG DNA",^[72] a signature mix of talent, boldness, and distinctive edge.^[73][74]

The septet has been recognized as an "all-rounder" group, where each member excels in various skills such as vocals, rap, and dance.^[75][76] Labeled as "elites" for their abilities and dedication,^[77][78] the group built their identity through their skills and live performances, differing them from K-pop acts that lean heavily on backing tracks to prioritize choreography, fashion, and visuals.^[79]

In their early debut, Babymonster's artistic trajectory drew in mixed reviews. Pop music critic Kim Do-heon described the pre-release single "Stuck in the Middle" (2024) as bland in both sound and visuals,^[80] while Kim Young-dae, though praising the septet's talent, urged to innovate their company's dated stylistic formula to better align with the evolving landscape of contemporary K-pop.^[81] NME's Carmen Chin echoed this sentiment, calling their debut single "Sheesh" (2024) overly derivative of Blackpink, while highlighting the b-side "Like That" (2024) as a discern of their potential to carve out a distinct identity within the label's characteristics.^[82] That direction became more defined with "Drip" (2024), which the group identified as most representative of their color,^[83] and We Go Up (2025), reflecting each member's artistic aspirations.^[84]

Labelled as a versatile artist who seamlessly molds into any musical style,^[85] the septet has ventured into a diverse range of genres throughout their career, including hip hop, ballad, R&B, and EDM. Emulating their predecessors, the group was classified as their company's style on "hip hop"; however, the ensemble has built from their foundation to blend genres and showcase various styles since their debut.^[86]

Known for their "stage presence" and "musical prowess",^[39] Babymonster cites their role models as fellow YG Entertainment artists,^[87] namely drawing inspiration from 2NE1 and Blackpink.^[72][83] These influences have shaped their style and performance, reflecting the legacy of their predecessors.^[72]

Industry professionals began paying attention to the group prior to their debut. In a survey conducted by JoyNews24, two hundred industry professionals from entertainment companies and broadcasters, film and broadcast content producers, and entertainment reporters ranked the tentative act ninth with Ive in the "Most Anticipated Artist of Late 2021 and 2022".^[88] Their official introduction, together with the announcement of G-Dragon's feasible return as a soloist that same day, contributed to a subsequent rise in YG Entertainment's stocks by 11.74%.^[89] Following their debut, Babymonster was recognized as one of the "Next Generation Leaders" through a survey conducted by Sisa Journal and Gallup Korea,^[90] and was named "Future of Music" by Rolling Stone Korea in 2024.^[91]

The ensemble includes members proficient in languages such as Korean, English, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese, allowing them to connect with a diverse audience, as a multi-national group.^[92] In the media, the group have also been referred to as the next generation "YouTube Queens", attributed to the viewership and subscribers count they had accumulated on the platform.^[93][94][95]

In the advertising industry, Babymonster became a figure that generally attracts a large younger customer base.^[96][97] In result, the group became presenters for Pepsi in the Asia-Pacific region,^[98] the face of LG Household & Health Care's cosmeceutical brand CNP Laboratory,^[99] the muse of LeSportsac Japan,^[100] and global partners of Adidas^[101]—which they later became ambassadors for through its sports collection Z.N.E.^[102][103] The group also served as endorsement models for Moon Boot,^[104] the cosmetics contact lens brand, a-eye,^[105] and Sunsilk Indonesia.^[106] Furthermore, they were appointed as brand ambassadors for Banila Co. and Good Day Latte [id],^[107][97] and collaborated with PUBG Mobile,^[108] Google Pixel in Japan,^[109][110] McDonald's in Hong Kong,^[111] Oreo in Southeast Asia,^[112] and Uniqlo.^[113]

In July 2024, Muju YG Foundation and the act established a support fund through Naver's Happy Bean to combat child hunger and assist children with disabilities.^[114] The following year, the foundation and the septet joined Loving Hands to raise ₩9.9 million to provide winter coats for 85 children and adolescents.^[115]

• Ruka (루카; ルカ)
• Pharita (파리타; ภริตา)
• Asa (아사; アサ)
• Ahyeon (아현)
• Rami (라미)
• Rora (로라)
• Chiquita (치키타; ชิกิต้า)

• Drip (2024)

• Last Evaluation (2023)^[116]
• Baemon House (2025)^[117]

• Hello Monsters World Tour (2025)