Babymonster

2018–2022: Formation and pre-debut activities

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] Applicants were sourced from various countries, with some trainees entering the program as early as age ten and completing an average of four to five years of training.^[4] Each prospective member placed first against thousands in their respective auditions.^[5] In 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 at the Korean Intellectual Property Office by the label,^[7] and were tentatively used by media outlets as provisional identifiers until the disclosure of their official uses.^[8][9] Its early conception was conceived as a Big Mama-style, R&B‑oriented vocal group, with internal reports describing an emphasis on candidates with strong, differentiated vocal timbres.^[10]

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.^[11] Label founder and executive producer, 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.^[12][13] Yang revealed the number of members he first planned was five;^[14] however, a seven-piece ensemble was finalized with three South Koreans (Ahyeon, Rami, Rora), two Japanese (Ruka, Asa), and two Thai members (Pharita, Chiquita).^[15] 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".^[15]

Leading to their acceptance into the label, the seven members accumulated disparate forms of television and entertainment experience: Rami started as a child model at age two;^[16] Ruka debuted in the Japanese girl group Shibu3 project [ja];^[17] Rora performed in the children's music band U.SSO Girl with Hyein of NewJeans;^[18] and Pharita participated in modeling contests and audition programs.^[19] Once admitted to the company's training program, Ruka, the longest trained member of the seven,^[20] Rora, and Asa, trained under the company for six years.^[21] Rami and Ahyeon trained for five years,^[21] while Pharita, selected from 1,226 applicants,^[22] trained for four.^[23] Chiquita, the final recruit,^[3] joined after a brief three month training period,^[22] the shortest of all seven,^[3] and subsequently trained alongside the rest for three years.^[23] During this preparatory phase, the trainees underwent monthly evaluations and occasionally provided guide and background vocals for their labelmates (i.e. the final chorus of Kang Seung-yoon's "Iyah" (아이야; aiya)).^[24]

2023–2024: Introduction and debut

YG Entertainment signaled the septet's formal introduction on December 30, 2022, with a poster and the subtext "YG Next Movement".^[25] It heralded a trailer-esque video posted on YouTube on New Year's Day and featured appearances by members of Winner and Blackpink, sibling duo AKMU, dancer and choreographer Leejung Lee, and label founder and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk.^[26][27] The seven members were revealed to the public through the gradual releases of live performance videos starting on January 12 (in order: Rami, Ahyeon, Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Pharita, and Ruka).^[8][28] They released a pre-debut promotional single titled "Dream" on May 14, 2023, coinciding with the release of Last Evaluation (2023);^[29] the YouTube exclusive debuted atop the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart.^[30] Their channel soon surpassed one million subscribers in 52 days since its creation on December 28, 2022,^[22] and two million subscribers in 129 days, becoming the fastest K-pop girl group to achieve this milestone.^[31]

The group released two singles as a six-piece titled "Batter Up" and "Stuck in the Middle" on November 27, 2023,^[32] and February 1, 2024,^[33] respectively; the former served both as the sextet's debut single and Babymonster's pre-debut release.^[34] "Batter Up" was co-written by labelmates Lee Chan-hyuk of AKMU and Choi Hyun-suk of Treasure, with member Asa contributing to its composition and lyrics.^[32] Its music video amassed 22.59 million views within twenty-four hours, setting a new record for the most‑viewed debut music video in K‑pop history,^[35] and surpassed 100 million views eighteen days after release, the fastest for a debut video on the platform.^[36] The single also achieved 10 million streams on Spotify within ten days, setting the fastest precedent for a rookie K‑pop girl group.^[37] Ahyeon, who was absent from its releases for health reasons,^[38][39] soon recovered and returned from her hiatus, joining the ensemble to promote their future activities as a seven-member group.^[40]

Marking the group's official debut,^[41] their first extended play (EP) Babymons7er, was released on April 1.^[41] 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.^[41] "Like That", a track gifted by Charlie Puth following the viral circulation of Ahyeon's cover of "Dangerously", was also included.^[42] The eponymous release received over 460,000 pre-orders,^[43] and debuted at number three on the Circle Album Chart.^[44] Initially released to lukewarm reception,^[45] "Sheesh" experienced a surge in popularity through its live performances,^[45] peaking at number ten on the Circle Digital Chart.^[46] It also became the highest‑charting entry by a K‑pop girl group on Spotify that year,^[47] debuting at number sixty‑nine on the Daily Top Songs Global Chart with 1.76 million streams.^[48] To commemorate their debut, a ten‑day pop‑up store at The Hyundai Seoul was held,^[49] attracting 2,000 visitors within its first two days.^[50] In May, the septet launched their inaugural fan meeting tour, covering six Asian territories: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea, and entered "arena-class" venues within forty days of debut,^[51] selling out 26,000 tickets at their Tokyo stop alone.^[52]

For Babymonster's first studio album, a digital single titled "Forever" was pre-released on July 1.^[53] Drip followed on November 1, led by the two singles, "Clik Clak" and "Drip".^[54] Notably, G-Dragon participated in the composition and demo recording of "Drip",^[55] while Mino of Winner co-wrote the album's B-side, "Really Like You".^[54] The album marked a new career high for the septet, recording 820,000 orders within one week,^[56] and became their first entry on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 149.^[57] Its titular single of the same name achieved a new personal best, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Global 200,^[58] and acquired belated traction in South Korea and Japan, following the virality of their live performances on SBS Gayo Daejeon and The First Take.^[59] It propelled them to a second top ten hit on the Circle Digital Chart and an all-time high at number 26 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100,^[60] also their first single to be certified platinum for streaming by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. "Really Like You" likewise experienced delayed success after circulating widely on short‑form platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, topping YouTube's Viral 50 Music Chart for five consecutive days from January 11–15, 2026.^[61] Its popularity translated to favorable results on the Circle Digital Chart, peaking at number 79.^[62]

2025–present: First world tour and career expansion

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, which comprised two legs across Asia and North America; it drew an est. 20,000 attendees.^[63][64] The seven-piece became the fastest female act to headline the venue, achieving the milestone within eight months of their debut.^[65] Following demand in North America, which included shows in Newark and Los Angeles,^[66] six additional dates were added in the region, featuring performances in Toronto, Rosemont, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Oakland, and Seattle.^[67] In Japan, all 100,000 tickets for the initial dates sold out, prompting the opening of restricted view seats and additional shows to accommodate to demand;^[68] the tour ultimately attracted 150,000 attendees across ten concerts in the country, setting a record pace for a K-pop girl group.^[69] The remaining Asia leg, held from May 17 to June 29, covered seven markets—Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan—and drew a further 100,000 attendees across ten sold‑out shows,^[70] including an added date in Hong Kong due to demand.^[71] Rami entered an indefinite health‑related hiatus at the outset of this leg and remained absent for the remainder of the tour.^[72] Hello Monsters concluded on September 12, with a cumulative audience of 300,000 across thirty-two shows in twenty cities.^[73]

Initially introduced as a piece from a two-part pre-release sequence for their sophomore EP,^[74] "Hot Sauce" was ultimately released as a standalone digital single on July 1,^[75] recorded by the group's six active members, following Rami's hiatus.^[76] The track paid homage to Seo Taiji and Boys' 1992 debut, drawing on late‑1980s hip‑hop influences and incorporating visual references to the trio's original album design, including a logo styled after the debut's typography.^[77] We Go Up, a piece cited to reflect each members' artistic aspirations,^[78] was released on October 10.^[79] The release cycle preceded the ensemble's subsequent fan‑concert tour, Love Monsters,^[80] a performance‑driven series positioned between a fan meeting and a regular concert to offer a more intimate interaction between performers and their fans.^[81] Held across twelve shows in three countries—including two sold‑out dates at Taipei Arena in Taiwan—the tour concluded on January 3, 2026, and attracted an est. 140,000 attendees, bringing the group's cumulative audience for the year to approximately 440,000.^[82]

On May 4, 2026, Babymonster released their third EP titled Choom, led by the single of the same name.^[83] A world tour dubbed after their EP will commence in Seoul beginning on June 26, followed by new locations in South America, Europe, and Oceania.^[84] On April 30, YG announced plans to release four music videos starting with their third EP's lead single "Choom", the digital single "Sugar Honey" (working title) which will be released in June, followed by the music videos for "I Like It" and "Moon" in July and August.^[85]

Image and reception

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

Babymonster's artistic identity was crafted around the duality embedded in their name,^[86] pairing an offstage charm with a performance style defined by intensity and precision.^[41][87] They were designed to embody 2NE1's charisma and Blackpink's glamour,^[88] conceiving what is often referred to as the "YG DNA",^[89] a signature mix of talent, boldness, and distinctive edge.^[90][91] Building on this foundation, the members have been described as "all‑rounders", noted for vocal, rap, and dance abilities,^[92] and for foregrounding live performance as a central component of their artistry,^[93][94] distinguishing them from acts that rely on backing tracks to prioritize choreography, fashion, and visuals.^[95]

Critical and industry evaluations of Babymonster's early output highlighted a disconnect between the members' well‑regarded abilities and the group's inconsistent conceptual direction. Early singles such as "Batter Up" (2023) and "Stuck in the Middle" (2024) were criticized for dated production,^[96][97][98] while "Sheesh" (2024) drew comparisons to Blackpink from NME's Carmen Chin despite praise for the B-side "Like That" (2024).^[99] The former single and "Drip" (2024), which the group identified as most representative of their color,^[100] were later viewed as steps towards establishing a clearer musical identity; however, this momentum slowed with the retro‑styled "Hot Sauce" (2025) and the underperformance of We Go Up (2025).^[101] The group's technical strengths, however, remain widely acknowledged, and assessments consistently note that more cohesive conceptual production would position Babymonster to compete more decisively within the emerging fifth‑generation landscape.^[101]

Musical style and influences

Babymonster's musical style is anchored in the hip-hop‑oriented characteristic of their label,^[102] demonstrating a versatility that allows them to adapt across multiple genres.^[103] Tracks such as "Drip" (2024) foreground percussive rap delivery and rhythmic bass structures, while "Like That" (2024) adopts a 2000's R&B‑leaning approach.^[99] Their ballad‑focused pre‑release "Stuck in the Middle" (2024) highlights the group's emphasis on vocal clarity,^[33] while works including "Wild" (2025) integrate a country-inspired dance track.^[78]

The group identifies fellow YG Entertainment artists as primary influences,^[104] namely drawing inspiration from 2NE1 and Blackpink,^[89][100] whose impact are reflected in Babymonster's live stages.^[93]

Endorsements

In the advertising industry, Babymonster has established itself as a figure that attracts a young customer base.^[113][114] In result, the group became presenters for Pepsi in the Asia-Pacific region,^[115] the face of LG Household & Health Care's cosmeceutical brand CNP Laboratory,^[116] the muse of LeSportsac Japan,^[117] and global partners of Adidas^[118]—which they later became ambassadors for.^[119][120] The group also served as endorsement models for Moon Boot,^[121] the cosmetics contact lens brand, a-eye,^[122] and Sunsilk Indonesia.^[123] Furthermore, they were appointed as brand ambassadors for Banila Co. and Good Day Latte [id],^[124][114] and collaborated with PUBG Mobile,^[125] Google Pixel in Japan,^[126][127] McDonald's in Hong Kong,^[128] Oreo in Southeast Asia,^[129] and Uniqlo.^[130]

Philanthropy

Since 2024, Babymonster and the Muju YG Foundation have actively supported charitable initiatives through Naver's Happy Bean [ko], a sustainable online donation platform.^[131] They first established a support fund to address child hunger and assist children with disabilities,^[132] and subsequently worked with Loving Hands to raise ₩9.9 million to provide winter coats for eighty-five young beneficiaries.^[133] Babymonster and YG Entertainment have also donated to nineteen individual campaigns via Happy Bean during the group's first two years, by doubling the cumulative amount raised by the respective campaigns' doners; this includes: ₩11.33 million to World Educational Cultural Aid,^[134] and ₩5.36 million to the Korea Leukemia and Childhood Cancer Association.^[135]

Timeline

Tours

• Hello Monsters World Tour (2025)
• Choom World Tour (2026–2027)