BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER (베이비몬스터) is a South Korean Girl Group that debuted in 2023. They consist of 7 members: Ruka, Ahyeon, Asa, Chiquita, Pharita, Rami and Rora.

They have 2 songs among the most popular in Korea.

BABYMONSTER debuted under YG Entertainment with a massive shadow cast by their predecessors, Blackpink, as the first new girl group from the agency in seven years. This context fueled an immense level of hype and sparked a significant campaign from the label, establishing them as one of the most anticipated debuts of the 2023–2024 K-pop.

YG Entertainment strategically built anticipation by introducing the seven multinational members (Korean, Japanese, and Thai) through the pre-debut reality show, "Last Evaluation", in early 2023. This process, which showcased the girls' extensive training (averaging four to five years) and featured appearances from YG seniors like Blackpink's Jennie and Lisa, was highly effective. It resulted in BABYMONSTER achieving record-breaking social media growth, becoming one of the fastest K-pop girl groups to reach major subscriber milestones on YouTube before officially debuting.

The debut was marked by several delays and a complicated line-up change. Member Ahyeon went on hiatus for health reasons, causing the group to debut as a six-member act in November 2023 with the digital single "Batter Up." While the song achieved global success on international charts, setting records for a debut music video, it was met with a mixed response from the domestic Korean public and critics who found it too derivative of Blackpink's signature sound and past YG projects.

The group's trajectory saw a significant shift when Ahyeon officially rejoined. The official seven-member lineup was solidified with the release of their first EP, BABYMONS7ER (April 2024), which YG positioned as their actual "debut" (a move that generated some debate). The title track "Sheesh" revitalized their public image and successfully charted domestically.

The group continued to face public criticism regarding the controversial repetition of Blackpink's stylistic elements and core selling points, particularly while Blackpink remained active. However, commercially, they have demonstrated powerful growth, and their latent talent has promisse if YG breaks out of their own style loop. Despite strong international sales, the group remains lackluster in Korea.