[Interview] 'BLACKPINK's Younger Siblings' BabyMonster "Official Debut as a Complete Group"

BLACKPINK's Successor in 7 Years YG Girl Group
Health Issues Resolved with Ahyeon Joining, Completing 7-Member Lineup
Official Debut on 1st with Debut Album 'Baby Monster'

"It was natural for seven members to debut. It became an opportunity for everyone to come together more firmly, and through this, I think we can happily carry out activities for this album."

Baby Monster, YG Entertainment's rookie girl group, officially debuted on the 1st.
[Photo by YG Entertainment]

Babymonster, a seven-member rookie girl group planned by YG Entertainment, officially debuted on the 1st. They shared these thoughts after unusually declaring their debut again just five months after releasing their first album 'Babymonster,' which included their debut song 'Batter Up,' last November.

Babymonster had previously confirmed their seven-member debut through their own survival program 'Last Evaluation.' However, member Ahyeon, who gained attention as 'Little Jennie,' decided to take a break due to health reasons, and the remaining six members debuted by releasing the digital single 'BATTER UP' last November and even won rookie awards.

Then, with Ahyeon announcing her return, Babymonster became a complete group again and returned to the starting line once more. Yang Hyun-suk, the general producer, announced the mini-album release date as the official debut date. YG emphasized the group's completeness by changing the letter T in the team’s English name to the number 7, symbolizing the seven members, in the new album title.

In an interview commemorating the release of the mini-album 'BABYMONS7ER' held at YG Entertainment’s building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st, Ahyeon said, "I had high expectations for myself, so as each month passed, the pressure grew. It’s hard to explain in detail, but at the time I stopped activities, the burden was heavy and it was psychologically difficult. However, I focused solely on recovery and now I am fully recovered."

Group Baby Monster Ahyeon.
[Photo by YG Entertainment]

The members unanimously said, "Rather, we thought it was right for Ahyeon to join and for us to officially debut, so we waited naturally." Laura said, "Since we have known each other for a long time, it was always natural for the seven of us to debut together. I’m not sure if we can win a rookie award again, but if given the chance, I want to try once more. Our goal this year is to show growth as global artists."

With Ahyeon joining, the members re-recorded 'Batter Up,' released last year, and 'Stuck In The Middle,' released in February, in a seven-member version to complete richer tracks. Regarding this, Asa said, "When we were six, it felt somewhat incomplete and empty, but now it feels full. It feels better, so I hope many people will listen to the seven-member versions going forward."

The debut album’s color, which reveals the team’s identity, continues the style and atmosphere of 'YG girl groups.' The title track 'SHEESH' is a hip-hop dance genre song with a strong sound, featuring lyrics that show confidence and pride. About the title track, Laura said, "'Sheesh' is an exclamation expressing surprise. There’s choreography involving hand rotations and hand gestures representing monsters, and many people have already done dance challenges. I hope it receives a lot of love globally."

Ahyeon, who gained recognition as 'Little Jennie' before debut, said, "Senior Jennie has been my idol since I was a trainee and has always been a great inspiration as a role model. I hope to become a wonderful artist who, like her, performs well while also finding my own unique color."

Since Babymonster is the first girl group YG has launched in seven years after BLACKPINK, they naturally carry the nickname 'BLACKPINK’s younger sister group.' Rami expressed respect toward the seniors, saying, "'Being called BLACKPINK’s younger sister group is a great honor. Thanks to that, we have received a lot of attention. We are grateful for the continued interest even now."

Baby Monster, YG Entertainment's rookie girl group, officially debuted on the 1st.
[Photo by YG Entertainment]

Laura also added, "The BLACKPINK seniors gave us many comments as mentors during our survival program. I learned that we need to have an attitude that considers the audience, and they came to the monthly evaluations to give us a lot of advice, which was a great help."

Babymonster consists of Korean nationals Ahyeon (17), Rami (17), and Laura (16); Japanese nationals Luka (22) and Asa (18); and Thai nationals Parita (19) and Chikita (15), which is notable for having more overseas members than Korean members compared to previous YG girl groups. Laura said, "Since the members have diverse nationalities, I think we can be active globally. Babymonster is probably a group full of YG DNA. We are hip and teen-like, and our potential for growth might be our unique charm," she confidently stated.

In particular, public attention has focused on the return of former CEO Yang Hyun-suk as general producer starting with Babymonster. Laura introduced, "General Yang always gives us advice without hesitation. He came to the music video shoot and said that 'SHEESH' is a song where facial expressions are very important, and he also gave advice on how to handle each member’s rap motions and vocal parts."

Along with their official debut, Babymonster will appear on music broadcast stages. They will also establish a foothold for global expansion through fan meeting tours in five Asian regions and participation in Japan’s representative music festival 'Summer Sonic 2024.' Although Korea was not included as a fan meeting location, which was somewhat disappointing, their home countries Japan for Luka and Asa, and Thailand for Parita and Chikita, were included. They expressed excitement, saying, "It feels like a dream to be able to perform in front of our parents and fans from our home countries." Laura said, "Our goal is to perform at Coachella, which is considered a dream stage for all idols. We want to show our musical capabilities to global fans."