BABYMONSTER: “Official Debut as a Seven-Member Group, Aiming to Showcase Our Unique Identity Infused with YG DNA”
[일간스포츠=박세연 기자] The birth of another “monster rookie” is upon us. The rookie group BABYMONSTER has made its official debut as a seven-member complete group, throwing their hat into the global ring.
BABYMONSTER is a girl group presented by YG seven years after BLACKPINK, making their debut last year with “BATTER UP.” They announced their official debut with the release of their first mini album ‘BABYMONS7ER’ on the 1st.
Meeting at the YG Entertainment headquarters on the day of the album release, BABYMONSTER, along with member AHYEON, shared their thoughts on officially debuting as a seven-member group, their unique musical color, thoughts on being dubbed as “BLACKPINK’s sister group,” and their determination for future activities.
BABYMONSTER was initially confirmed as a seven-member group during their debut survival show, but due to health reasons, AHYEON was unable to debut with the group at that time. Thus, “BATTER UP” and “Stuck In The Middle” were presented as a six-member group, excluding AHYEON, with CHIQUITA, PHARITA, RORA, RUKA, ASA, and RAMI.
RORA commented, “We promoted as a six-member version during ‘BATTER UP,’ but now with AHYEON joining us, it has become our first start as seven. We consider ‘BATTER UP’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle’ as our pre-debut. We hope everyone supports our first start as seven.”
RAMI also said, “We’re starting our music show activities from ‘SHEESH,’ and it feels right to officially debut now that AHYEON has joined us. Please look forward to the many appearances of all seven members.”
◆ AHYEON Joins for a Seven-Member Official Debut
The title song ‘SHEESH’ is a hip-hop dance track that embodies YG’s unique identity, blending baroque-style piano melodies with grand synthesizer sounds to deliver an overwhelming experience. Through ‘SHEESH,’ BABYMONSTER expresses their bold ambition to astonish the world.
Regarding the song, RAMI said, “‘SHEESH’ is an exclamation used abroad. It’s an easy song to follow along. We hope it becomes a trend overseas too. Many people have already participated in dance challenges. We hope it receives a lot of global attention.”
The advice of YG Executive Producer YANG HYUN SUK played a significant role in the production process. RORA shared, “Executive Producer YANG HYUN SUK gave us a lot of advice. He visited the ‘SHEESH’ music video shoot and advised us that expression is important for this song, and also provided advice and feedback on our rap and vocal parts.”
They also expressed gratitude for the positive feedback from global fans. AHYEON said, “The best compliment we received was that BABYMONSTER can do vocals, rap, and dance. Mentioning each member’s strengths encouraged us. We’ll use the compliments as motivation to work hard.”
◆ AHYEON’s Dramatic Joining: “YANG HYUN SUK Advised to Be Confident… Will Approach with Humility and Professionalism”
AHYEON’s determination was unique, joining BABYMONSTER for this activity after not being able to pre-debut due to health issues. “I had a tough time psychologically. I focused on recovery, exercising regularly and eating well at home. The members sent a lot of encouragement and support, and fans sent many messages of support, which gave me a lot of strength. I’m fully recovered now and honored to stand before everyone.”
AHYEON mentioned YANG HYUN SUK’s distinct advice, “The executive producer gave us a lot of advice. He told us to be confident and diligent, just as we have been. I also think that I should always approach opportunities with humility and professionalism.”
The members also expressed their solid support for AHYEON’s joining. RORA said, “We’ve known each other for a long time, so it was natural for the seven of us to debut together. I’m thankful AHYEON joined us, and it feels like a great opportunity for the seven of us to come together strongly.”
AHYEON also mentioned being dubbed “Little JENNIE,” “JENNIE has been my idol since I was a trainee. Being called ‘Little JENNIE’ is an honor. As a junior, I want to do well like JENNIE and find my unique color as an artist.”
◆ “Honored to be BLACKPINK’s Sister Group… Will Add Our Own Color to YG DNA”
They also shared their thoughts on being inherently labeled as “BLACKPINK’s sister group.” RAMI said, “Thanks to being BLACKPINK’s sister group, we’ve received a lot of attention. It’s a great honor and something we’re grateful for.”
However, regarding differentiating BABYMONSTER’s color from BLACKPINK, RORA said, “We think of YG DNA as our color. Like YG DNA, we believe our charm lies in being hip yet suitable for our age group and having potential for growth.” RAMI added, “True to our team name, we want to show both BABY-like and MONSTER-like aspects.”
They also expressed their determination to continue YG’s artist lineage. ASA said, “We have great seniors at YG, and we’ve learned a lot by watching their performances and attitudes. We want to be recognized for our skills and earn the ‘monster rookie’ title.”
BABYMONSTER has already confirmed a fan meeting tour in five Asian regions, starting in Tokyo, Japan, and extending to Jakarta, Indonesia, Singapore, Taipei, Taiwan, and Bangkok, Thailand. They will also perform at ‘Summer Sonic 2024’ in Chiba, Japan, on August 18.
They expressed their ambitious goal, “Our dream stage is Coachella. We want to show our influence as global artists.”
BABYMONSTER’s album includes the title track ‘SHEESH,’ pre-debut songs ‘DREAM’, and the seven-member versions of ‘BATTER UP’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle.’ The album also features ‘LIKE THAT,’ a pop genre collaboration with Charlie Puth, and ‘MONSTERS (Intro)’ which represents the team’s identity. The ‘SHEESH’ music video topped YouTube’s ‘Most Viewed Videos in 24 Hours,’ proving their global power.
2024. 4. 2.
