TW: discussion of sexualization of minors, cultural appropriation, and brief mention of eating disorders

Babymonster was formed by YG Entertainment through a reality show called Last Evaluation, and has seven members: Ahyeon, Rami, and Rora (who are Korean), Ruka and Asa (who are Japanese), and Chiquita and Pharita (who are Thai). They debuted in November of 2023.

Here are my credentials: I don’t know much about Babymonster, to be honest. I know YG—better than I’d like to at times—due to being both a former Blink and a casual fan of 2NE1 (read here and here respectively). I’ve heard a couple of their songs, but haven’t taken the chance to get to know them any better. So, I figured, with the release of their first full album, now would be a good time to do that.

Single #1: Dream

Dream is a pre-release single, right off of the heels of Babymonster’s time on the show, and was nothing like what I was expecting. From the gentle piano and strings to the emotional singing to the clips of the girls pursuing their dreams, it absolutely plays on the audience’s heart strings. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t know anything about them, it was genuinely moving. The vocals are beautiful, by the way, especially for a group debuting in a generation that isn’t as vocals-focused as previous ones have been. It feels like the kind of song that would be released years into a career, not at the beginning. And that bridge, where the vocals just build and to a powerful crescendo? It gave me chills, in the best way. It’s a fantastic song, no cap. It’s a bold move, debuting with a ballad, but it seems like the right one for Babymonster.

Single #2: Batter Up

As mentioned, I was very surprised by Dream, partly because it’s unusual for a new group and partly because I’d already heard a couple clips of their later songs, Batter Up included. After how much I loved Dream, almost any song would’ve been a downgrade. But this? What was even the thought process here? Why would you debut a group with a vocal-focused power ballad song and then give them…this? The “this” I’m talking about here is the worst kind of in-your-face, I’m-so-much-better-than-you kpop. It’s basically the YG template recycled for the umpteenth time, anti-drop and party chorus included.

I don’t want to bring up Blackpink for every song, but this feels like a BP castoff. Even the music video feels like them. I could easily see Jennie in Rami’s remake of her Boombayah bus scene, Rose standing in front of that ice where Chiquita was, Jisoo in Rora’s field of flowers, and Lisa in Ruka’s rapping section in front of the motorcycle. (By the way, braids, really? It’s 2024. This is unacceptable)

And, I didn’t know until I saw someone mention it here, but Chiquita was only 14 when they filmed this…excuse me, but frankly, what the fuck, YG? It’s bad enough to have a child in an international kpop group, but to have her dancing like that in such a short skirt and making eyes at the camera? And that’s not even considering how young the rest of them are. Alright, I’ve got to stop talking about this, or I’m going to make myself even angrier. I’d love to never think about this song again. Next!

Single #3: Stuck In The Middle

Stuck In The Middle is a return to Dream’s sound, but with a more stripped-back production and a more classic ballad approach. It’s also all in English, just like Dream was. I especially liked Asa’s verse, the way her voice drifts back and forth yet still retains its power, but all of the vocals are stunning. The final minute where they all harmonize together may be the best part. It’s beautiful, that much is obvious to anyone with ears, and the video is gorgeous too, with the girls in these floor-length dresses. I wish they went with this kind of styling in their other videos; not only does it suit them, but it’s so much more age-appropriate and sets them apart from their contemporaries. The references to Disney stories—like the bridge from Frozen, or the flower gardens that point toward Sleeping Beauty—are great too.

Single #4: Like That

Like That is neither a lovely ballad or necessarily an in-your-face song in the same way that Batter Up is. Instead, it takes a middle route, going for a minimalistic style with light synths that focuses on their vocals. Again, though, I just feel uncomfortable watching this music video, watching these girls sing lyrics that just toe the line of what’s suggestive.

Why is Chiquita doing body rolls and singing about a boy “in her arms”? Why is Rora dressed in a short skirt and made up to look so much older? They’re children! And all I feel looking at them is the urge to go through my screen, wrap them in blankets, and sit them down with a filling, hot meal far, far away from whichever adults okayed this concept—or, for that matter, their debut in the first place. But, anyway, the song is…well, fine. But I can think of four songs off the top of my head that have done this style better, or in a more unique way, or without sexualizing children, so I have no need (or want) to spend my time with this one.

EP #1: BABYMONS7ER

Sheesh, unfortunately both for me and for you all having to listen to my ranting, is not a continuation of Baemon’s power ballad sound or even a passable track like Like That. Nope. Instead, here we are again with the (admittedly high-budget) BLACKPINK cosplay, from the structure of the song to the MV construction. All of its mildly interesting parts, the dramatic build of the pre-chorus first and foremost, is straight out of one of BP’s hits. 

~~Interlude for rant about YG Entertainment~~~

Here, I’ll show you the template: the song starts with a decent first verse with light instrumentation and posturing, then it builds into a great pre-chorus that sets you up for an amazing payoff. Except the payoff never happens, and we’re back to empty posturing with a catchphrase chorus, then we have a nonsensical rap verse with not only more posturing but also a complete beat change that gives you whiplash. Repeat pre-chorus and chorus. Then we have a pretty solid bridge, then a party chorus that makes you go “wait, that wasn’t bad, maybe it will…” And then the song just ends.

Now. Did I just describe Pink Venom, How You Like That, or Sheesh? Come on, YG. All that money and you have no better ideas? Also, side note, who the hell uses the word “sheesh” anymore? Did my eighty year old uncle write this song? No. Because he’s a better writer than that. Also, he speaks even less Korean than I do, but that’s besides the point. Next!

Single #4: Forever

I have a unique relationship with Forever, actually, because it’s one of the k-pop songs whose choreography I learned during my time with a k-pop dance group (read about that here), and that was my first time listening to a Babymonster song the whole way through. It doesn’t start very differently from your typical kpop song, heavy on the posturing again. But when the pre-chorus hit, hinting at a something at the end of its buildup, my ears perked up, and though I was bracing myself for an anti-drop, the chorus is thankfully sprawling. The “for-or-or-or” hook is just on the right side of incessantly catchy, the right way to do a catchphrase chorus.

I’m not going to pretend that this song is something life changing, because it isn’t, but it proves that you can innovate within a mold. By marrying the YG tropes (catchy hook, party chorus, etc) with the classic kpop formula, Forever ends up being quite a good song, tailor-made for the dance floor. I like it more every time I hear it, and it’s wormed its way into one of my favorite 2024 releases.

Album #1: Drip

Clik Clak is a pre-release, often used in the k-pop industry to show a different side to a group (more vulnerable if they’re a confident group, like IVE’s Either Way to their Baddie, or maybe more over-the-top / classically k-pop if the album is bucking trends, like Mark Lee’s ‘Fraktsiya’82 Pressin to his Raincouver). But this song throws all that out the window. No, the entire thing is just this overly auto-tuned sing-talk mess that has no charisma or charm to it whatsoever. I’ll say it again, Babymonster are a very talented group, but songs like this are just insulting to those talents. Next!

Drip is the official single for the album…and nope. It’s still just as bad, spouting a bunch of half-assed stock “I’m so cool” phrases that just make me cringe. As is typical of YG, its one redeeming quality is its bridge, which manages to make use of the girls’ good voices while actually making sense with its English lyrics. But of course, it’s short lived. There’s the party chorus, the anti-drop, and everything else that makes up every other Baemon song. There’s nothing more for me to say.

From the album, I enjoyed the easygoing Really Like You (though I could do without the raps) and the gentle, acoustic Love Maybe. But my hidden gem was Love In My Heart, which manages to reach a wonderfully anthemic slow-burn sound that the group haven’t achieved since Dream. God, why wasn’t this the single? It’s both a great song and a great showcase of their voices. This is quite a good release in general, by the way, ignoring the singles, and I think it shows real potential for the kind of group Babymonster could be.

EP #2: We Go Up

I thought I knew what to expect from the opening seconds of We Go Up. The Shut Down esque rap opening, the AAVE, so on and so forth….it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. But! The chorus really surprised me. The build up is not only one of Babymonster’s best, but it actually has a payoff that feels earned. Taken by itself, the chorus is really great, and its final repetition after the bridge is genuinely excellent. My biggest problem with the song is that the chorus and the verses feel like two completely different songs, and I can’t understand the thought process in putting them together. But this is absolutely an improvement over their last few singles; there’s no question, and I’m hopeful that it represents the start of a change in their work.

I’m not entirely sure if four songs can be called an EP, but that’s how it’s listed so that’s how I’m classifying it. I enjoyed the core hook and the chant-out final chorus of Psycho and especially the sunny, bold Wild, which feels like a spiritual successor to Love In My Heart. Despite—or maybe because of—its length, I actually think that this is Babymonster’s strongest release. While there are things I’d do differently, on the whole it plays to their strengths.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this. I knew basically nothing about Babymonster before this deep dive, and I’m happy I changed that. They have a small discography, so I watched more B-T-S content than I usually do, since I didn’t get a sense of who they were from the music alone. It was great to see them having fun during a performance of Forever on It’s Live, and I also saw Rami’s episode of Lee Mujin Service and the final episode of their competition show Last Evaluation. (Which gave me so much secondhand stress, Christ).

My Top 5 songs were Dream, Forever, Love In My Heart, Stuck In The Middle, and We Go Up, with Really Like You as an honorable mention. BABYMONSTER gets a 7.25 out of 10 from me, which makes me feel a bit bad, to be honest. (It was originally a 6.75, but I increased it.) Despite all of my references to Blackpink, they remind me a lot of one of YG’s boy groups, Winner, with these warring lovely ballads unique for the kpop landscape and these empty songs full of posturing and anti-drop choruses. And like Winner, while they have so much potential—especially their voices, oh my god—it’s being wasted and it’s so, so frustrating. These girls are so young, and they have their whole careers ahead of them. I hope that either they gain more creative control or that, like BP did, the moment their solo contracts end, they get the hell out of there.

Next time, we’re onto a huge deep dive. I think this is my first-ever planned four-parter?? And of course, the return of a very, very special guest. Tschüss!