Although the September return of YG Entertainment's (hereafter YG) new girl group, BABYMONSTER (or BABYMONS7ER, members: Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Haram, Rora, and Chiquita), was ultimately canceled, fortunately, their debut has been confirmed for this fall. With BLACKPINK standing alone amidst issues, it's intriguing whether BABYMONSTER's debut could be a beacon of light for the somewhat disordered YG.
BABYMONSTER, which has garnered significant attention as the most anticipated newcomer in the music industry right from their launch, is a girl group that YG has invested in with aggressive promotions such as performance video releases and debut reality production over a long period, seven years after their senior artist, BLACKPINK, stood tall as a top global group leading K-pop.
In May, YG's head Yang Hyun-suk, even amidst a trial for retaliatory threats, personally took the lead, confirming the debut of the seven-member group, BABYMONSTER, which consists of multinational members from Korea (Ah Hyun, Haram, Lara), Thailand (Parita, Chikita), and Japan (Luca, Asa). Under systematic training, they mastered various languages including Korean, English, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese, and embraced diverse cultures with their versatile charm. The global popularity expectations have been escalating since YG targeted the global market from the outset.
Even before their official debut, BABYMONSTER already broke records. Their official YouTube channel subscribers surpassed 2 million at the fastest rate among new girl groups, and the total video views exceeded 400 million in just 127 days, creating a massive buzz. Major foreign media outlets like Billboard and the UK's NME have spotlighted BABYMONSTER, expressing high expectations that they will "create a new wave in the K-pop genre."
However, the official debut in September was canceled. Although the dominant expectation within YG was "it will come out in September at the latest," this atmosphere subtly drifted and eventually headed towards a phase of 'no news.'
Initially, BABYMONSTER was officially launched as a five-member group but after various opinions from fans and much consideration, Lara and Asa, who had been excluded, were embraced, turning it into a seven-member group. At that time, producer Yang Hyun-suk said, "There were so many fans who wanted the debut of all seven members. We think of YG's fans as true YG family," and asked to "consider Lara and Asa as members chosen by YG's fans," adding, "Although it's an estimate, it doesn't seem like the debut will exceed this fall."
Yang Hyun-suk had already set the debut for September and took the lead in selecting the final debut members of BABYMONSTER, putting momentum into the comeback of YG's chief producer, following the first trial acquittal of retaliatory threat charges. Although the prosecution's three-year prison sentence was proposed in the first and appeal trials, the possibility of acquittal in the second trial is not small, given the fluctuating claims of Han Seo-hee and her expressed desire not to punish, which ultimately positively affects the preparation for BABYMONSTER's debut. The sentencing date is scheduled for November 8th.
In the meantime, YG announced BABYMONSTER's debut confirmation in November and also sequentially announced the music video shooting schedule at the end of October. YG has secured numerous high-quality tracks by conducting song camps in YG, where foreign famous composers and YG-affiliated producers collaborated for BABYMONSTER's debut. They finalized a song with a strong mood as the debut song and explained, "We were cautious in selecting the title song to repay with the best result, and due to that process, the debut was slightly delayed from the initially mentioned September. We ask for your understanding."
YG also added, "Now all preparations are finished. Once the official debut takes place in November, we will continue to do our best and sprint with full force."
It remains to be seen whether YG, amidst a somewhat chaotic atmosphere due to various issues with BLACKPINK members, can bring about a mood reversal with the debut of BABYMONSTER.
