Babymonster (; stylized in all caps), also referred to as Baemon ( ; ), is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of seven members: Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora, and Chiquita.
Babymonster debuted as a full ensemble on April 1, 2024, with their eponymous extended play (EP) Babymons7er. Its single, "Sheesh", became their first top-ten entry on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart. In November, the group subsequently released their first studio album Drip, which surpassed one million copies in domestic sales and became their earliest entry on the Billboard 200; its title track spawned their second top-ten hit in South Korea and marked their first single to earn platinum certification for streaming from the Recording Industry Association of Japan. In 2025, the group released their second extended play We Go Up and embarked on the Hello Monsters World Tour.
History 2018–2022: Formation and pre-debut activities Following the launch of YG Entertainment's representative girl groups, 2NE1 (2009) and Blackpink (2016), news of their next girl group circulated as early as 2018. Applicants were recruited from various countries, with some trainees entering the program as early as age ten and completing an average of four to five years of training. Each prospective member prevailed over thousands in their respective auditions. In 2020, "Babymonster", one of many names initially considered for Blackpink, and "Baemon" (a syllabic abbreviation of the former) were trademarked in English and Korean at the Korean Intellectual Property Office by the label, and were tentatively used by media outlets as provisional names until the official disclosure of the names. The early idea of the group was as a Big Mama-style, R&B‑oriented vocal group, with internal reports describing an emphasis on candidates with strong, distinct vocal timbres.
Its selection process was chronicled in Last Evaluation (2023), a reality show filmed in the previous year prior to its airing, showcasing seven potential members. Label founder and executive producer, Yang Hyun-suk, enlisted assistance by Lee Su-hyun of AKMU, and Winner's Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon amidst others to judge, rank, and determine its formation for the duration of the show. Yang revealed the number of members he first planned was five; however, a seven-piece ensemble was finalized with three South Koreans (Ahyeon, Rami, Rora), two Japanese (Ruka, Asa), and two Thai members (Pharita, Chiquita). Ahyeon, Ruka, Chiquita, Rami, and Pharita were selected by the label, while Rora and Asa were contemplated to be placed into two different projects before ultimately joining the final line-up as the "fans' choice".
Leading to their acceptance into the label, the seven members accumulated disparate forms of television and entertainment experience: Rami started as a child model at age two; Ruka debuted in the Japanese girl group ; Rora performed in the children's music band U.SSO Girl with Hyein of NewJeans; and Pharita participated in modeling contests and audition programs. Once admitted to the company's training program, Ruka, the longest trained member of the seven, Rora, and Asa, trained under the company for six years. Rami and Ahyeon trained for five years, while Pharita, selected from 1,226 applicants, trained for four. Chiquita, the final recruit, joined after a brief three month training period, the shortest of all seven, and subsequently trained alongside the rest for three years. During this preparatory phase, the trainees underwent monthly evaluations and occasionally provided guide and background vocals for their labelmates (i.e. the final chorus of Kang Seung-yoon's "Iyah" (; aiya)).
2023–2024: Introduction and debut
YG Entertainment signaled the septet's formal introduction on December 30, 2022, with a poster and the subtext "YG Next Movement". It heralded a trailer-esque video posted on YouTube on New Year's Day and featured appearances by members of Winner and Blackpink, sibling duo AKMU, dancer and choreographer Leejung Lee, and label founder and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk. The seven members were revealed to the public through the gradual releases of live performance videos starting on January 12 (in order: Rami, Ahyeon, Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Pharita, and Ruka). Rami (#1): Ahyeon (#2): Chiquita (#3): Asa (#4): Rora (#5): Pharita (#6): Ruka (#7): They released a pre-debut promotional single titled "Dream" on May 14, 2023, coinciding with the release of Last Evaluation (2023); the YouTube exclusive debuted atop the Billboard Hot Trending Songs chart. Their channel soon surpassed one million subscribers in 52 days since its creation on December 28, 2022, and two million subscribers in 129 days, becoming the fastest K-pop girl group to achieve this milestone.
The group released two singles as a six-piece titled "Batter Up" and "Stuck in the Middle" on November 27, 2023, and February 1, 2024, respectively; the former served both as the sextet's debut single and Babymonster's pre-debut release. "Batter Up" was co-written by labelmates Lee Chan-hyuk of AKMU and Choi Hyun-suk of Treasure, with member Asa contributing to its composition and lyrics. Its music video amassed 22.59 million views within twenty-four hours, setting a new record for the most‑viewed debut music video in K‑pop history, and surpassed 100 million views eighteen days after release, the fastest for a debut video on the platform. The single also achieved 10 million streams on Spotify within ten days, setting the fastest precedent for a rookie K‑pop girl group. Ahyeon, who was absent from its releases for health reasons, soon joined the ensemble to promote their future activities as a seven-member group.
Marking the group's official debut, their first extended play (EP) Babymons7er, was released on April 1. It was primarily supported by the titular single "Sheesh", and included re-recordings of "Batter Up" and "Stuck in the Middle" with all seven members. "Like That", a track gifted by Charlie Puth following the viral circulation of Ahyeon's cover of "Dangerously", was also included. The eponymous release received over 460,000 pre-orders, and debuted at number three on the Circle Album Chart. Initially released to lukewarm reception, "Sheesh" experienced a surge in popularity through its live performances, peaking at number ten on the Circle Digital Chart."Sheesh": It also became the highest‑charting entry by a K‑pop girl group on Spotify that year, debuting at number sixty‑nine on the Daily Top Songs Global Chart with 1.76 million streams. To commemorate their debut, a ten‑day pop‑up store at The Hyundai Seoul was held, attracting 2,000 visitors within its first two days. In May, the septet launched their inaugural fan meeting tour, with stops in six Asian territories: Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea, where they sold 26,000 tickets at their Tokyo stop alone.
For Babymonster's first studio album, a digital single titled "Forever" was pre-released on July 1. Drip followed on November 1, led by the two singles, "Clik Clak" and "Drip". Notably, G-Dragon participated in the composition and demo recording of "Drip", while Mino of Winner co-wrote the album's B-side, "Really Like You". The album marked a new career high for the septet, recording 820,000 orders within one week, and became their first entry on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 149. Its titular single of the same name achieved a new personal best, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Global 200, and acquired belated traction in South Korea and Japan, following the virality of their live performances on SBS Gayo Daejeon and The First Take. It gave them their second top ten hit on the Circle Digital Chart, their first top thirty entry on the Billboard Japan Hot 100,"Drip": and their first single to be certified platinum for streaming by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. "Really Like You" likewise received attention after circulating on short‑form platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, topping YouTube's Viral 50 Music Chart for five consecutive days from January 11–15, 2026. Its popularity translated to favorable results on the Circle Digital Chart, peaking at number 79."Really Like You":
2025–present: First world tour, Rami's hiatus, and career expansion
From January 25–26, 2025, Babymonster held a two-day concert at KSPO Dome in Seoul, the onset to their first world tour Hello Monsters, which comprised two legs across Asia and North America. The seven-piece became the fastest female act to headline the venue, achieving the milestone within eight months of their debut. Following demand in North America, which included shows in Newark and Los Angeles, six additional dates were added in the region. In Japan, all 100,000 tickets for the initial dates sold out, prompting the opening of restricted view seats and additional shows to accommodate to demand; it attracted 150,000 attendees across ten concerts in the country, setting a record pace for a K-pop girl group. The remaining Asia leg covered seven markets—Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan—and drew a further 100,000 attendees across ten sold‑out shows, including an added date in Hong Kong. Rami entered an indefinite health‑related hiatus at the outset of this leg and remained absent for the remainder of the tour. Hello Monsters concluded on September 12, with a cumulative audience of 300,000 across thirty-two shows in twenty cities.
Initially introduced as a piece from a two-part pre-release sequence for their sophomore EP, "Hot Sauce" was ultimately released as a standalone digital single on July 1, recorded by the group's six active members, following Rami's hiatus. The track paid homage to Seo Taiji and Boys' 1992 debut, drawing on late‑1980s hip‑hop influences and incorporating visual references to the trio's original album design, including a logo styled after the debut's typography. We Go Up, a piece cited to reflect each members' artistic aspirations, was released on October 10. The release cycle preceded the ensemble's subsequent fan‑concert tour, Love Monsters, a performance‑driven series positioned between a fan meeting and a regular concert. Held across twelve shows in three countries—including two sold‑out dates at Taipei Arena in Taiwan—the tour concluded on January 3, 2026, and attracted an 140,000 attendees, bringing the group's cumulative audience for the year to approximately 440,000.
On May 4, 2026, Babymonster released their third EP titled Choom (), led by the single of the same name. The digital single "Sugar Honey Ice Tea" was released on June 8. A world tour dubbed after their EP will commence in Seoul beginning on June 26, followed by new locations in South America, Europe, and Oceania.
Artistry Image and reception
Babymonster's artistic identity was crafted around the duality embedded in their name, pairing an offstage charm with a performance style defined by intensity and precision. They were designed to embody 2NE1's charisma and Blackpink's glamour, conceiving what is often referred to as the "YG DNA", a signature mix of talent, boldness, and distinctive edge. Building on this foundation, the members have been described as "all‑rounders", noted for vocal, rap, and dance abilities, and for foregrounding live performance as a central component of their artistry, distinguishing them from acts that rely on backing tracks to prioritize choreography, fashion, and visuals.