Soon to become BLACKPINK’s “sister”, BABYMONSTER brings together seven multinational faces, from Korea, Japan, and Thailand
BLACKPINK’s contract ended in August 2023, but until now, the company and the members have not commented on whether they will renew the contract or not. Over the past few months, the media has continuously published rumors about 3 out of 4 BLACKPINK members leaving YG, leading to concerns that the group will no longer be operating as normal.
Amidst these worries, however, YG has set the debut date for BABYMONSTER, its younger generation girl group after BLACKPINK and the third girl group trained by YG.
BABYMONSTER brings together seven multinational faces from South Korea, Japan. In particular, the group consists of Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Haram, Rora, and Chiquita. So far, the group is already being compared to BLACKPINK, with some members said to be the “second” Jennie and Lisa.
With all members having outstanding appearances and talents, it is clear that YG aims to pursue the international success of BLACKPINK with this 7-member group.
Below is a recap of BABYMONSTER’s line-up:
Chiquita was the first member of BABYMONSTER officially introduced to the public by YG, with a visual film and poster published on November 13. Born in 2009, she is a Thai national with singing and dancing abilities and is called the ”second Lisa”. Chiquita reminds many people of Lisa’s image in BLACKPINK, and she herself idolizes Lisa. Former YG President Yang Hyun-suk also praised Chiquita, stating that she is special, hoping that she will become famous like Lisa and have a global influence.
Another Thai member is Pharita, born in 2005. She joined YG at the end of 2020 and is considered by fans to be the visual of BABYMONSTER due to her fresh and elegant appearance. Pharita has a lot of stage experience, actively participating in various modeling roles and winning top prizes such as Inter Model Thailand, Asia Junior Fashion Runway 2018, and the champion of the International Fashion Show 2019 in China. According to BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Pharita reminds the female idol of herself during her early days of training at YG.
The main rapper position in BABYMONSTER is anticipated to be taken by Asa, a Japanese talent born in 2006. She stands out with her powerful rap skills and flow. Word has it that Asa was previously part of a theater band and started training at YG around 2017-2018.
Ruka, born in 2002 from Japan, is the group’s eldest member. With five years of training, Ruka impresses with her rap, dance, and lyric-writing skills. YG’s choreographer, Lee Jung, pointed out that compared to other trainees, Ruka has more experience and a profound understanding of hip-hop. Producer Big Tone commended her for effortlessly embodying hip-hop vibes.
Embarking on her YG trainee journey in 2019, Rora comes with a background in singing and dancing from her early years. Born Lee Da In in 2008, she was part of the kids group U.SSO GIRL alongside NewJeans’ Hyein. Many speculate that Rora will be the main vocalist of BABYMONSTER.
The second Korean member, Haram, born in 2007 and with a past as a child model, began her training at YG when she was 11. Her striking figure and aura, honed through activities since childhood, make her stand out. Haram stands out with her vocals, often drawing comparisons to BLACKPINK’s Rosé. Rosé is also Haram’s role model.
Ahyeon, the ace of BABYMONSTER, is one of the three Korean members alongside Haram and Rora, gaining significant attention for her all-around talents in singing, rapping, and dancing. She also resembles BLACKPINK’s Jennie. Even before her official debut, Ahyeon went viral for her cover of Charlie Puth’s “Dangerously.” However, she sparked controversy by saying the N-word in her rap cover of Nicki Minaj’s “Feeling Myself.”
Source: k14
