YG Entertainment unveils BabyMonster, their first-ever girl group in 7 years

One of the top entertainment agencies in South Korea, YG Entertainment, is ready to let their newest girl group BabyMonster meet the public.

This is the label’s first girl group in 7 years after launching Blackpink in 2016. Before the chart-topping quartet came the now-defunct 2NE1, who made their debut in 2009.

BabyMonster is expected to follow Blackpink’s footsteps and build on the firm foundation their label seniors have provided them with.

Keeping in mind their young age, these videos have boasted their stirring range of talents from powerful vocals and rap skills to dynamic dance abilities across all seven members: Ruka, Pharita, Rora, Asa, Chiquita, Ahyeon and Haram.

Fans have mostly assumed the group will be a seven-piece band.

But a shocking video released on 5 Mar (Sun) confirms otherwise, and it is not known how many members will eventually make it to the group just yet.

The girls will have to go through a surprise elimination system, named Last Evaluation. Spots in the team will eventually be determined by fans, in an attempt to probably increase audience-idol interaction.

Whilst amassing clout for the multi-nationality line-up, it was almost like they were set to debut as a whole, with many excited to see what the future holds for this talented bunch.

However, fans will now have to make the difficult decision to decide on who makes the cut now.

HallyuSG breaks down the potential members of BabyMonster below, for you to get to know them better.

1. Ruka

The last member to be revealed to the public, Kawai Ruka is the oldest member, born in 2002. She is one of the first two female Japanese idols to debut under the renowned label. With 10 years of dance experience under her belt, Ruka is a natural.

2. Pharita

Pharita Chaikong is one of two Thai members in the line-up. Born in 2005, the talented dancer and vocalist won against 1,225 other applicants in the 2020 audition competition. She then flew to South Korea to follow her dreams just like her role model, Blackpink’s Lisa.

3. Rora

Deemed as an all-rounder, Lee Da-in, known as Rora, was born in 2008. She has prior experience being a girl group member in U.SSO with NewJeans’ Hyein, prior to BabyMonster.

4. Asa

Initially drawn to YG’s distinct hip-hop style, Enami Asa, born in 2006, auditioned for the label and is the second Japanese member. Asa is said to be an ace at dancing and rapping, and has written her own rap lyrics.

5. Chiquita

Born in 2009, Riracha Phondechaphiphat, known professionally as Chiquita, is the youngest member of the team. While she has the shortest training period, her vocal and dance skills do not fall short of her fellow members.

6. Ahyeon

Jung Ah-yeon was born in 2007 and has displayed her ability to be the promising center of the group through her dance skills and effortless expressions. On top of that, she is also a polyglot — fluent in Korean, English and Chinese.

7. Haram

As the first member to be officially introduced, Shin Ha-ram, born in 2007, previously debuted as a child model. Just like her other members, she finds her vocal role model in Rosé, Blackpink’s vocalist.