BABYMONSTER (베이비몬스터), YG Entertainment’s first girl group since BLACKPINK, has rapidly emerged as a defining force in fifth-generation K-pop.
Combining YG’s signature hip-hop swagger with youthful versatility, this seven-member ensemble has shattered records, navigated lineup changes, and redefined rookie success metrics.
From their turbulent pre-debut period to their explosive 2024 world tour, here’s their story—year by year.
2022–2023: Formation, Pre-Debut Buzz, and Ahyeon’s Hiatu
YG Entertainment first teased the group on December 30, 2022, with a cryptic poster titled “YG Next Movement”. A New Year’s Day trailer featuring BLACKPINK, AKMU, and label founder Yang Hyun-suk amassed 15 million views in 72 hours, signaling the birth of a new era.
The seven members—Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora, and Chiquita—were unveiled through monthly performance videos starting January 2023. Highlights included Ahyeon’s viral cover of Charlie Puth’s “Dangerously” and Chiquita’s dance covers, which showcased the Thai maknae’s precision at just 14.
A pre-debut single, “Dream”, dropped in May 2023 alongside the documentary Last Evaluation. The track debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs Chart, while their YouTube channel hit 2 million subscribers in 129 days—the fastest growth for any K-pop girl group.
Controversy struck in November 2023 when BABYMONSTER debuted as a six-member unit with “Batter Up”, excluding Ahyeon due to health issues. Fans dubbed the period a “pre-debut phase”, with Yang Hyun-suk later confirming Ahyeon’s return would mark their “official” launch.
2024: Seven-Member Debut, Chart Domination, and Global Expansion
On April 1, 2024, BABYMONSTER solidified their lineup with the mini-album BABYMONS7ER. The lead single “Sheesh” initially underperformed but surged to #10 on Korea’s Circle Chart after electrifying live stages.
The EP included re-recorded versions of “Batter Up” and “Stuck in the Middle” with Ahyeon’s vocals, plus a Charlie Puth collab, “Like That”.
Key 2024 milestones:
- 460,000+ pre-orders for BABYMONS7ER, debuting at #3 on Circle Album Chart.
- 26,000 tickets sold for their Tokyo fan meeting, cementing “arena-class” status.
- “Drip” (November 2024): Their first studio album, featuring G-Dragon’s production and a #149 debut on the Billboard 200.
The “Drip” era saw BABYMONSTER embrace a darker, bass-heavy sound. The title track’s viral SBS Gayo Daejeon performance propelled it to #30 on the Billboard Global 200, while B-side “Really Like You” (co-written by WINNER’s Mino) highlighted their artistic depth.
Members Profile
Ruka
- Birth Name: Kawai Ruka
- Birthdate: March 20, 2002
- Nationality: Japanese
- Position: Main Rapper, Dancer
- MBTI: ISTJ
- Hobbies: Hip-hop choreography, fashion design 🧵
- Trainee Period: 6 years (longest in the group). Former member of Japan’s Shibu3 Project.
Someone in BABYMONSTER is the ultimate baby of the group, but who is it?! 👶💅 Watch the girls play Who’s Who here: https://t.co/EOv2Kz6EqF 👀 #BABYMONSTER pic.twitter.com/CNS1SGrokX
— BuzzFeed Celeb (@BuzzFeedCeleb) March 28, 2025
Pharita
- Birth Name: Pharita Boonpakdeethaveeyod
- Birthdate: August 26, 2005
- Nationality: Thai
- Position: Lead Vocalist
- MBTI: INTP
- Hobbies: Photography, Taylor Swift deep-dives 📸
- Trivia: Fluent in Korean and English; trained for 4 years.
Asa
- Birth Name: Enami Asa
- Birthdate: April 17, 2006
- Nationality: Japanese
- Position: Rapper, Vocalist
- MBTI: ENTP
- Hobbies: Sketching, butter chicken connoisseur 🎨
- Style: Often called the “mom” of the group for her calm leadership.
Ahyeon
- Birth Name: Jung Ahyeon
- Birthdate: April 11, 2007
- Nationality: Korean
- Position: Center, Main Vocalist
- MBTI: ISTJ
- Hobbies: Meme curation, fashion experiments 👗
- Nickname: “Little Jennie” for her stage presence.
Rami
- Birth Name: Shin Haram
- Birthdate: October 17, 2007
- Nationality: Korean
- Position: Main Vocalist
- MBTI: Unknown
- Hobbies: Reading literary classics, songwriting 📚
- Vocal Range: 3 octaves; praised for emotional delivery.
Rora
- Birth Name: Lee Dain
- Birthdate: August 5, 2008
- Nationality: Korean
- Position: Vocalist, Visual
- MBTI: INTP
- Hobbies: Basketball, sarcastic humor 🏀
- Language Skills: English and Chinese.
Chiquita
- Birth Name: Riracha Phondechaphiphat
- Birthdate: February 17, 2009
- Nationality: Thai
- Position: Lead Dancer, Maknae
- MBTI: ISTP
- Hobbies: Cooking, TikTok dance trends 🍳
- Trainee Period: 2 years (shortest in the group).
Why You Should Love BABYMONSTER
- Global DNA, Local Heartbeat 🌏
With members from Thailand, Japan, and Korea, BABYMONSTER embodies K-pop’s borderless future. Pharita and Chiquita’s Thai roots, Asa and Ruka’s Japanese flair, and the Korean line’s precision create a cultural mosaic that resonates worldwide. - Vocal Powerhouse Meets Rap Royalty 🎤
Ahyeon and Rami’s soaring vocals (compared to 2NE1’s Bom) contrast sharply with Ruka and Asa’s razor-sharp rapping—a balance reminiscent of BLACKPINK’s Rosé-Lisa dynamic. - YG’s Ruthless Training, Refined 💎
Surviving YG’s infamous trainee system (Ruka endured 20+ lineup changes), they’ve inherited the label’s hip-hop grit while injecting Gen Z playfulness. - Underdog Story with a Twist 🐺
Ahyeon’s hiatus and triumphant return mirrored Jihyo’s TWICE journey, proving resilience in an industry that often prioritizes perfection over humanity. - The Live Stage Revolution 🔥
Unlike many peers reliant on studio polish, BABYMONSTER’s raw live vocals in “Sheesh” and “Drip” performances have reignited faith in real idol talent. - For Fans Of:
- BLACKPINK’s unapologetic edge 🖤
- TWICE’s infectious energy 🍭
- (G)I-DLE’s artistic ambition 🎨
Love them not just for their YG pedigree, but for their audacity to be both “baby” and “monster”—softly relatable yet fiercely unstoppable. 🌟
