Can Babymonster overcome the shadow of Blackpink's success?
In Toronto, the rookie girl group showed their hunger with powerful vocals and chemistry
(Photo credit: YG Entertainment)
YG Entertainment has long been known as one of the “Big Four” labels in K-pop. Since its formation three decades ago, YG has famously been behind K-pop icons like Big Bang, Epik High, 2NE1 and Blackpink.
But despite the label’s long history in the music industry, YG has only debuted three female groups over the years. And both, you could argue, have paved the way for K-pop’s massive success today.
2NE1, known for their elaborate fashion and willingness to experiment with sounds, have long been credited as a leading figure in the Korean Wave and is one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time. Meanwhile, Blackpink are undoubtedly the biggest girl group in the world right now—from headlining Coachella to selling more than 20 million records worldwide.
So when YG announced in 2023 that it would debut a new girl group to follow in the footsteps of these two iconic acts, it caught the attention of many.
Babymonster—composed of Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora, and Chiquita—made their official debut in April 2024 as a seven-piece act. (The group released tracks like “Batter Up” and “Stuck in the Middle” in November 2023 as a six-member act, since Ahyeon was away for health reasons).
Given 2NE1 and Blackpink’s mark in the K-pop world, it would be natural for Babymonster to be compared to their sister groups. And so far, YG’s strategy has been to bet big on Babymonster.
Within just a year of their debut, the label sent them on an ambitious tour. Unlike many new groups who play in theatres and clubs early on in their career, YG instead booked Babymonster to play in arenas across North America.
It’s a tall goal to achieve, and unfortunately I’m not sure the gamble paid off. Since the North American tour was announced, ticket sales lagged. VIP Soundcheck tickets went for over $500 CDN and lower bowl tickets ranged from $162 to $294. A pretty penny, for a rookie group with one album and a handful of songs!
Given the many K-pop tours that are happening right now across North America, one would have expected something more accessible for K-pop fans. The reality is that not even more seasoned acts like STAYC and TXT are selling out shows right now. If Babymonster wants to pull in more supporters, I imagine YG would have gone smaller with venues and made tickets more affordable.
But while lacklustre marketing did not serve Babymonster’s tour, the performance by these young women proved they had lots of potential.
(Photo credit: YG Entertainment)
Toronto was the first stop on Babymonster’s second leg of their North American tour, following shows in Los Angeles and Newark earlier this year. Despite not selling out in Toronto, the arena gradually filled out, with many people upgrading their seats to the lower bowl. Babymonster also performed as a six-piece group, as Rami is currently on hiatus for health reasons.
Even though I had my skepticism over whether the venue was too large for Babymonster, I was left impressed with the effort each of the members put into the performance. The girls sang live throughout the concert, which is rare when lip syncing has become such a norm in dance heavy performances these days. And when Ahyeon hit those high notes in “DRIP”, I found myself thinking, “Oh, these girls are hungry!” As a rookie group, Babymonster definitely had the energy and drive to impress.
While Babymonster has a relatively small discography, the show felt more like a showcase of both their limited body of work and their individual talents.
(Photo credit: YG Entertainment)
In the middle of the show, group members performed solo stages of their own. The stand-outs for me included Rora’s heart-wrenching rendition of Lewis Capaldi’s ballad “Someone You Loved” and Pharita’s version of Demi Lovato and Sam Fischer’s “What Other People Say.” These ladies can belt! The simplicity of these stages also really allowed me to truly hear their raw voices without backtracks in the background.
The show also did not rely heavily on VCRs—which are short video interludes that play in between costume changes and sets during many K-pop concerts. When videos did play on screen though, Babymonster used it to further show the audience their journey as a group from their pre-debut days. We see the girls rehearsing, but also tearfully explaining the sacrifices they’ve made to move away from loved ones to pursue their dreams.
And as Blackpink’s little sister group, there were also plenty of mentions of them, too.
“Watching Blackpink’s showcase in Japan made me realize I wanted to be a singer like them,” Ruka says on video.
“I want to dance like Lisa,” Chiquita explains.
“I can say that Blackpink is the reason I came here,” added Pharita.
In fact, Babymonster even performed two Blackpink songs: “Kill This Love” and “As If It’s Your Last”—noting to the audience that it was time to cover their “sunbaenims”, or seniors.
(Photo credit: YG Entertainment)
In K-pop, it’s fairly normalized for labels to treat their artists like one big family as a means to build brand loyalty, maintain fans and rake in dollars. In 2014, YG Entertainment held the Power World Tour, where acts like Psy, Epik High, Big Bang and IKon would tour together to show they are under the same label. SM Entertainment has a similar format, often holding annual SMTOWN Live concerts with SM artists like Red Velvet, NCT 127 and aespa taking the stage.
While YG hasn’t held a family concert in a while, the sentiment that YG artists are all “family” has stayed. But even though Babymonster did a great job at honouring Blackpink by covering their songs, I wondered if Babymonster runs the risk of riding off the backs of their sunbaenims’ success.
I have no doubt being from the same label has its benefits and advantages when it comes to promotions, but I also believe now is the time for Babymonster to show the world what is original and unique about them as a group, rather than living in the shadows of Blackpink.
Overall, I left the Babymonster concert impressed with the quality of the band’s vocals, stage presence and chemistry on stage. But what they need to figure out now is how to build a dedicated fanbase of their own moving forward.
One thing Babymonster can take advantage on is their youth. With an age range of 16 to 23 years old, I noticed many young female fans in the audience who were just excited to attend a girl group concert. It was particularly adorable to see all of those kids delightfully chanting along to Babymonster’s fun 80s-inspired hip hop track “Hot Sauce”. This made me realize that Babymonster can truly capitalize on the fact that they can build a fanbase that can grow up alongside them.
While Babymonster is still a very young group, I believe they have what it takes to reach success levels similar to their predecessors Blackpink and 2NE1. Each of the Babymonster members still have that rookie energy of wanting to succeed and play on the biggest stages. But if they want to make a mark and become influential figures in the Korean entertainment industry, it’s time to prove that Babymonster are more than just YG’s little sisters.
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