YG Entertainment has now introduced all seven members of their forthcoming girl group BABYMONSTER.
Over the past month, the label has been drip-feeding information about its new girl group through YouTube videos of the members showcasing their performance skills. Yesterday (February 5), YG introduced the last member, Ruka, through a cover of P-Lo and G-Eazy’s 2018 single ‘Feel Good’ and Honey Cocaine, Kid Ink and Maino’s 2014 release ‘Gwola’.
Aged 20, according to the video, Ruka is the oldest member of the group. A report by Korea JoongAng Daily adds that she was a trainee for five years, the longest training period of all the BABYMONSTER members.
Ruka is also one of two Japanese members in the group, the other being Asa. The 16-year-old was first introduced through a video where she delivered her version of Joyner Lucas’ 2018 release ‘Look Alive (Remix)’.
BABYMONSTER also includes members of Thai descent, namely Chiquita and Pharita. Chiquita is the youngest member of the group, aged 13 years old, and was introduced through her cover of JJ Lin and Anne-Marie’s 2020 single ‘Bedroom’.
Pharita was introduced earlier this month through her rendition of Sam Fischer and Demi Lovato’s ‘What Other People Say’. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Pharita is fluent in both Thai and English, after studying at an international school, and is the second-oldest member of the group at 17.
BABYMONSTER is completed by three Korean members: Haram, Ahyeon and Rora. Haram was the first member to be introduced through her rendition of Mario’s 2004 single, ‘Let Me Love You’. Ahyeon was unveiled several days after, through her performance of Saweetie and GALXARA’s ‘Sway With Me’. Haram and Ahyeon are 15 years old, according to their respective performance videos. Rora, 14, was the last Korean member to be introduced, through her performance of Kiana Ledé’s 2020 track ‘Forfeit’.
Apart from their individual performance videos, BABYMONSTER also released a dance performance video featuring Ruka, Haram, Asa, Rora and Ahyeon. The group performed a dance to Young Money’s ‘Senile’, which was choreographed by YGX dancer and Street Woman Fighter star Lee Jung.
BABYMONSTER will be the agency’s first girl group after seven years, after BLACKPINK who debuted in 2016. Details of their forthcoming debut, including a date and what sort of release they will put out, are not available at the time of publication.
Plans for BABYMONSTER’s debut were first announced through a video titled ‘YG NEXT MOVEMENT’ and released on December 31 last year. It featured clips of the girl group’s members training during rehearsals along with anecdotes about the trainees from their labelmates.
“Think of them as a baby that has the genes of YG,” YG Entertainment founder and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk said of BABYMONSTER. “Just like how they shocked me at monthly evaluations over the past four years, I really hope they become stars that will shock this world.”