As YG’s first girl group after BLACKPINK, expectations are extremely high for BABYMONSTER
At midnight on November 27th (Korean time), YG officially released BABYMONSTER’s debut song “Batter Up” and its MV, marking the girl group’s entry into the music industry. Missing the “ace” Ahyeon, BABYMONSTER’s “Batter Up” includes a lineup of 6 members, and already drew massive attention after release.
In particular, “Batter Up” embraces YG’s signature hip-hop color, which include a captivating hook, powerful bass and siren sounds, and transitions through many verses. Through “Batter Up”, YG expresses its “ambition” for the new female rookie BABYMONSTER, as the song conveys a message of confidence, courage, and determination to become a “game-changer” in the global music market.
However, unlike 2NE1 and BLACKPINK, BABYMONSTER’s music does not have the touch of star producer Teddy. Instead, Japanese member Asa has already demonstrated her talent in writing lyrics and composing, whilst Yang Hyunsuk, alongside other YG producers and artists, also participated in the song.
The debut MV of BABYMONSTER is set in various scenes, primarily highlighting the youthful and confident energy of the 6 members. However, people are already comparing BABYMONSTER with BLACKPINK, considering that the “Batter Up” MV includes many segments reminiscent of BLACKPINK’s “Boombayah” and the song’s structure and arrangement of rap and vocal verses also bear similarities.
On the other hand, opinions about “Batter Up” are mixed, with Ruka and Asa receiving praise for their powerful rap performances, while the song itself is criticized for lacking climax and highlight.
Below are some comments from netizens:
- Can YG please switch up the MV production. The set and props are always the same… Everything in the “Batter Up” MV looks similar to BLACKPINK MVs. Compared to the images and concepts of other groups like NewJeans and IVE, BABYMONSTER’s probably ranks last
- The concept is a bit similar to BLACKPINK, but the music is okay!
- It’s 2023, but the MV looks like one from 2017. Some segments look as old as 2012
- I don’t quite vibe with this song except for the rap part. I don’t know why but this group sounds and looks like a combination of 2NE1 and BLACKPINK
- The beat is catchy, a bit lacking in climax but still acceptable, sounds like a YG song
- A signature YG song… but somehow lacking swag compared to 2NE1
- This is the first time a Kpop song has better rap parts than the singing part.
- I hoped for a debut song that is both cool and slaying like “Whistle,” but this sounds more similar to TREASURE music…
- Compared to the debut songs of other groups in YG, this song probably ranks at the bottom…
- It’s a good song but not too ear-catching. It just sounds a bit outdated.
Source: K14, theqoo, Weibo
