As YG introduces its new girl group BABYMONSTER, BLACKPINK remains the talk of the town
Recently, YG’s new girl group, BABYMONSTER, officially debuted with their first MV, “Batter Up.” As the third girl group under the “Big 3” Agency, BABYMONSTER immediately became the center of attention.
However, there’s another name who’s starting to “steal the spotlight” – BLACKPINK
What is BLACKPINK doing amid BABYMONSTER’s debut?
Recently, BLACKPINK made headlines globally as the first and only K-pop artists to receive the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) honor from King Charles III.
So far, Lisa has been recently spotted in Paris, not yet returning to Korea, while the three other members of BLACKPINK have been busy with separate schedules.
In particular, Jennie recently attended the “Love Your W” event and made a glamorous appearance. Jisoo has updated her SNS about the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, while
Rosé has been active, from holding a livestream with fans at night on November 26 to promoting a Christmas photoshoot with her pet dog, Hank.
However, BLACKPINK has not made any statements about their “sister group”. Previously, BLACKPINK would often support fellow artists from YG and the YG affiliate THE BLACK LABEL, such as Somi, BIGBANG, Taeyang, or Loren, by sharing their work on Instagram stories.
As BLACKPINK continues to stay silent about BABYMONSTER’s debut, fuel is being added to the speculations about the girl group’s potential departure from YG.
BLACKPINK dominates the internet, “outshines” BABYMONSTER?
After the MV for “Batter Up” was released, contrary to expectations, the public expressed disappointment with many complaining about BABYMONSTER’s lackluster debut.
In particular, the song was criticized for its lack of climax and impact, while the imagery and concept of the “Batter Up” MV was said to be a “replica” of BLACKPINK and 2NE1.
Netizens also believe that YG did not carefully plan for the new girl group, hastily preparing and releasing the product. There are even rumors that YG has no visual director for the BABYMONSTER project.
BABYMONSTER, which debuted with a 6-member lineup consisting of Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Ruka, Pharita, and Rami (Haram), are said to have “inherited” too many distinctive features from their seniors, but failed to live up to it.
In addition, the global success of BLACKPINK casts a massive shadow, making it impossible for BABYMONSTER to escape comparisons. This is also why the public continues to search for BLACKPINK amid BABYMONSTER’s promotion.
BLACKPINK’s debut in 2016 was a game-changer. BLACKPINK sculpted this cool, chic image that turned into the standard of a girl crush concept for a bunch of entertainment companies. The pre-debut teaser images of BLACKPINK and their first two MVs, Boombayah and Whistle, are drawing attention again. Even during their hiatus, BLACKPINK stays in the spotlight, taking over social media, all while this is the time when BABYMONSTER needs more promotion from YG than ever.
