Tag: BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER continues their promotions for their first studio album, DRIP, with the music video release for Love In My Heart on Monday. This release follows the pre-release of FOREVER midyear and the release of the entire album and title tracks CLIK CLAK and DRIP in November.

Love In My Heart is a relatively mellow and heartfelt release from the group compared to the title tracks from the studio album. That being said, the producers of Love In My Heart keep the song contemporary by incorporating EDM backing and club beats together. This combination reminds me of the music I enjoyed from the late 2000s to the early 2010s. And with a mellow and heartfelt descriptor, Love In My Heart is vocal-focused, allowing BABYMONSTER to showcase more of that side of themselves. Rami surprised me with her high note. But despite recognising the group’s opportunity to shine vocally and the nostalgia the instrumental brings, I can’t help but also feel a generic vibe coming off Love In My Heart. And this impacts other aspects of the song that I usually look towards. Love In My Heart‘s melodies were not memorable, and the song’s hook (‘Give you ay ay ay‘) was awkwardly flat. The same can be said about their vocals. They were decent but lacked any shine to them. Overall, Love In My Heart is a decent track. But it could have been better executed.

The music video begins with commentary over the radio and news that the weather hasn’t been so great. This has affected the members’ mood, leading to fighting between two members. But despite that, the song expresses the idea that their love for one another is a strong bond. So soon after their fight, we see the members rejoin and run off together to enjoy the post-rain weather and go on a road trip together (just without a vehicle, at first).

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10 [Updated on 22/02/2025 due to calculation error]

As mentioned in my review of BABYMONSTER’s CLIK CLAK, I would soon return to review the second title track from their recent comeback with their first studio album, DRIP. The song is also titled DRIP and is the focus of this post. Previously, the group pre-released the single FOREVER in July of this year and is featured on the DRIP studio album.

In my opinion, DRIP is a far superior track to the other BABYMONSTER song (CLIK CLAK) that also leads this comeback. Most of DRIP (i.e., the verses) was quite good, making for BABYMONSTER’s best effort yet, in my opinion. Had this been the material they debuted with, BABYMONSTER would have made it on my radar as a rookie to look out for. The vocal work in DRIP was unexpectedly great. AHYEON’s high note towards the end of DRIP was spectacular, and the pre-choruses just ooze charisma. Even the rapping had me thinking ‘badass’ and ‘edgy’, new thoughts on BABYMONSTER. However, DRIP‘s weakest element is its choruses. It feels distinct from the rest of DRIP, steering the song differently and cutting the trajectory the verses built. I put this down to the heaviness of the chorus elements (i.e., instrumentation and textural vocals). The hooks were plain and lacked innovation. Put all of this together, and you have a centrepiece that was a letdown and didn’t continue the excitement I got from DRIP‘s verses. Even the added oomph to the final chorus territory of DRIP didn’t change my mind (and this, on occasion, would win me over).

The music video depicts BABYMONSTER making an entrance, going big and viral, and being covered on the news. They even started mass-producing the cassette tape for their DRIP album. The idea is a little cringy in my books, but I liked its presentation. After all, this is a YG Entertainment music video. I did like the edgy vibe the members were showcasing through their outfits. My favourite moment was the cameraperson’s reaction to ASA’s rap during the live news broadcast – definitely going off script compared to what was on the teleprompter.

The choreography for this comeback was all right. I don’t find it as mind-blowing or impressive as other people might have. I liked the body shaking while the members delivered the song’s main hook, but the rest of the routine looked a little too pretty or awkward for my taste.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10 [Updated on 17/11/2024 because it was missing from the published post]
Performance – 6.5/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10 [Updated on 17/11/2024 because it was missing from the published post]

BABYMONSTER returned with their first studio album, DRIP, yesterday. The album is led by the title tracks CLIK CLAK and DRIP. In this post, I will review CLIK CLAK, and a review for DRIP will be published in the coming days. Previously, the group pre-released the single FOREVER in July of this year and is featured on the Drip studio album.

From the get-go, CLIK CLAK presents us with a hip-hop-influenced BABYMONSTER. This was an expected sound or era for a group associated with YG Entertainment. However, this is probably one of the weakest hip-hop tracks out there because CLIK CLAK was so bland for most of the song. The trap-based instrumental was stuck in neutral gear, and I felt drained while listening to the track. While this is just an instrumental problem, it does affect my perception of the members’ delivery. It is good to note that the members were prolific at times. But I wonder if that is because the instrumental was so bone-dry, anything would have come off as prolific. I did not find anything catchy or memorable about CLIK CLAK. It also doesn’t help that CLIK CLAK‘s lyrics are so tacky. As such, I found myself tuning out of the song. However, you get rewarded if you stick through the above and make it to the end. CLIK CLAK changes gears and converts the drain into a dynamic club track. I like this energy and shift, which is much appreciated after all the neutralness. I just wish we didn’t have to sit through the front end of CLIK CLAK to get there.

The music video fits the brief and makes BABYMONSTER appear edgy with its demeanour, outfits, styling, and black-and-white filter. But like the song, I found the video to be a bore. It could be the song affecting the viewing experience, but I don’t register anything in the video to be memorable in a good sense. Rather, two elements stuck out for me in the wrong way. CHIQUITA’s really baggy and long outfit and ASA’s sunnies. Just a no from me. But it could simply be because I don’t understand fashion.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 5/10
Overall Rating – 5/10

Back in May, YG Entertainment announced plans for BABYMONSTER to return later in the year with their first studio album, and that a single would be released in July as a pre-release. Well, it is now July and YG Entertainment confirmed BABYMONSTER release officially dropped on Monday as promised! Hahaha… Remember those days? The pre-release single is titled FOREVER and follows on from the release of STUCK IN THE MIDDLE and SHEESH from earlier on in the year.

I am genuinely surprised with FOREVER, particularly when we hit the choruses. BABYMONSTER’s songs have not really pulled me in thus far, but FOREVER is the first to catch my attention and bring out a positive reaction from me (for the most part). The pop vibes in the chorus are different from what YG usually produces and releases for their artists. For the instrumentation, FOREVER‘s club-like background during chorus hits the mark, for me. The vocal work in the pre-chorus and choruses of FOREVER were nicely executed and further demonstrates that there is promise for the group. Even I received the rapping throughout the track positively. But while I do appreciate all of this, FOREVER does have a few issues that limits the song’s potential collectively. Firstly, I felt FOREVER was disjointed due to the various pauses between different segments of the song. If the song was ‘tighter’ on many fronts, I felt this would have made FOREVER more cohesive as one piece. Secondly, FOREVER suffers due to the presence of the not-so-innovative second verse. It isn’t the rapping that gets me (per my earlier comments), but rather it is the breakdown that has to accompany the second verse rap in every YG song. I don’t see the need to stick to a breakdown every single time. Surely, someone would have realized this by now. I also think this sequence features the same (or extremely similar) synths to what we heard in SHEESH, which confirms to me there is a lack of innovation at the company. Thirdly, not keen on the soft utterances of “Like I’mma live forever” and “Like I’mma like I’mma” in the background of the chorus. They felt needless and don’t add anything to the song. Overall, FOREVER is a refreshing turn for BABYMONSTER (and their company), but there are some issues meddling its overall potential.

With KPOP’s growing presence at the big fashion shows, we see BABYMONSTER get ready for one of them in the music video for FOREVER. And following that, they have fun in each other’s company, what is assume, is following that fashion show. I liked the classy yet modern looks they had on throughout the video, and the sets were pretty cool. However, I do feel like there is a slip in standards. YG Entertainment videos always scream out to me for its high quality, but I don’t feel that here.

FOREVER has one of those routines that looks goods and feels fitting for the song. But it didn’t have anything in it that really stands out.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.8/10

Support your other favourite artists, songs and performance in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards by clicking here to vote today.

This week started with the long awaited debut of BABYMONSTER, the latest female group to debut under YG Entertainment. They kicked off with the single BATTER UP, which was released on Monday this week. For those who are now aware of who BABYMONSTER are, they are a seven member group formed through the Last Evaluation survival show. The lineup of the group consists of Rami, Ahyeon, Chiquita, Asa, Rora, Pharita, and Ruka. But days before their debut, it was confirmed that member Ahyeon would be sitting out due to health reasons, reducing the group temporarily to a six-member lineup for their debut.

My first impression of BATTER UP was that it felt very quintessentially YG Entertainment. The song is firmly within the YG wheelhouse of hip-hop. But while the company has put out songs in that realm successfully, BATTER UP feels like a drag and lacks any form of excitement. This really dampens the whole ‘long awaited’ description to the debut, as it a major disappointment after what felt like years of the news of a new group under YG Entertainment. Even the rapping, which usually is an eventful aspect of YG’s songs, just didn’t add any new or excitable energy to BATTER UP, making it feel even more lethargic and bland. Though, the skill is there. The chorus was so generic and lacked any form personality or soul that turns me away from the song (and if this is the what to expect moving forward, the group as well, though I am holding onto hope they will put out something better in the future). There are two good aspects to BATTER UP, in my opinion. However, both are not in any form a saving grace for the track The first are the vocals. There is definitely potential for the group in this department from what they showed us in this song. I just wished BATTER UP had more worthwhile material to really highlight that potential. The second is the anthem end to the song, the literal first sign of any form of energy in BATTER UP. Yes, such an ending is very YG and has been done so many times before by … you guessed it … YG groups. But in such a bland track, I will take it. Overall, unoriginal and terribly boring. Not exactly the words you would want to hear for a debut track.

If there is anything YG certainly does well, that is the music video for their artists’ comebacks. And BABYMONSTER, fortunately, benefits from this. Visually, the members all looked very pretty or fierce, depending on what part of the song you are listening to. And they all look very good throughout the video. The music video sets looked very clean, the quality was very crisp. The best part of the video is the orange and black spikes in the background during the second verse of the song. That effect looked very cool and was the most memorable aspect of the music video for me. There was opportunity to make the music video cooler, with even more visual effects and stuff. But it was a well rounded music video, in my opinion.

In an interesting move from the company, BABYMONSTER will not be promoting BATTER UP on any music shows. While music shows are a bit scarce at this time, the lack of promotions is an odd path to take, especially for a debuting group. From what I can see in the music video, I find the chorus to be a bit awkward. The “looking at the ball” in a distance felt cringy with such an empty and lackluster chorus. The ending, when the energy in the song picks up, is the only decent part of the choreography. Logically, that was the only part of the choreography that I enjoyed.

Song – 5/10
Music Video – 7.5/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6/10