K-Pop Rookies BABYMONSTER On The First Full-Length Album “[DRIP]”, Their First World Tour, And What K-Pop Means To Them

If you’ve been in the K-pop space for any length of time, then you know that YG Entertainment is known for artists that not only have extreme hip-hop charisma, but also an overwhelming talent for performing.

Enter BABYMONSTER: YG’s new rookie girl group that made their highly-anticipated debut last year with “BATTER UP” is now back with their first full-length album [DRIP].

BuzzFeed sat down with BABYMONSTER to talk all things music, including all things about their latest release, their first upcoming world tour, and more.

Please introduce yourselves to our readers who may be meeting you for the first time.

RUKA: Hello everyone, my name is RUKA and I’m the unnie (big sister) of BABYMONSTER!

PHARITA: Hi! This is PHARITA, I’m 19 and I’m Thai.

ASA: Hey, I’m ASA! I’m 18 years old and I’m the rapper of the team.

AHYEON: Hello, this is AHYEON from BABYMONSTER! Nice to meet you.

Rami: Hello, whether it’s dancing, singing, or rapping, I always give it my all! I’m RAMI from BABYMONSTER.

RORA: Hi guys, I’m RORA, the vocalist of BABYMONSTER!

CHIQUITA: Hey, I’m CHIQUITA, the youngest member of BABYMONSTER!

Congratulations on your new album! Your latest release [DRIP] is your first full-length album — can you share more on what the album concept is?

“DRIP” is one of the two title tracks of your album. Can you share more about what the song is about?

AHYEON: It’s a song that expresses BABYMONSTER’s signature stylishness through the word “DRIP”.

RAMI: “DRIP” is a hip-hop dance track with powerful beats and a standout bass sound! While our previous track “SHEESH” had a darker hip-hop vibe, “DRIP” brings a more upbeat and intense energy with its strong, distinctive beat!

RORA: “DRIP” is a dynamic song with an energetic beat and melody that makes you want to dance along! It’s a song that’s packed with our charms, so we hope you’ll give it lots of love!

This track was also composed by G-Dragon, known for his multi-hyphenate talent as a solo artist and member of BIGBANG. How did you react when you found out a song written by G-Dragon was going to be a part of your album?

Your double title track of the album is “CLIK CLAK.” What is this song about and how is the message and vibe different from “DRIP”?

What is something you would like fans to know about your album [DRIP]?

This album was highly anticipated after the success of your first EP, with your smash hits “BATTER UP,” “SHEESH,” and “LIKE THAT” reaching global success. As a rookie group, how do you feel about your career’s powerful start since your debut?

PHARITA: We are very thankful to everyone who helped guide us along the way. Also, I would like to send a big thank you to our MONSTIEZ for always supporting us, and we hope to continue to surprise you in the future!

ASA: I am truly thankful and happy to receive so much love and support, ever since our debut. The fact that our music has reached so many people feels like a dream and is hard to believe. We worked really hard to show our growth with our first full-length album [DRIP]. Moving forward, we promise to stay true to our roots and continue to deliver better music and better performances. Please continue to watch over us with love!

RAMI: Although it hasn’t been long since our debut, I’m always grateful for the love and support we’ve received. Because of that, I feel even more determined to show better versions of ourselves.

With more fans supporting you, you might feel more nervous before going on stage. Do you have a personal method for overcoming those nerves?

RORA: Honestly, I always feel nervous before going on stage! I think a certain amount of nervousness is necessary, but I try to release any unnecessary tension before going up. Since I’m with my members and MONSTIEZ, I try to think of it as just having fun and enjoying the stage!

RUKA: We always do our team chant before going on stage. When I shout it really loudly, it helps relieve the built-up nervousness in my body.

CHIQUITA: I think I relieve my nervousness by reminding myself that I need to put on a great performance for our MONSTIEZ!

How did you build confidence for your debut?

PHARITA: We always pay attention to every small detail during our practice sessions! We always make sure to communicate and respect each other’s opinions and thoughts, aiming to improve together as a group. With the seven of us, we always believed that we could become an even more special group!

ASA: We built our confidence by putting in extra practice and working hard to improve in areas where we felt we needed growth. It was incredibly rewarding to see how much we developed through that process. Supporting one another and strengthening our teamwork played a crucial role as well. Above all, the unwavering encouragement from our fans became our greatest source of motivation. By staying positive and reminding ourselves that “we can do this,” we were able to maintain confidence throughout our debut journey.

AHYEON: Every compliment I received during the monthly evaluations gave me confidence, so I set high standards for myself and worked hard to break through those barriers to hear those compliments.

What is something that came as a surprise to you when you began live performances? Was there anything you wish you knew before performing together as BABYMONSTER for the first time?

Rami: Meeting MONSTIEZ for the first time was such an exciting moment! I was so excited to finally jump around and have fun together with them. I can’t wait to make more memories with MONSTIEZ in the future!

Rora: I was really surprised when I first heard the loud cheers from our fans. It was the moment I realized how much energy we could gain from their passion and excitement. Thanks to MONSTIEZ enjoying our performances, we are always able to put on amazing stages!

Chiquita: What surprised me most about performing live is how close our fans are. It’s even closer than I expected! This makes me so happy because we are able to truly connect with them.

If you could only choose one of your songs to describe yourself, which one would you pick?

RUKA: “Love In My Heart” — not only because it’s my favorite song, but also because it’s such an energetic track. I’m really looking forward to performing it, jumping around, and having fun with our fans at our concert!

PHARITA: I would say “BILLIONAIRE” because it’s one of my favorites. It’s soft, but also bold. As the beat changes, it transforms into a fun, rhythmic song — something our fans might not expect.

ASA: I think “DRIP” perfectly showcases our confidence, boldness, and unique style. The passionate lyrics and intense performance truly capture BabyMonster’s current image. I feel like it symbolizes our continuous growth and bright future, which is why it holds a special place in my heart. I would also like to choose “Woke Up in Tokyo (Ruka & Asa)” since it’s our first unit song. We included things we love in the lyrics, which makes this track especially meaningful to us.

Can you share a memorable moment you have from making this album?

AHYEON: The most memorable moment for me was filming the wire scene in the “DRIP” music video. While shooting that scene, I felt pure happiness and thought, “This is what I want to keep working hard for!” It’s something that will continue to be a significant source of motivation for me moving forward.

RAMI: Our album includes a lot of songs with chant-along parts, and it was so much fun recording those sections together with the other members in the studio!

RORA: The most unforgettable moment was when the “DRIP” music video was finally released! Seeing all our hard work come to life and knowing that many people would enjoy it made that moment extra special for me.

What are your goals for BABYMONSTER?

You just announced your first tour, visiting New Jersey and Los Angeles. What are you most looking forward to?

How do you feel about the upcoming tour and being able to perform for your fans in the United States for the first time?

RORA: Honestly, I think it’s going to be one of the most nerve-racking yet exciting moments for us. Since our debut, we’ve seen so many fan reaction videos and it made us truly realize how much love and support we’ve been receiving. I’m so happy that we’ll finally get to meet our fans in person this time! We’ll make sure to repay this love and support with even more amazing performances, so I hope everyone’s looking forward to it!

AHYEON: I think it’ll be such an exciting and new experience to perform in cities/regions we’ve never been to before. The fact that we get to perform in the US is such an amazing opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it!

CHIQUITA: I’m so excited and nervous that it’s actually hard to put into words. Since this will be our first performance in the US, it feels even more special and meaningful!

What can fans anticipate for your tour performances? Is there anything you can tell us about it?

ASA: For this tour, I think fans can expect BABYMONSTER’s signature high-energy performances, along with some special stages. We’ve prepared a dynamic setlist that will help us connect with fans and create unforgettable moments together. You’ll truly understand what we mean when you experience it firsthand, so be sure to come and enjoy it with us! We can’t wait, and we’re really looking forward to the time we’ll spend with our fans.

AHYEON: I’m excited to bring back some of the performances that captured fans’ attention during our trainee days. It’s going to be so much fun recreating those special moments on stage!

RAMI: You can look forward to performances from our latest tracks, including songs from [DRIP], and during this tour, we plan to present a richer and more dynamic performance with a live band.

Share a message to MONSTIEZ and our readers!

RUKA: Thank you so much for always showing us so much love. We will continue to grow and show an even better side of ourselves in 2025, so please keep supporting us!

PHARITA: Hello BuzzFeed readers! I hope you guys are enjoying our [DRIP] album. We have more exciting things lined up for 2025, so make sure to meet us on our world tour. Love you so much!

ASA: MONSTIEZ and BuzzFeed readers, thank you so much for always cheering us on. Your support inspires us to keep growing and working harder every day. We promise to repay you with even better music and performances. Being on this journey with you means the world to us, and the memories we create together give us so much strength. Please continue to show us your love and support!

AHYEON: I’m so excited for the performances we’ll be showing you soon! Stay warm and take care, everyone!

RAMI: Thank you so much for loving our album and supporting BabyMonster! Please look forward to our first ever US shows. We’ll keep working hard to show you even more amazing performances!

RORA: Thank you so much to all our fans who supported us throughout our [DRIP] promotions! We also want to ask BuzzFeed readers to keep an eye on BabyMonster’s US shows in 2025. Your support means the world to us!

CHIQUITA: MONSTIEZ! We miss you so much and are incredibly grateful for your love and support. To all our MONSTIEZ and BuzzFeed readers, with the weather getting colder, please take care and stay warm. We can’t wait to share more with you, so make sure to look forward to BABYMONSTER’s upcoming activities!

What does K-pop mean to you?

RUKA: Ever since I was young, I’ve loved expressing myself through dance and singing, and I’m so happy that through K-pop, I can showcase my unique style in front of fans all around the world. Moving forward, I will continue to work hard to become an artist who can bring emotion and excitement to the public with BABYMONSTER’s distinctive color, and with my own unique style as RUKA!

PHARITA: I believe K-pop is music that can be enjoyed even without fully understanding the lyrics or meaning. That’s how I got into K-pop, and just like how it brought me joy when I didn’t know Korean, I hope that our music can bring joy to all of you as well.

ASA: For us, K-pop is more than just a music genre; it’s a special way — almost like a language — to express ourselves and communicate with the world. I believe K-pop has the power to unite fans across the globe through music. Being a part of BABYMONSTER has given me the incredible opportunity to share my stories and messages while performing on the global stage. It’s a journey of pursuing our dreams and a meaningful path that allows us to connect with the world through music.

AHYEON: I believe K-pop is like a precious gem that makes up 80% of my life. It holds such deep meaning to me.

RAMI: I’ve always loved K-pop so much, and I believe it’s because of my love for K-pop that I was able to achieve my dreams. I’m so grateful that this journey has allowed me to connect with so many MONSTIEZ around the world!

RORA: K-pop is both our dream and the driving force that has brought us this far! We’re so grateful for the opportunity to showcase our passion and talent through K-pop. It would be an incredible honor if BABYMONSTER could also contribute to spreading K-pop culture. We’ll continue to work hard, so please look forward to more from us. Thank you so much!

CHIQUITA: K-pop is something I can’t imagine my life without. It sparked my love for singing and dancing from a young age and played a huge role in shaping my dreams.

Thanks for chatting with us BABYMONSTER! If you’d like to keep up with them, then follow them on Instagram, X/Twitter, and YouTube.

Interested in seeing them perform live? Tickets for their tour, < HELLO MONSTERS >, is now available — get them here.