Find out BABYMONSTER members Ruka, Pharita, Rami, Ahyeon, Rora, Asa and Chiquita’s favorite songs, movies, group positions and more.
BABYMONSTER
Courtesy of YG Entertainment
As legendary K-pop label YG Entertainment prepared its female act to follow its chart-topping girl group BLACKPINK, the seven members being considered for a place in the new act BABYMONSTER – Ruka, Pharita, Rami, Ahyeon, Rora, Asa and Chiquita — competed against each other on the digital series Last Evaluation.
Mentored and critiqued by YG founder and CEO Yang Hyun-suk plus future label mates like Jennie and Lisa of BLACKPINK, Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon of WINNER, and Lee Su-hyun of AKMU, the septet’s monstrous talents were spotlighted through solo, unit and group performances on YouTube that helped them quickly garner millions of fans — including Charlie Puth, who would go on to gift a pop track for BABYMONSTER after catching Ahyeon’s take on his 2016 single “Dangerous” in one of the standout moments from the show.
“‘BABY’ describes our unlimited possibilities, youth and that we’re bringing something new to the scene,” power vocalist Rami tells Billboard during a sitdown chat in Seoul. “And ‘MONSTER’ describes our monster-like skills.”
BABYMONSTER’s “official” debut with the BABYMONS7ER album and its explosive, hip-hop/dance single “Sheesh,” the group soared to No. 33 on the Global 200 as the EP landed on the World Albums chart solely from a digital release. Not only did “Sheesh” mark a breakout moment for the group musically, but the septet also reimagined the hit into a “band version” to deliver a full-fledged, rock-star rendition of the track across several TV shows to share their full, live experience.
Get to know the rookies more with exclusive photos and quiz questions below. And don’t forget to read the group’s full Billboard spotlight.
BABYMONSTER is the latest act to debut under YG Entertainment, following historic girl groups like 2NE1 and BLACKPINK, and join other legendary K-pop artists like PSY, BIGBANG, 1TYM, SECHSKIES, Jinusean, Big Mama and many more.
RUKA
My position in BABYMONSTER: Rap, Dance, Big Sister
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Forever”
My favorite song at the moment: “double take” by Dhruv
My favorite movie: Titanic
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: I wish there were more behind-the-scenes footage of us preparing for our performances — such as selecting songs and things like this.
PHARITA
My position in BABYMONSTER: Vocal, “Unnie (Big Sister) Line”
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Like That”
My favorite song at the moment: “Close to You” by Gracie Abrams
My favorite movie: Despicable Me
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: It would actually be the first time we had ever sung as a group. Before we chose “Scars to Your Beautiful,” we practiced a lot of other songs that had a different feel to them, like songs by Fifth Harmony and Justin Bieber. I think our passion and efforts were evident through these practice sessions!
ASA
My position in BABYMONSTER: Rap, Dance
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Sheesh”
My favorite song at the moment: “Not My Job” by FLO
My favorite movie: Mean Girls, The Devil Wears Prada, Inside Out 2, or Clueless
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: I wish more footage of our cute and goofier sides — like, outside of practice — were shown!
My position in BABYMONSTER: Vocal, Dance
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “MONSTERS (Intro)”
My favorite song at the moment: “Where Were You in the Morning?” by Shawn Mendes and “Garden” by Fujii Kaze
My favorite movie: Midnight Sun or Twilight
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: There were a lot of moments that didn’t get broadcasted, but we worked really hard, gave it our all, and practiced nonstop in order to showcase the best performances ever!
My position in BABYMONSTER: Vocal, Dance
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Batter Up (Remix)”
My favorite song at the moment: “Live My Life” by aespa
My favorite movie: Toy Story or Spirited Away
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: I contributed to the lyrics and song composition, as well as the choreography, for the “2NE1 Mash Up” and “Pick Up Your Feelings” performances!
RORA
My position in BABYMONSTER: Vocal, plus I think I’m also in charge of speaking — I handle the talking when it comes to interviews and introducing songs!
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Stuck in the Middle (Remix)”
My favorite song at the moment: “wish you were gay” by Billie Eilish
My favorite movie: The Harry Potter series
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: There were a lot of behind-the-scenes moments where we practiced our vocals as a group and I think it really showcased our teamwork.
My position in BABYMONSTER: Dance, Maknae (Youngest in the group)!
My favorite BABYMONSTER song: “Dream”
My favorite song at the moment: “Secret Love Song” by Little Mix
My favorite movie: Mean Girls, Twilight, Harry Potter series
Something viewers didn’t see on Last Evaluation that I wish they saw: We worked really hard as a team for every single performance.