BABYMONSTER’s troublesome debut release, from missing members to calls of cultural appropriation

For those who think the life of a K-Pop group is an easy affair, can we introduce you to BABYMONSTER, YG Entertainment’s latest all-female group who dropped their debut single, “Batter Up”, earlier today? With that release has come a wave of indifference from netizens regarding the group and, perhaps more damning, accusations of cultural appropriation by the group.

As the first single from the group dropped, and the talk of one of their members not debuting a thing of the past (for now), instead discussion online was based around the band perhaps being a little too derivative of another YG Entertainment group (again, for now), BLACKPINK, with comparisons between the dynamic both groups use with rapping verses and singing verses. This is a bit unfair of a comparison to make given that there is a certain “sound” that K-Pop exudes, which is part of the popularity of the genre - the “somewhat” familiarity between acts. 

In a piece looking over netizen comments since the release, Koreaboo translated a couple of fan posts from X/Twitter, where the general consensus was that the group was missing some “star power” from their debut - perhaps a nod to the departure of one of the group’s most-anticipated members, Ahyeon. Of those comments Koreabook translated came one that simply read “First and foremost, there are no eye-catching members… Who is the main?”

But that concern pales in comparison to calls that BABYMONSTER have engaged in cultural appropriation, a call that many K-Pop acts have been accused of at times given their use of hip-hop music and culture. The “Batter Up” video features member Ruka in a durag, a common piece of fashion in the hip-hop community but one that has roots back to the African-American community, who would wear it for reasons such as trying to cultivate their hair from its wavy form to a flatter form. 

Hair was another point of contention with the video, with Chiquita featured in the video with what looked like box braids in bright yellow during the music video. Once again, there have previously been calls levied at those outside the African-American community about how for years people from that community were not allowed to have their hair in a certain fashion for work purposes, yet it has been used by another community without the “foresight” of those women who were not allowed to be proud of their hair. 

It’s led not only to renewed calls against YG Entertainment for their use of cultural appropriation in their acts but also for K-Pop artists to learn more about cultural appropriation as part of their training with agencies in South Korea. No comment from YG Entertainment regarding the charges for now, but we’re expecting more of BABYMONSTER culturally appreciating those two forms of African-American culture, rather than intentionally co-opt them for their own success