BABYMONSTER is back, and so is Ahyeon! YG Entertainment’s first girl group since BLACKPINK debuted in November 2023, with their single “BATTER UP” — which came weeks after announcing the departure of one member due to health reasons. However, YG announced the girl group is back to 7 members just in time for their upcoming 2024 comeback and mini-album.
Keep reading for details on BABYMONSTER’s 2024 comeback.
Has Ahyeon Returned to BABYMONSTER?
ICYMI, BABYMONSTER was set to debut as a 7-member group in November 2023 — until YG announced that Ahyeon had left the ensemble in order to focus on her well-being during a press conference on November 15.
“Although we are saddened to be unable to introduce Ahyeon as a member of BabyMonster, we made this decision for the sake of the artist’s health,” the label stated at the time. “We will spare no support so that Ahyeon can recover fully and return in good health.”
Following the news, BABYMONSTER made their official debut on November 27, with its six remaining members: Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Haram, Rora and Chiquita.
However, YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun-suk, the group’s chief producer, shared the exciting news that Ahyeon will be returning to the band on January 25, 2024, per the agency’s official blog.
“Fortunately, Ahyeon’s health has fully recovered and she is back at YG, actively participating in the recording of songs for the upcoming album,” he said.
“We have strengthened the internal producer team at YG from around 10 members to over 50,” the producer explained. “We are progressing much faster than before, and our goal is to release BABYMONSTER’s first full-length album around autumn.”
Ahyeon was the first member to be selected for BABYMONSTER, and serves as the group’s vocalist, rapper and dancer.
When Does BABYMONSTER Make Their 2024 Comeback?
BABYMONSTER’s upcoming mini-album is set to be released later in the year, with their prerelease single, “Stuck In The Middle,” due out on February 1, 2024.
The band is YG Entertainment’s first girl group in seven years since BLACKPINK, and their selection process was chronicled by a 2023 reality show titled Last Evaluation, showcasing seven potential members. YG Entertainment founder, Yang Hyun-suk, AKMU’s Lee Su-hyun and WINNER’s Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon helped to judge, rank and determine which girls would debut in YG’s next girl group — with all the members ultimately making the cut.
BABYMONSTER is promoted as an “all-rounder” group or “monster rookies,” hence their name. All members excel in either vocals, rap or dance. The ensemble is also proficient in multiple languages, such as Korean, English, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese.
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