BABYMONSTER Flex Global-Pop Appeal With First Full-Length Album ‘DRIP’
As one of 2024’s most promising K-pop rookies, BABYMONSTER is closing out a stellar year with the girl group’s long-awaited full-length album DRIP that’s packed with globally appealing pop hits. The LP further positions the septet as a force in K-pop’s expanding international influence, blending genres and languages to create a universal pop experience.
Led by the two singles “CLICK CLAK” and “DRIP,” the tracks make BABYMONSTER’s intentions of world domination clear with the multilayered linguistic and genre approach: “CLICK CLAK” is an English rap cut, where even the group’s powerhouse vocalists prove they can spit, while “DRIP” is a powerhouse K-pop jam incorporating dance music, hip-hop, EDM and powerhouse pop. G-Dragon (who also recently made his comeback to the K-pop scene) co-producing the latter and adding another level of sophistication and excitement, marking a significant co-sign from one of K-pop’s most iconic figures.
Both singles were accompanied by music videos that dropped this week with “CLIK CLACK” boasting more than 24 million views since its release on Wednesday (Oct. 30), while “DRIP” currently has a whopping 14 million views since its premiere less than 24 hours ago. Watch below:
Another prominent K-pop figure, Mino of WINNER, also contributed to the album, co-writing the throwback hip-hop/pop hybrid “Really Like You.” At the same time, BABYMONSTER also showcased their own creativity as members Asa and Ruka wrote on several tracks, including the special duo song “Woke Up in Tokyo,” which weaves Japanese lyrics into the mix.
Deeper into DRIP, listeners will also be treated to the acoustic cut “Love, Maybe” and the 2000s-tinged “BILLIONAIRE” (both sung entirely in English), and a standout in the emotional dance anthem “Love in My Heart.”
With the physical release of DRIP in the U.S. coinciding with the album’s global drop, BABYMONSTER has a strong chance of making a splash on the Billboard 200 chart later this month — a feat few K-pop rookies can achieve on first try. But until the charts feel BAEMON’s impact, fans can enjoy streaming DRIP, and check out the “CLIK CLAK” video below:
Jeff Benjamin
Billboard