BABYMONSTER: See Exclusive Photos of the July 2024 K-Pop Rookie of the Month

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.