The Disappointing Debut of MEOVV
On September 6th, THE BLACK LABEL officially introduced their new girl group MEOVV. Debuting with a 5-member lineup, including the “most beautiful child model in the world” Ella Gross, MEOVV has attracted significant attention from K-pop fans. As the first girl group under Teddy – the main producer of YG who previously made BLACKPINK a success, MEOVV carries great expectations.
At the time of introducing the lineup, MEOVV had several advantages with individual trailers highlighting their impressive visuals and charisma. Ella Gross is already quite famous. Member Anna from Japan is praised for her standard visuals. The third cat member, Sooin, is seen as a blend of Suzy and Lisa. MEOVV also features a “mini Park Min Young” Gawon and a “silver spoon” girl with an exceptional rich-girl aura, Narin. Together, they create a sophisticated and luxurious visual ensemble.
However, the first teaser for the debut MV left much to be desired. When seen together, the five cats appeared strangely lackluster. Fans turned their hopes towards the music, which was anticipated to be a Teddy creation.
In many people’s minds, there was a desire for a debut song that left an impression like BLACKPINK’s iconic hits “Boombayah” or “Whistle”. Teddy is a hit-maker, but he does not always satisfy the majority.
With the single “MEOW,” the arrangement still bears Teddy’s signature – lively, with catchy music and highlighting a hip-hop spirit. However, Teddy did not play a major role in the production. For this debut song, Teddy only participated in writing the lyrics. The music was handled by THE BLACK LABEL’s team.
After the MV release, the general feedback from viewers was “fashionable and chic visuals, but the music did not meet expectations.” Clearly, compared to the hits Teddy created for BLACKPINK, “MEOW” is not a competitor. Many even criticized Teddy for losing his touch, being “one-dimensional,” and no longer capable of creating hits.
These familiar critiques usually emerge whenever BLACKPINK releases new music, and now they are directed at THE BLACK LABEL’s latest product where Teddy holds the highest position.
MEOVV’s debut left fans feeling disappointed. It’s not hard to find complaints on K-pop forums. However, to be fair, the song is not that bad. There are still some listeners who are captivated from the first listen.
The group’s debut MV garnered 6 million views within the first 24 hours, achieving a decent ranking on domestic music charts for a rookie group. Furthermore, their promotional stages have received positive reactions due to the girls’ confident stage presence.
BABYMONSTER Faces Similar Criticism
BABYMONSTER might be YG’s most struggling girl group. The 7 girls waited nearly a year since their lineup introduction, with 2 trainees facing the risk of missing the debut. But the turmoil never ceased. During their debut in November 2024, BABYMONSTER was missing the “ace” Ahyeon due to health reasons.
The song “Batter Up” featuring 6 members was neglected in promotion. At the time, YG was struggling with BLACKPINK’s contract expiration and G-Dragon ending his exclusive agreement. BABYMONSTER debuted in haste. The MV was criticized for outdated outfits and styling. And the music did not have Teddy involved.
In April 2024, Ahyeon officially returned. BABYMONSTER released their first mini album. Yang Hyun Suk introduced this as the “official debut” of the 7 girls. Many K-pop fans mocked YG, suggesting that the “change in direction” was due to the failure of their first debut. Thus, “Sheesh” was chosen as the first promotional title for BABYMONSTER.
The song “Sheesh” continued to be controversial. For the first time, YG’s girl group music was met with indifference from Korean listeners. The title track did not make it onto any digital music platforms at release.
A turnaround occurred when BABYMONSTER proved their abilities through live performances. The group was praised for their stable skills and top-notch live singing. However, the music remains a drawback. The maximalist, noisy arrangements characteristic of YG were all that Korean audiences remembered about BABYMONSTER’s music.
The Fate of Two Girl Groups Debuting Under BLACKPINK’s Shadow
Teddy did not produce music for BABYMONSTER, and BABYMONSTER faced criticism. Yet, even Teddy’s own creation MEOVV was undervalued because their debut song “didn’t sound very Teddy-like.” It seems that the audience is applying double standards to these two rookie girl groups, simply because they are expected to be the “second BLACKPINK.” The five cats have become an unwitting competitor to YG’s seven little devils.
A highly viral topic on K-pop forums compares the debut products of MEOVV and BABYMONSTER. The comments with high interaction all share a common point – MEOVV and BABYMONSTER fall short of BLACKPINK.
Korean netizens’ comments on MEOVV and BABYMONSTER:
- Both groups disappointed me compared to expectations. There’s nothing standout. It seems like YG has run out of ideas, relying only on BLACKPINK’s reputation. No, the song seems to depend solely on BLACKPINK’s name.
- There’s one member in MEOVV with good expressions and impressive rap, but the group as a whole is rather bland.
- BABYMONSTER seems to perform better, whether it’s rap or vocal. As for dance… it’s really terrible. The awkward dance steps… I was really angry watching it. But then I looked it up again to see how well they performed, and I was surprised. MEOVV is still uncertain; we need to see more performances to know if the girls can deliver. Both are not necessarily bad.
- Compared to “Batter Up,” MEOVV is better haha. “Batter Up” was too bad, really shocking…
- Teddy Group’s advantage is Teddy as the main producer, so expectations are high, but the songwriting seems weak… It feels disjointed, quite fragmented.
- Both follow BLACKPINK’s path, but it’s BLACKPINK’s later phase, not their debut stage.
- Even if BLACKPINK were divided into two, they would still be better than these two groups.
- This is the consequence of debuting under BLACKPINK’s fame.
Both new girl groups have a special link to the title “BLACKPINK’s little sisters.” This is because the teams behind MEOVV and BABYMONSTER come from the entertainment empire that produced a global girl group. And because of this, both rookies must bear an invisible responsibility – to meet the audience’s expectations of a girl group that can inherit BLACKPINK’s fame.
Debuting under BLACKPINK’s reputation, BABYMONSTER and MEOVV have many advantages to become famous, but they also face considerable pressure. Due to the immense influence of their predecessors, both new groups endure extreme scrutiny.
MEOVV and BABYMONSTER still have a long journey ahead to prove themselves. It’s clear that if there weren’t such a strict BLACKPINK standard applied to evaluate the entire journey of BABYMONSTER and MEOVV, the disappointment might not have been so great.