Controversial Music
Currently, there are two girl groups considered as “BLACKPINK’s sister” – The Black Label’s MEOVV and YG’s BABYMONSTER, as although they didn’t debut under the same company, both groups have roots in the YG Entertainment “empire”.
To elaborate, starting in 2024, Teddy, YG’s long-time producer, became less involved with the company. Teddy now runs his own label, The Black Label, where he not only produces music but also manages and trains artists.
MEOVV is the first girl group to debut under Teddy’s personal label. With five members, including the “world’s most beautiful child model” Ella Gross, the group was considered a powerhouse even before debut. However, when their debut single “Meow” was released, the music quality was considered as “disappointing”.
In particular, “Meow” received a lot of criticism right from the release of its music video. The upbeat Hip-hop arrangement was called dull, and the members’ vocals were seen as unimpressive. The cat sound effects in the song’s drop were also not well-received by the public.
The debut song was rated only one star by IZM, South Korea’s largest music review site, with harsh critiques. Although Teddy wasn’t heavily involved in its production, the song was still created by The Black Label team and had to pass final approval from Teddy.
Similarly, BABYMONSTER faced criticism for its music. As YG’s only girl group so far not produced by Teddy, their songs “Batter Up” and “Sheesh”, which marked their debut, were deemed outdated and repetitive, reusing YG’s old formulas with little novelty.
In fact, British music magazine NME even gave BABYMONSTER’s debut two stars in a review, calling it “an uninteresting duplicate of BLACKPINK.”
Due to these musical weaknesses, both MEOVV and BABYMONSTER’s achievements have been lackluster.
Turning the Tide with One Strength
Despite not excelling in music, both MEOVV and BABYMONSTER dominate their contemporaries when it comes to skills. Thanks to their rigorous training under YG’s meticulous and strict system, both groups’ singing, dancing, and rapping abilities are highly commendable. Recently, MEOVV has been gaining popularity thanks to their impressive performances on music shows, grabbing the spotlight with their commanding stage presence and captivating choreography.
After releasing a dance performance video, “Meow” began to climb the local music charts. The debut single landed at #53 on MelOn’s Top 100 and continues to rise daily. The group also topped YouTube Music’s Korean charts recently, with their performance videos trending high. The group’s “cat dance” choreography became a trend in Korea, and member visuals such as Ella Gross, Anna, and Sooin are attracting significant attention.
Before this, BABYMONSTER also made an impressive comeback thanks to their well-rounded skills. Despite the criticism “Sheesh” received, the song became addictive because of the girls’ captivating live performances. “Sheesh” began to appear on local music charts, even breaking into the top 10 on MelOn at one point.
BABYMONSTER’s promotions coincided with a time when K-pop was grappling with encore performance issues, allowing the girls’ skills to shine even brighter. Now, BABYMONSTER is currently regarded as one of the best-performing girl groups in the fourth generation of K-pop.
Talent of YG Artists Is Undeniable
Seeing this, the public is once again acknowledging the idol training capabilities of major entertainment companies. Compared to “newcomer” HYBE, there is a notable difference. While YG artists (or those with YG roots) may generate debate in many areas, their skills are undeniably top-notch. The quality of idols from this entertainment empire has consistently remained high across generations.