“It’s more important to develop ourselves than compete with other groups”: BABYMONSTER responds to a journalist’s question on ILLIT as their rival

BABYMONSTER, a new K-pop girl group under YG Entertainment, recently shared their thoughts on their rumored competitor group, IILIT, in an interview with News Culture, a Korean media outlet.

On Thursday, April 4, News Culture published an interview with the K-pop group. During the interview, the members were asked various questions about their journey in the music industry. When inquired about their rumored rivalry with IILIT, a group that also debuted around the same time as BABYMONSTER, Ahyeon stated that the group does not get caught up in comparisons or engage in competitive behavior.

“I think it’s more important to develop ourselves than to compete with other groups. We need to comfort each other and create a cool image.”

As both BABYMONSTER and IILIT made their debut as fifth-generation K-pop girl groups, many have already begun to compare them, raising questions about a potential rivalry between the two.

BABYMONSTER Addresses Rumors of Rivalry with IILIT in Exclusive Interview with Journalist

BABYMONSTER, a K-pop girl group signed with YG Entertainment, consists of seven members: Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora, and Chiquita. The group has recently been gaining a lot of attention for various reasons.

Not only are they the first girl group to debut from the agency in seven years, but their pre-debut activities and the high expectations of fans to continue the legacy of 2NE1 and BLACKPINK have caused a lot of excitement among netizens for their upcoming debut. As expected, many netizens were immediately drawn to their debut song, BATTER UP, and the group has consistently kept fans on their toes for their next comeback.

As a result, when SHEESH was released on March 29, it garnered even more attention. However, the debut of HYBE’s newest K-pop girl group, IILIT, with their song SUPER REAL ME on March 20, led to numerous comparisons between the two fifth-generation girl groups, flooding the internet.

During a recent interview with the Korean media outlet New Culture, Ahyeon, member of BABYMONSTER, was asked about the alleged rivalry between their group and others. In response, Ahyeon confidently stated that their group is not concerned about competition at the moment. Instead, they are prioritizing overcoming the challenges of debuting in the music industry and solidifying their unique image and style.

Rora revealed that she has a personal connection with one of the members of IILIT and has been supporting the group since their debut. Despite being seen as competitors, she emphasized that they do not view each other as rivals. Their goal is to work diligently and stand alongside all the other fifth-generation K-pop groups in the industry.

“There is one person I am close to among the members of ILLIT. I’m rooting for them as a colleague. We will work with our own hip-hop vibe. Among the 5th generation idols, there are many prominent people, so we plan to work hard without giving in. I will not be discouraged and will try to move forward believing in my members,” Rora said.

Despite some netizens feeling that the question was unnecessary or irrelevant, they also acknowledged that BABYMONSTER handled it in a professional manner.