Okay, I need to get this off my chest because it’s been bothering me for a while.
BABYMONSTER are genuinely such a talented group. Their overall skills and live performance capabilities are insane, and Ruka and Asa are both incredibly capable rappers. I’m not questioning their skills AT ALL. But can we PLEASE talk about the lyrics they’re being given to rap? I genuinely feel like the songwriting is holding these girls back.
My biggest issue is how often their verses rely on the same handful of ideas: we’re better than you, we’re dangerous, we’re monsters, everybody’s going to be shocked by us, etc. There’s nothing wrong with a braggadocious concept, but there’s only so many ways you can say you’re better than everyone else before it starts feeling repetitive. And the wording doesn’t always help.
Take SHEESH, for example. I enjoy parts of the song, but some of the English lyrics feel so on-the-nose that they end up sounding unintentionally corny to me (What even was Asa’s rap?). The song is already going for this larger-than-life image, and sometimes the writing makes it feel more like it’s trying to convince me they’re badass than actually making me feel it.
Then there’s Woke Up in Tokyo. I’m sorry, but the “Ding-dong, ding-dong / I swear I’m seeing King Kong” and “Head bouncing like a ping pong” lines genuinely take me OUT. The rhymes feel more like they were chosen because they rhyme than because they add anything to the song. Rukasa can deliver them with confidence, but there’s only so much you can do when the lyrics themselves aren’t working for you. And that’s what frustrates me: the delivery is often good enough to make me wish the writing were better.
Now, before anyone thinks I just hate their rapping, let me tell you this. WE GO UP has a hip-hop sound, so the rap sections feel much more natural in the song. The production gives the verses room to hit, and the arrangement makes sense for what the song is trying to do. The rapping feels like an actual part of the song’s identity rather than something that was included because the producers remembered they had two rappers.
Which brings me to another point: Asa and Ruka are capable of much more than just aggressive, in-your-face rapping.
Their pre-debut content made that pretty clear to me. Asa’s Me, Myself & I showed a different side of her range, while Ruka’s Astronaut in the Ocean and MTBD showed that she could approach different material with different kinds of energy. Even Ruka’s singing moments in Stuck in the Middle were a reminder that she has more to offer than the role she’s usually assigned. I’m not saying they need to become vocalists instead of rappers. I’m saying there’s more than one way to rap, and there’s more than one way to use their voices.
And honestly, I’d love to hear them experiment with different flows and concepts instead of repeatedly being pushed into this stereotypical YG badass persona. I want to see their individual personalities come through in the music. My second issue is that not every song needs a rap verse. I know BABYMONSTER are marketed partly around their rap and stage presence skills, and I understand wanting to showcase them. But showcasing a member’s talent doesn’t mean forcing that talent into every song regardless of whether it fits.
Stuck in the Middle is one example where I personally would’ve preferred the vocal-focused atmosphere to remain uninterrupted, and the change in delivery didn’t work as well for me. Same about SUPA DUPA LUV.
And that’s not me saying those songs are objectively bad or that nobody should enjoy the rap sections. I’m just tired of hearing songs where I love the instrumental and the vocals, only to have a section come in that doesn’t feel like it belongs to the same song. Rap can work in softer or more melodic music. It just needs to be written and arranged with the song in mind. I also don’t think every rap needs to be deep or full of complicated wordplay. Sometimes a simple, catchy verse is exactly what a song needs. But there’s a difference between simple and sounding like the writers ran out of ideas halfway through.
What frustrates me is that I KNOW these girls can pull off good material. So why do we keep getting lyrics that feel like they’re recycling the same handful of phrases? I want BABYMONSTER to succeed musically, not just impress people with how well they can perform difficult material. I want songs where the production and lyrics all work together instead of competing for attention.
YG, please let these girls cook. Just give them a better-written recipe 😭
submitted by /u/KookachuSeagull_07
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