BABYMONSTER Opened Their World Tour With a Live Band. The "I Like It" MV Drops Sunday.
Three sold-out nights at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. A live band heavy enough to give hip-hop tracks a rock-festival weight. And on Sunday, a closing set - "I Like It," "Sugar Honey Ice Tea," the newest single - that Rora described afterward as proof that performing for fans "is never something to take for granted."
BABYMONSTER wrapped the Seoul leg of its second world tour, "CHOOM," on June 28, opening a run that now spans 29 shows across 18 cities and five continents. The group is performing as a six-member lineup - Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rora, and Chiquita - with Rami on hiatus for health reasons. All three Seoul shows sold out. Limited-view seats were opened to meet overflow demand.
The live band was the defining production choice. Electric guitar, drums, and bass gave tracks like "Psycho" and "Drip" an intensity that studio versions don't carry, with instrumental breaks covering costume changes rather than letting the pace drop. Ahyeon's high notes in "Drip" drew the loudest single-moment reaction of the opening night. A solo cover segment midway through the show had each member rearranging a familiar track in her own register: Rora took Camila Cabello's "Havana," Asa gave Baauer's "Temple" a Japanese inflection, Pharita covered Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass," Chiquita handled Fifth Harmony's "Worth It," and Ruka delivered Skrillex and Missy Elliott's "RATATA" with a rap performance that reviewers compared in register to the label's senior acts.
YG Entertainment announced Monday that a music video for "I Like It" - a B-side from the group's third EP "CHOOM" - will release on July 6. It is the third music video from the group after "Choom" and "Sugar Honey Ice Tea," both of which crossed 100 million views on YouTube. YG founder Yang Hyun-suk made the announcement directly, a practice he has continued since returning to a more public role at the label following his 2019 departure.
The CHOOM tour continues July 8 and 9 at Glion Arena Kobe in Japan, followed by Fukuoka, Yokohama, Chiba, Nagoya, and Osaka through September. Beyond Asia, the tour marks BABYMONSTER's first-ever concerts in Oceania, Europe, and South America - five continents total. Additional cities are expected to be announced. Their first world tour, "Hello Monsters," ran in 2025.
