After months of buildup that included a “pre-debut” song back in May, the K-pop girl group BABYMONSTER has finally released its first official single. It’s a pop-rap mission statement called “BATTER UP,” and it’s sitting pretty inside the Top 10 of the Genius Top Songs chart.
Written by group member ASA in conjunction with Chaz Mishan, YG DEE.P, Jared Lee, Choi Hyun Suk, Lee Chanhyuk, WHERE THE NOISE, and BIGTONE, “BATTER UP” might conceivably be read as a declaration from a young woman to her lover. But it sounds way more like the group—a product of YG Entertainment, the same company that gave us BLACKPINK—announcing its arrival on the scene. Here’s Rami stating her intentions in the opening verse.
I’m on a mission
Don’t need permission
No matter what, I’m gonna make my own decisions
On the refrain, Pharita paraphrases Muhammad Ali, while Rami (lyrics in italics) insists that she’s only after your heart, and that she would never hurt you.
Remember me (Me)
Sting like a bee (Bee)
굶주린 사자 같은 personality
네 맘 빼고 다른 것은 원하지 않아
I would never do you wrong
The chorus reiterates the fact it’s BABYMONSTER’s turn at the plate.
Batter, batter, batter up
Batter up, batter up, batter up
Ruka raps the second verse and works some additional baseball lingo (“going, going, gone”) into a series of lines about how she’s grabbed the baton and positioned herself to make the crowd go wild.
Yeah
Hit it 난 달려, never can stop
Rappin’ 시작 네 귀에 shot
비명은 함성이 될 거야 loud
Surprise, yo, monster의 등장
내가 가는 길이 기리 빛이 나리 way
어깨 펴고 난 going, going, gone (Gone)
바통 받고 준비 완료
후다닥 run, run, run, run
The whole thing transforms into a thumping dance track on the outro, as the group joins together to formally mark the start of their era.
So listen up, everybody
소릴 높여 move on (높여 move on)
We are the monsters of the world
Batter up, 지금 당장
뛰어보자 어디든 (어디든)
Let me show you who we are
Batter up, up, up, up
“BATTER UP” comes with a music video that features the ladies rocking a variety of colorful outfits while showing off some truly energetic choreography.
You can read all the lyrics to “BATTER UP”—and its English translation—on Genius now.
