Expectations for YG Entertainment's upcoming girl group are rising, especially after the K-pop entertainment company introduced the first member of the group's four members on Wednesday.
The 15-year-old Australian trainee, named Evelli, appeared in a live performance video titled YG Next Monster, marking the debut of YGs next-generation girl group lineup, following the success of Blackpink and Baby Monster.
According to YG, Evelli is a "comprehensive" artist with a strong voice, confident rapping ability and fluency in multiple languages such as Korean, English and Spanish.
Evelli quickly attracted attention for her appearance similar to Blackpink's Jennie.
In her first performance, she covered Doechii's " nosebleeds", with YG's signature hip-hop style. Evelli demonstrated impressive control and flexibility to cope with the song's dynamic rhythm changes.
YG Entertainment's founder and production director, Yang Hyun Suk, personally introduced the group, expressing his confidence in the talents of each trainee.
"We ask you to evaluate them as themselves, as you listen to and see them," he said, referring to the high level of the remaining members.
The identities of the remaining 3 members will be gradually revealed. The group's official debut date has not been set by YG, but through previous debuts by Blackpink and Baby Monster, it shows that the announcement of new members can take place every week.
However, according to Koreaherald, YG's new girl group is unlikely to debut this year. When Baby Monster officially debuted last April (adding Ahyeon to the 7-member lineup), Yang Hyun Suk announced that YG intended to focus on Baby Monster's development throughout 2025.
An industry official also said: "If the upcoming girl group is scheduled to debut this year, all promotional plans have been implemented. Since only the first member was revealed, it is unlikely that the group can debut before next year."
