Babymonster and Gen Z are going to make waves soon. Not for everyone but certainly for Gen Z across the World.
For many of us it would not be prominent as we are on online channels that tend to be generation specific for our news, music and topics of interest.
The number of dance covers of the yet to debut K-Pop group emerging across many countries tells more than a tale.
Its a tale more about Gen Z that is captivating.
Gen Z is turning out very different to earlier generational cohorts. All of whom who have their own distinct attributes defined in the era they were born and raised. But for the rest, the transition is more evolving and less striking.
And Babymonster I thought would be an interesting platform to showcase one interesting element of Gen Z.
Babymonster
Babymonster is a brand new K-Pop 7 girl group that is certainly going to go viral across the teen World.
The Korean reality show of them going thru their final evaluation last year has sent out a far reaching ripple.
YG, the same entertainment group that delivered Blackpink is behind Babymonster.
Australia’s Roseanne Park is one of 4 key member of Blackpink that has captured the world. And Rosè as she is known, a Melbournian, still proudly retains her Australian accent and the distinct strine.
More about Gen Z
Gen Z are those born between 1997 and 2010. And everyone of the Babymonster’s cast was born between 2002 and 2009 well within boundaries of Gen Z.
The first time I had seen an incisive view of Gen Z was on global consulting giant McKinsey’s website recently.
A brief but telling article under featured insights earlier this year.
The article is interesting and revealing. It was also the first time that I felt that there was a paradigm shift between generations. Not the usual transitionary and overlapping nature of past generational crossovers.
Firstly Gen Z were born into an internet connected world. McKinsey calls them “digital natives’. The digital flight path for easy entry for Gen Z had been laid down and all signs are indicating they are maximising its use in every aspect of their lives.
Here is the link to the McKinsey article – What is Gen Z? And in that article there is mention of K-Pop. The K-pop mention in McKinsey article intrigued me and I had to find out more. And it led to me Babymonster.
Gen Z platforms
Facebook and Youtube were in by 2005. The first iPhone with multiple apps and photo and video capabilities is released in June 2007, ready to be harnessed by Gen Z as they become young teens.
Smartphones become their main vehicle of entry into the internet World. Not PCs or laptops. This includes surfing, online shopping, viewing and uploading creative work and the main means of communication and expression.
All that is left is Instagram and Tik Tok, two immensely popular and important platforms for Gen Z which they take to it like duck to water. Both become the main platforms for expression for Gen Z.
Text starts moving to the backstage and visuals become the main means of articulating and conveying a message.
The phenomenal rise of Tic Tok and Gen Z
Tik Tok phenomenal success was totally unexpected by the older generations both on the consumer and commercial side. I am sure its developers never thought it would take the direction it did. But Gen Z saw it differently. It needed no promotion for them. It became them.
Manifestation of Gen Z culture and transnationalism
I chose Babymonster to enter the World of Gen Z to understand at least one dimension of this interesting generation. Nothing profound.
I also picked Babymonster as they are yet to debut and it will interesting to chart their progress and that of Gen Z in this journey.
This post is more about the Babymonster’s dance routine “Jenny from the block” that has gone viral. It has spread across a number of countries as covers. Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, Korea, Spain, Uk, Japan, US, Moldova, Russia, Singapore etc are in it.
This single dance routine at the speed and reach across Gen Zs of the World in the area of entertainment is telling. Imagine a few girls in Moldova which has no conceivable ties to Korea are prepared to invest time and effort to pull together a first class performance and do it public. The same happened in London and Barcelona. And similar groups have done it in Perth and Melbourne tells me our Gen Zs are in the mix.
Then again with Blackpink and one of Australia’s own should have told us something about this interesting generation.
It also about human dynamics and the fast disappearing borders for Generation Z.
Why Babymonster for Gen Z
This Gen Z is still very young and have yet to make their mark in the Corporate World let alone in politics. But the online media is different as it welcomes the young readily and offers them a ready made platform for expression.
Babymonster has yet to officially make their debut and yet has a following outside Korea and Asia. And in already mentioned Moldova which is geographically and culturally so distinct to even call it remote.
It is the equivalent of the Barium meal used by doctors to track movement in the gullet and stomach. Barium shows up clearly on X-rays.
And already I can tell why Gen Z is so different. It also tell me that McKinsey was spot on.
Just one caveat for other generations
You will not notice unless you are in Gen Z or you go specifically looking for it. I read the article from McKinsey which led me to begin the search for it. Remember the commonalities of Gen Z raised in their article.
You will have to step away from your usual channels for information and discussions and aim to see how Gen Z are evolving in the online world. A World they were born into.
Remember how surprised we were when Blackpink suddenly appeared on the World stage despite being on the road for quite awhile.
Only the fashion houses of the World seem to know what they are all about and the value of their generation to their brands.