YG’s new girl group BabyMonster is making a strong impact on the U.S. Billboard charts, as their track "DRIP" continues to chart for three weeks in a row.

According to the latest Billboard update on November 26 (local time), BabyMonster’s title track from their debut album ranked 33rd on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and 81st on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

The group first entered these charts on November 12 with impressive rankings of 16th and 30th, respectively. Their ongoing success highlights their growing global fanbase and strong live performance skills, which are expected to keep them at the top.

Outside of Billboard, BabyMonster has also been performing well on other major platforms. "DRIP" has charted on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs chart for three consecutive weeks and is steadily climbing on Korea’s Melon HOT100, where it currently holds the 17th spot.

On YouTube, the group’s music videos are receiving love from fans worldwide. The "DRIP" music video, featuring a colorful and stylish concept that highlights their energetic performances, surpassed 100 million views in just 21 days. The video for "CLIK CLAK," showcasing YG’s signature hip-hop style, is also quickly approaching 100 million views.

BabyMonster is also expanding their global reach with a fast-paced debut world tour. After their first performance at Seoul’s KSPO DOME on January 25 and 26, they will head to New Jersey in February and Los Angeles in March. The group has also confirmed stops in four Japanese cities: Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, and Fukuoka, as they continue to grow their international presence.

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Squid Game 2 is causing a huge buzz, and it’s not just because of the intense game action – it's Gong Yoo’s unforgettable role as "Ddakji Man"!

Director Hwang Dong Hyuk has shared his praise for Gong Yoo’s powerful performance, even claiming that his presence on screen is so strong that it surpasses Lee Jung Jae's in some scenes!

On January 2, Director Hwang Dong Hyuk sat down for an interview about Squid Game 2 at a café in Seoul, and he couldn't stop talking about Gong Yoo’s role.

He explained that the character of "Ddakji Man" was so well-received by fans in Season 1, despite his brief appearance, that Hwang knew they had to dive deeper into his backstory in Season 2.

“I didn’t want to explain everything in detail about who he is and why he became the way he did, but I wanted to leave some clues for the viewers", Hwang shared. He revealed that from the start of the planning for Season 2, he had one goal: to make the first episode focus on Ddakji Man.

Hwang, who had worked with Gong Yoo before on The Crucible, explained that he was beyond impressed with the actor’s return to Squid Game as Ddakji Man.

“His energy on set was just incredible. We wanted his death scene to be really cool, and Gong Yoo gave it everything. I couldn’t believe how well he brought the character to life,” Hwang said.

The director also shared that Gong Yoo told him it was his first time playing a villain. But it wasn’t just any villain – it was a mysterious one, and Gong Yoo was determined to make the role unforgettable.

Hwang was so amazed by Gong Yoo’s performance that he said there were times when the actor’s presence almost overshadowed Lee Jung Jae, who plays the lead role of Gihun.

“There were hardly any NGs (No Good takes) with Gong Yoo. He nailed it in one or two takes, delivering performances with expressions and energy I didn’t expect. It was truly a defining moment in his career,” Hwang confessed. The director added that all the staff could feel the same way – they all knew they were witnessing something special.

Since Squid Game 2 was released on December 26, 2023, it has been breaking records. The show topped the global OTT ranking site FlixPatrol in 93 countries, becoming the first Netflix original series to achieve such a feat.

With Gong Yoo’s incredible performance and the continuation of the high-stakes drama, Squid Game 2 is proving to be just as unforgettable as the first season!

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