Restarting as a five-piece act, Zerobaseone aims to ′ascend′ higher

▲ K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is seen in this photo provided by its agency, Wakeone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is seen in this photo provided by its agency, Wakeone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is seen in this photo provided by its agency, Wakeone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Zerobaseone-interview

Restarting as a five-piece act, Zerobaseone aims to 'ascend' higher

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Following a major reorganization into a five-piece act, K-pop group Zerobaseone is returning with its new album, "Ascend-," embracing sophisticated contemporary R&B and a sound it describes as "minimalist."

Formed through local music cable channel Mnet's audition show "Boys Planet," Zerobaseone debuted in July 2023 as a project group and quickly rose to fame, scoring six consecutive million-selling albums.

After the 2 1/2-year project terminated in January 2026, the five members -- Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae and Park Gun-wook -- decided to continue their activities as Zerobaseone while four other members -- Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin and Han Yu-jin -- left and debuted again as a new boy group.

"Since I lead performances as the frontman, I definitely noticed a huge difference after the personnel change," the group's leader Sung Han-bin said, asked about changes from the reorganization during a group media interview in Seoul on Friday.

To adapt, the group thoroughly researched how to best showcase its dance lines as a five-member act. The effort paid off during a recent performance at KCON Japan, where a positive reception gave the act newfound confidence.

"When I monitored our performance video, I saw a 'grit' that reminded me of our debut days," he noted. "I realized that grit is the strength of our team, comprised of survival show finalists."

The downsizing has allowed the group to highlight individual members more clearly.

"Because we previously were a nine-member group, there were many songs and concepts that prioritized the team's identity over individual members' colors," Park Gun-wook explained. "This time, the concept as a five-member group is calmer and toned down, allowing us to highlight each member's strengths while tying them together." He added that the new dynamics will allow listeners to clearly pinpoint each member's unique charm when their respective parts come up.

"Ascend-," the sixth EP from the band set to come out at 6 p.m. Monday, consists of seven tracks. Fronting the record is "Top 5," a dance-pop, contemporary R&B genre song that reinterprets early 2000s sensibilities with a modern twist.

Han-bin explained the hyphen at the end of the album title symbolizes the band's intention to "keep moving forward."

"As soon as I heard the booming beat, I was intrigued," Seok Matthew said, recalling his first impression of the lead track. "When the sexy 'Top 5' part dropped, I immediately imagined a Michael Jackson-style performance and developed it from there, and I'm very satisfied with it."

The track was quite a surprise for Gun-wook, however, because he was met with an unexpected lyrical message. "I initially thought the title simply reflected our ambition of starting anew as five members," he said. However, according to the band, the song turned out to be about "my top five favorite things of all time," as highlighted in the lyrics: "Your lips, your style, your kiss, your smile. And number one, how you make me feel."

The group aimed to balance its signature refreshing vibe with a more mature, sophisticated contemporary R&B sound, featuring neat and heavy beats. Han-bin believes showing its most fitting side is the best approach right now, and the members unanimously agreed on this direction. Gun-wook added that this classic genre could actually feel fresh and new to younger generations.

This musical shift was complemented by a visual focus on minimalism. "We focused on the beauty of empty space when we shot the music video and photos for the album's cover," Han-bin said. He noted that by reducing makeup and capturing the members' natural movements around the filming set, the act found a style that fit it perfectly.

While the title track leans into a classic vibe, however, B-side tracks like "Exotic" incorporate trendy Y2K and techno elements so listeners can easily enjoy the music, according to the band.

Recalling the tears fans shed at Zerobaseone's final concert as a nine-member band in March, Han-bin said, "The emotion I felt at that concert was personally the greatest sadness I've ever experienced in my life."

"We know exactly how our fans felt waiting these past two months," he went on saying. "Now that we are coming back after waiting through that long tunnel, we will show you what passionate love truly is."

(END)