Plus Magazine

On July 10th, ZEROBASEONE's first album [YOUTH IN THE SHADE] was released. The group, composed of nine members who emerged as the final winners from the boy group survival audition show ＜BOYS PLANET＞, aims for the global stage. On the day of the album's release, they sold a total of 1.24 million copies, recording an unprecedented sales figure for a new group. Through this, ZEROBASEONE became the first K-pop group to achieve ‘million-seller’ status on the first day of release with their debut work.

Furthermore, but all six songs from their album - including the title track ‘In Bloom,’ and other tracks ‘Back to ZEROBASE,’ ‘New Kidz on the Block,’ ‘And I,’ ‘Our Season,’ ‘Always’ - made their way into the upper ranks of major domestic music sites immediately after their release. It truly marks the arrival of a heavyweight newcomer! We, M Countdown Magazine, had the chance to meet with ZEROBASEONE, who are so busy they barely have time to wipe the sweat from their brows. We are now releasing the conversation we had with them, who must be more nervous and excited than ever before!
 

Firstly, congratulations on your debut. The final members of ZEROBASEONE were decided around April 20-21, and the new album was released just about 80 days later. How do you feel?

Thanks to the love and interest from many people, we were able to release our debut album [YOUTH IN THE SHADE] under the name ZEROBASEONE. In fact, the reality of our debut hasn't fully sunk in yet, as every day still feels new and thrilling for us, but we promise to become a ZEROBASEONE that leaves a deep impression on many people. We hope you continue to support and look forward to our journey.

The name of your group, ZEROBASEONE, seems to encapsulate your growth goals well. Could you elaborate on the meaning behind the name?
 

Our group name ZEROBASEONE signifies our brilliant start, being born from Zero (0) and rising to One (1). It also represents our commitment to embark on this journey from being incomplete (0) to becoming complete (1) alongside our fandom, ZEROSE.

We’re curious about the preparation process for your first mini-album [YOUTH IN THE SHADE]. As your debut album, there must have been some trials and tribulations in perfecting the songs and performances. Do you have any memorable episodes?
 

The choreography for our title track ‘In Bloom’ is very fast-paced, so we practiced a lot on facial expressions and breathing control. We wanted to deliver a good performance, so we invested a lot of time and effort into our practices.
 

The refreshing sound of your title track ‘In Bloom’ really stands out. What do you think are the charming points of this song?

Our title track ‘In Bloom’ expresses our determination to wholeheartedly pursue ‘you’, embracing our imperfections and awkwardness, much like how no flower blooms without shaking. It also captures the identity of our album. Above all, the biggest charm of this song is that it encapsulates our current state through its lyrics.

We can't leave out the dance performance of ‘In Bloom’. Many fans are already following your dance. What is the most important point in this choreography?

One part of our choreography simulates scattering seeds and watering them with our shaking hands, followed by the creation of a fully bloomed flower, as if directly conveying it to those who watch our performance. This is the key point of the song's choreography. Also, we have incorporated all the processes according to the lyrics of the song like “the flower blooms,” “I give this moment to you,” and “rushing out,” into our performance. So, it will remain in your memory even after watching it only once. Don't miss the refreshing and energetic vibe!

What are your individual favorite tracks from the album?

SUNG HANBIN, KIM JIWOONG, ZHANG HAO: ‘And I’. This song holds vivid memories of us imagining our fans, ZEROSE, while recording. Now that we can finally share it with you, it has become even more special to us. Every time we listen to it, we feel a sense of calm.

SEOK MATTHEW, KIM GYUVIN: ‘Our Season’. This song represents a genre that we've never attempted before. We believe it presents a new side of us. Most importantly, the lyrics, which propose creating our own season together, and the melody of the song are both excellent. We hope you'll take a listen!

KIM TAERAE, RICKY: ‘New Kidz on the Block’. We had a lot of fun recording this song. It's a joyful track that we think our fans, ZEROSE, can enjoy and groove along to. The more you listen to it, the more exciting it gets, so we've been listening to it quite a lot recently.

PARK GUNWOOK: ‘Always’. he melody line and the overall vibe of the song align well with my personal taste. ZHANG HAO sings it wonderfully, which makes me feel particularly proud every time I listen to it.

HAN YUJIN: ‘Back to ZEROBASE’, I like this song because of its catchy melody and addictiveness that keeps it replaying in my head.

Your team was formed through the Mnet show ＜BOYS PLANET＞ What did you learn and feel while participating in the audition?

We learned a lot about how to break through our own limits with each competition. We had a lot of worries about whether we could 'do it' ahead of the stage, but we had to overcome those concerns and show many people our performance and who we are. In that sense, we also learned how to become a bit more relaxed in front of tension.

You have stage experience from ＜BOYS PLANET＞, but a formal debut has a different meaning. Although not much time has passed since your debut, what are the most difficult and enjoyable things?

The most enjoyable thing seems to be the fact that we, as ZEROBASEONE, can meet ZEROSE and show them our performances. We're still in a stage of learning a lot, so we're not quite sure what's difficult yet (laughs), but we're planning to spend each day meaningfully, seeing and learning a lot.
 

What made you dream of becoming idols?

Seeing many artists deliver cool performances on stage and receiving comfort through music made us think, 'We want to become like them.' We wanted to be a small happiness and a pillar of support for someone, and we pledged to become singers to deliver great happiness to many people through our movements and songs.

When we listen to your album, we notice that there are many parts where the members sing together, in chorus. It seems to give a lot of strength to your identity as a group. What do each of you mean to one another? Especially for the foreign members like ZHANG HAO, SEOK MATTHEW, RICKY, aren't the members quite special?

ZHANG HAO, SEOK MATTHEW, RICKY: Our members are really precious to us. When we struggle to understand Korean words, they patiently guide us, much like teachers would. Our older members always support us, and we have friends who can joke at any time. Our younger members are very cute. It's very amazing that nine people from different backgrounds and training environments have come together to form one team. It's even more incredible thinking, ‘Can we get along this well?’ As we spend more time together, we are getting to know each other better and becoming closer.

We want to ask the leader, SUNG HANBIN, what do you think is the strength or charm of ZEROBASEONE?

SUNG HANBIN: I believe our biggest strength is that we can show various aspects and performances not only through singing and dancing but also through other avenues such as guitar and violin. As for charm, wouldn't the entirety of ZEROBASEONE itself be our charm? However, we would like to continue to create more charm points!

Your album [YOUTH IN THE SHADE] has been receiving a lot of love right after its release. Did you expect such attention? Isn't the heated interest in you as newcomers somewhat unfamiliar?

As we've mentioned before, it's still surreal for us that we've debuted as ZEROBASEONE. The amount of attention and love we are receiving is beyond our expectations, and this has left us pleasantly surprised. Therefore, we're trying our best at every moment. Our greeting ‘D1, Be the ONE’ contains the meaning of working hard with constant excitement and tension as if it's our first day. Just like this meaning, we will do our utmost to show you the stages we've prepared hard for, communicate with our fans, and repay the support and love you've given us.

Do you have any goals you want to achieve as ZEROBASEONE? Is there a stage you definitely want to perform?

Among the tracks in our album, there is a song ‘New Kidz on the Block,’ and the lyrics say “We’re going straight to the top”. We remember us pledging to go to the top together while recording the song, and we really want to get the first place on a music show. More than anything, we want to win the rookie award, which you can only receive once. When you think of who the new singer of the year is, we hope that ZEROBASEONE is the first one that comes to your mind!

Can we look forward to the future performances of ZEROBASEONE, who have just started?

We, who have been running toward one goal of debuting, have finally stood before many people as ZEROBASEONE. We will always remember the emotions tied to this moment and we'll continue to pour our hearts into every moment going forward, ensuring our journey ahead shines brightly. Please keep an eye on us and continue to support ZEROBASEONE in the future!

Lastly, do you have a message you'd like to send to your fandom, 'ZEROSE'?

ZEROSE, we're able to stand before all of you under the name ZEROBASEONE thanks to you. We're just a small flower that has just bloomed now, but let's run together until the day we become a bigger and more beautiful flower! We love you, ZEROSE!