Is ‘Ascend-’ ZEROBASEONE’s Best Album?
After splitting in half, ZEROBASEONE returns with an album that defies expectations and makes a case that they might be best as five.
In February, ZEROBASEONE hosted a farewell concert. After nearly three years together, the nine-member boy group was being split into two: four members – ZAO HAO, GYUVIN, RICKY, and YUJIN – were returning to their home company and would soon begin in a new group. The remaining five of ZB1 – leader, HANBIN, JIWOONG, Matthew Seok, TARAE, and GUNWOOK – would remain in the group.
I was skeptical about the future of ZEROBASEONE as a five-member group. It was undeniable that ZB1’s success was a surprise. The group was formed on the Mnet survival show Boys Planet, and their first mini-album, Youth in the Shade, was a smash hit, selling over 1 million copies in a week. Boys Planet was a sensation, too, jumpstarting not just ZEROBASEONE but also groups like EVNNE and Ampers&One, all of which feature members from the survival show.
Yet since the release of their first mini-album, ZB1’s popularity has waned. Their struggle to maintain momentum is central to understanding their recent resurgence. No release reached the heights of Youth in the Shade, and their discography was often disjointed. Moments of brilliance, like Cinema Paradise, could be usurped by duds like Melting Point. The group toured Asia often but only came to the West for KCON appearances (which had become an annual thing by the time the group broke apart; they will return this year as five).
Yet the members promised that the group was entering a new era and that they had been given more autonomy. In livestreams, Matthew talked about how excited they were to release music that better reflected their tastes. This new creative control lays the foundation for ZB1’s resurgence, showing how autonomy can drive renewed artistic identity.
This week, the group released ASCEND-, their first album since separating. The album is led by “TOP 5”, a single that smartly references the new lineup in its title. “Last night, I made a list of my top five,” HANBIN raps in the opening line before listing his favorite things about his partner. The track is a complete diversion for the group. The production is a fusion of early 2000s R&B (I almost hear an interpolation of Amerie’s “1 Thing”) and 90s boy band schmaltz. It oozes with sex appeal and is, simultaneously, great fun. In the video, the members look their best ever in cool all-black leather outfits and sunglasses.
Throughout ASCEND-, ZEROBASEONE subverts the group's expectations. KIM TARAE has always been ZB1’s most gifted vocalist, but here, other members are given the chance to excel: I love getting to hear GUNWOOK rap more or HANBIN really push himself as a vocalist. Strangely, halfway through the EP, I realized that the group actually seems more balanced now. With only five members to distribute lines among, each idol gets a chance to be in the spotlight.
Often, on previous ZB1 albums, the title track is one of the few great songs, leaving the discography feeling scattershot. At times, it seemed as if WAKEONE lacked a clear identity or color for the group. They could be or sound like anything. ASCEND- marks a turning point, as the group digs deeper into a cohesive sound, highlighting how their newfound creative focus strengthens their artistic vision.
Their vocals, for instance, have never sounded crisper than on tracks like “V for Vision” or “Exotic”. But I’m most interested in how, sonically, ZB1 finally embodies a mature concept. The music is sleeker and edgier. The concept feels more fitting, too, for the members – all of whom seem eager to ditch the wholesome image that the first ZB1 brand had them embody.
If there is one song, though, that calls back to ZB1.0, it is “ZERO TO HUNDRED”. “I can go higher and farther,” HANBIN sings in the chorus, and it’s hard not to hear it as a reference to their new era. Most poignantly, I’m reminded of “In Bloom”, their iconic first single, when listening to it – especially as I hear JIWOONG’s and TAERAE’s vocal runs. They sound buoyant and full of hope again, something that I felt like ZB1 never recaptured since their debut.
Of course, a song like “ZERO TO HUNDRED” also reminds me of what has changed. With five members, ZEROBASEONE could have released a depressing mid-album. The fact that they have, instead, released the best music of their career isn’t so much a miracle as it is a testament to the members’ creative instincts. The aftermath of K-pop corporate politics rarely results in music this good.
