It’s a big day for K-pop boy groups, with one veteran act returning after a long hiatus and the year’s most anticipate rookie making their debut. ZEROBASEONE were brought together through MNET’s audition program Boys Planet, which I chronicled on this blog back when it aired. Though I was pleased with the final line-up for this group, very little of the series’ music has endured on my playlist. Will In Bloom buck the trend?
I’m happy to see ZEROBASEONE debut with a brighter, more youthful concept. The songwriting power behind In Bloom is very strong, with one of GFriend’s frequent collaborators taking the lead. This — plus an interpolation of a-ha’s mighty Take On Me — sets the stage for a very promising debut. True to form, In Bloom is a pleasant listen. But it’s far from a home run.
I’ve been using keywords like “muted” and “subdued” too often to describe 2023 in K-pop, but those descriptors encompass In Bloom‘s biggest shortcomings. Though it’s undoubtedly a dance track, the sonic palette feels oddly drained of excitement. This makes the post-chorus chant and brisk chorus melody feel unsupported. Maybe my expectations are completely of of whack, but I don’t understand the drum and bass production at all. I enjoy drum and bass as a genre, but it feels mismatched with this song. The instrumental shuffles while the melody surges. The result is kind of nebulous.
With this said, I expect In Bloom to grow more addictive with time. The vocals are strong and the chorus is a total earworm. The a-ha interpolation is used well and avoids the most obvious hallmarks of that iconic synth riff. The song may not be the knockout I was hoping for, but ZEROBASEONE have the right ingredients for a killer discography.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Boring! Nothing new, just your typical generic bland track, it may sound like A-ha’s Take on Me at first hear.. still boring
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it’s a very solid debut track, same with the album! I really enjoy how there’s no sing-talk in the verses, and the interpolation works pretty well. now I’m hoping WAKEONE builds upon this sound for their entire career and not do a 180 for their 1st comeback and the next, it would be such a waste.
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I like it, it’s airy and fun, but it sounds a bit like a good UP10tion b-side which makes me miss Hwanhee. Wah.
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Something tells me the producers weren’t aiming for “UP10TION b-side” when writing this highly-anticipated debut track 😂
(with that said, there’s nothing wrong with a good UP10TION b-side)
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No, but they’re better with actual UP10tion in them. LOL!
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The first listen threw me off mostly because of the pre-chorus, but after a few more listens i can say personally that this is a pretty solid debut! New Kidz on the Block is definitely my favorite of the b-sides on this album, but maybe im just saying all this because I haven’t been this excited for a debut in a while 😭
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it’s cute and manages to be catchy without overly grating (a rarity in kpop these days) but i can see myself growing tired of the sample quickly.
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Can I ask why you would grow tired of the sample? I don’t think the sample is as prominent as some examples, like “I Will Survive” in “After Like.” It also was altered significantly, so it doesn’t sound exactly like the iconic riff in “Take On Me”.
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I thought this was great, it has that nice piano like Energetic did in its verses and I think the chorus melody is really good too
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I’m totally biased because I followed Boys Planet, but I think this debut is pretty strong. So is the album, although the last three songs (And I, Our Season, and Always) have similar vibes—I would have welcomed Jelly Pop, Hot Summer, or even Say My Name in there. My favorite song is Back to Zerobase, it feels strangely nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. Overall their sound feels like 3rd gen mixed with more modern trends to me—if that’s what 5th gen means, I’ll take it.
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My favourite song from the album is Back to Zerobase as well. I am in love with how it swells and builds and drops. The harmonies are lush and gorgeous, it’s been ages since K-pop has debuted a group that harmonise like that. Simply magical.
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I think the song is interesting and bright. Not the most adventurous, but does well enough with the material at hand. I wish producers these days would lay off the tinny vocal button, I mean why why why, why not just have the boys sing it straight. It dates the song instantly like dusty rose and harvest gold colors.
Something about it reminds me of the ONF debut era, when the sound of each song was almost great but taken together over several releases built to a fine body of debut year work. In other words, I am eager to hear more. Rating is about right or close enough.
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I’m not really sure what you mean by subdued tbh when i listen to it with headphones it sounds really full and fun, it’s such a summer bop i love it!
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The sound palette just feels very muted to me.
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Sounds more like a bside. Not bad but not a title track worthy
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Had a pretty fun listen. Gotta admit the guys’ debut is quite strong, but the soundscape evokes more of a b-side feel. Too muted for a title track.
8/10
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First…I love the boys. They’re all talented and visually deaddrop gorgeous looking guys!
But second… the music and the video don’t jive.
And third… sounds drowning the vocals… too electronic and tingy
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I like the lineup but I feel like a song like this needs a higher pitched vocalist to balance out their deep palate (like a Wonjin or Seongmin from Cravity situation). I do like the song though, any drum and bass beat is gonna have it on repeat for a while.
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This is a pretty great debut. It’s fun and bubbly. They better keep this sound and continue to expand their discography with a bright concept.
8.5/10
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Also people were calling ZB1 “Bep1er” but now I’m seeing them being called “BOY*ZONE” lol
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That’s funny because there was actually a popular Irish boy band in the 90’s called Boyzone.
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There’s nothing to not like about this in my opinion. The production is wonderfully full throughout the whole album, and I love the synths and dnb elements that are incorporated. It adds so much fun and energy, and makes for a great fresh/bright concept WITHOUT being a rehash of the “boyjeans” attempts flooding the scene. I think they made the right decisions with this. Solid debut.
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8.75! Like it, nice topline, their vocal sounded good and doesn’t feel forced (like Kep1er).
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Middle school girls obsessively calling a TV show to vote for their favorites won’t result in a group with anyone interesting. Instead, you’ll get what this is: Nine or so nearly identical, interchangeable, bland “flower boys” with as much zest as a glass of tap water.
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What a weird hate comment that adds absolutely nothing to the conversation. The nine boys voted in stood out in the show for being talented, hardworking, and likable. They are pretty distinct when you watch the show, but you’ve made no effort to do so and decided to just generalize them based on absolutely nothing. Also no clue what “interesting” is to you, but when did looking like a visually cohesive group become a bad thing?
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Welp I guess I am reduced to a ‘middle school girl’. It sounds like you are projecting. It is not fair to call the members as ‘identical, interchangeable or bland’ when it seems like you never even watched the show yourself. Also, given that this is a song review comment section, does it make more sense to actually share your thoughts on the song rather than attacking the group themselves?
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From just a visual standpoint, “nearly identical” is just plainly inaccurate. From a vocal color standpoint, it’s especially untrue. Try putting in the bare minimum of knowing who and what you’re actually talking about. It’s painfully obvious to everyone else you don’t when you talk out of your ass like this.
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Oh boy. This commenter has no idea about girls/women, that Asian people don’t all look alike, or how voting works.
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kys
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unclench
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I wouldn’t say I liked the song, but the post-bridge segment was very enjoyable. It upsets me that when I feel that the song could take off I feel a childish whiff in the vocal delivery that I don’t like, I don’t understand the concept well. It reminded me a lot of the musical choices behind Kep1er, where it seems that they didn’t want to make them mature, it’s a swing between sophisticated music like MVSK and their childish collaborations like Sugar Rush. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen with this group and they let it fly.
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I didn’t watch boys planet nor I follow any of these boys. The song itself has a catchy chorus but that’s about it. It lacks cohesiveness and doesn’t have a memory point. Without watching the MV, I wouldn’t notice there are actually 9 different voices…I’m not sure what’s a good debut song – but this for one doesn’t sound too much of a debut song to me.
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This track really grew on me
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Coming back to this lovely track, I find it beautifully tragic that we could plausibly frame this bright and melodic sound as “muted” and “subdued” back in 2023. I wonder how you would rate this if it was released right now 😭
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