Two weeks ago, ZEROBASEONE released the fan song ballad Running To Future as the first pre-release from their upcoming “special” (ie: final) album. Today, they’re back with its second pre-release Roses. This one adds rock guitar for texture and a bit more bounce to its percussion but ultimately serves the same purpose as its predecessor.

It’s clear this ZEROBASEONE album will be all about the fans, which as a fan I find quite boring. I get that idols need to foster their para-social relationships, but songs like this tend to fall within dull templates that feel more like product than any sort of fun artistic statement. Roses‘ rock-tinged instrumental injects more bombast than expected but it’s still in service to a generic song. And at just over two minutes in length, there’s not even much of a song here. It cuts off just as it should build to a confetti drop climax. I mean, if you must go full-on sentimental, you might as well lay on the cheese and lean into the ceremony of it all.

What I’d like to do is take the melodic parts of Roses‘ chorus and build a better song around them. There’s too much errant shouting and talk-chanting happening between the song’s highlights to give Roses much continuity. I know the producers must fit all nine members into a two minute song, but the music should necessitate the performance — not the other way around. More than anything, Roses feels like another missed opportunity for the group’s final victory lap.

Grade: C