Zerobaseone returns with catchy music and “hyper positive energy”

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone returned Monday with their fourth EP, “Cinema Paradise,” filled with the group’s signature optimistic energy and a message of hope for those who dream of a better future, even in the face of adversity.

It’s a quick return for the nine-member group, following the success of their May release, “You Had Me at Hello.”

“This album is filled with Zerobaseone’s refreshing energy and carries the message that no matter what kind of bad situations we encounter in our various lives, we are ultimately heading towards a happy ending,” member Kim Ji-woong said at a press preview of the album in Seoul on Monday.

“With seven songs that touch on different genres of movies, I think this album will be a lot of fun to listen to.”

This message seems especially authentic because the members earned their place in the music industry through fierce competition.

Formed from Mnet’s survival show “Boys Planet,” Zerobaseone debuted last July and quickly became a major force in K-pop’s fifth generation. Their previous three albums have all achieved remarkable sales, surpassing 1 million copies on their first day of release.

The new EP is dubbed “Good So Bad,” an electronic synth-pop track that tells the story of a man who falls in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way he does. Despite the sad situation, the song maintains a bright and optimistic vibe throughout, infused with the band’s signature “hyper-positive energy.”

“It’s a song that expresses the most sincere feelings of deep love,” Zhang Hao said of the song. “We tried to capture the bittersweet feelings of love, where you’re so happy that you’re afraid of losing it.”

He described it as “Zerobaseone’s own brand of hyper-positive romantic comedy”, where even a seemingly doomed story finds a happy ending.

The track was written and co-composed by K-pop hitmaker Kenzie, who has created numerous hit songs for major K-pop artists under SM Entertainment, including BoA, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and EXO, among others.

“It was such an enriching moment that I wrote down the comments she gave me and put them on my desk. Thanks to her kind words, I was able to approach the recording process without showing any signs of difficulty,” Sung Han-bin said, reflecting on the experience.

Besides the title track, the seven-track album also includes “Kill the Romeo”; “The Sea (ZB1 Remake)”, a remake of co-ed group UP’s 1997 summer hit of the same name; “Insomnia”; “Road Movie”; “Eternity”; and “Yura Yura (Korean Ver.),” the Korean-language version of the group’s first Japanese single of the same name.

Celebrating its first launch anniversary last month, Zerobaseone cited “teamwork” as the area where they have made the most progress.

“All the members are kind, and as we get to know each other, our bond has grown even stronger. Recently, when I rewatched our performance videos, I realized that we really have great chemistry,” Zhang Hao said.

Concluding the showcase, the band pledged to continue demonstrating their growth with each new album they release.

“Thanks to Zerose and the public, we have been able to work actively over the past year. We will continue to move forward with the mindset of never forgetting our original intentions and always showing you a growing side of ourselves,” Park Gun-wook said, using the group’s fandom name. (Yonhap)