Nearly six months after releasing the fourth mini-album CINEMA PARADISE, ZEROBASEONE is finally back with the second part of their “PARADISE” series, BLUE PARADISE. The fifth mini-album marks the group’s entrance into more mature music as they explore themes of heartbreak, growing pains, and finding one’s inner paradise. The EP features six new songs, including “BLUE,” the sentimental title track that tells the story of a beautiful yet tragic fated love and explores the complexity of feeling “blue.”
The new EP also includes three sub-unit tracks – “Out of Love” (performed by ZHANG HAO, KIM JIWOONG, and KIM GYUVIN), “Step Back” (performed by RICKY, HAN YUJIN, and PARK GUNWOOK), and “Cruel” (performed by SUNG HANBIN, SEOK MATTHEW, and KIM TAERAE), a first for the group.
The nine-member group is riding off the high of completing the Asian leg of their world tour TIMELESS WORLD, where they made stops in Seoul, Singapore, Japan, China, the Phillippines, Indonesia, and Thailand, attracting more than 140,000 attendees across the region. Now, they are ready to show off a new side of themselves and their growth with their latest comeback.
The mini-album begins with the refreshing alternative dance-pop title track, “BLUE.” The song marks another collaboration between ZEROBASEONE and K-Pop hitmaker KENZIE, who produced their last title track “GOOD SO BAD.” As the song begins, listeners dive right into the gripping refrain, featuring ZHANG HAO and TAERAE’s powerful vocals. The mystical energy then transitions into a more relaxed verse as the members sing about wanting to stay by your side in a world of loneliness. The nostalgic pre-chorus reminisces about the more colorful days of the past while a mellow guitar melody lingers in the background. The sentimental vocals continue as they blend with a crisp synthesizer sound and layered strings.
The accompanying music video for the track perfectly encompasses the song’s wistful lyrics about longing to find paradise and staying together forever. Throughout the video, the line between what is real and what is virtual constantly blurs as the members encounter glitching citizens, fluffy blue humanoid receptionists, and fields of fiber optic light. The members don virtual reality headsets as they explore various worlds in search of their paradise. As the song reaches its climactic end, the nine boys dance against a tropical oasis, running across the beach and bathing in the glow of an orange sunset. In the end, HANBIN awakens once again to find himself in the group’s little hideaway, surrounded by his members.
“BLUE” serves as the perfect intro to the EP that aims to showcase ZEROBASEONE’s evolving soundscape. The mini-album continues with “Devil Game,” a groovy dance-pop track that flaunts a more mature side of the group while not fully abandoning the nonet’s bright and youthful essence. The song features an addicting bassline and funky rhythm guitar as the members sing about their burning desires, the thrill of the chase, and wanting something even when you know it’s bad for you. The last chorus of the song features sensual lyrics such as “An ecstasy of desire that covers up my whole body / Of course you’re bad for me, you make me lose myself,” while the bridge describes their feelings as a “never-ending climax that keeps rising.” The members show off their sultry stage presence and sharp dance skills while performing the song, flawlessly encapsulating the alluring vibe of “Devil Game.”
The pre-release single “DOCTOR! DOCTOR!” is the next track on BLUE PARADISE. Released on January 20, the digital cover art for the single boasts artwork from legendary horror mangaka Junji Ito, famous for works such as Tomie and Uzumaki. The cover depicts a blue-toned, love-sick man reaching out into a dark void for a doctor to help him, to no avail, fitting the theme of the track.
The R&B ballad describes ZEROBASEONE catching a case of lovesickness so strong that it requires medical attention. According to the lyrics, symptoms include a racing heartbeat, a burning fever, and loss of judgment. The relaxed and mid-tempo beat of the song cheekily contrasts the absolute urgency with which the members croon about needing a doctor to cure them of their “L-O-V-emergency.”
MATTHEW is a standout in the second verse as he delivers his nonchalant, almost aloof rap that ironically speaks of his inability to think straight around his lover and feeling stressed out about what to say next. “DOCTOR! DOCTOR!” is a highlight of the mini-album that fans are sure to have on repeat.
BLUE PARADISE then transitions into its unit songs, the first being “Out of Love,” sung by ZHANG HAO, JIWOONG, and GYUVIN. The pop-rock track is reminiscent of an anime opening with its energetic band instrumentals. The trio showcases their diverse range as they sing along passionately about the “what ifs” in a concluded relationship. ZHANG HAO’s sophisticated voice keeps the song feeling steady while JIWOONG’s husky tone adds a layer of emotion, allowing GYUVIN’s youthful vocals to shine through.
RICKY, YUJIN, and GUNWOOK display their suave aura on “Step Back,” a jazzy R&B track that brings out the vampiric, debonair vibes of the trio. The catchy guitar that repeats throughout the track lays an addicting base for GUNWOOK’s clear vocals and high notes. YUJIN, the youngest member of ZEROBASEONE, also gets to exhibit his range with his raspy whispered lines and falsettos. RICKY’s rich vocal tone is a highlight as he embodies the mysterious nature of the song through his vibrato. At the track’s climax, the three proven vocalists come together to blend their voices in a dynamic harmonic display.
The final unit song and the conclusion to BLUE PARADISE is HANBIN, MATTHEW, and TAERAE’s track “Cruel.” MATTHEW starts the track off with the seductive spoken drawl of “Yeah, I’m feeling so cruel.” The opening perfectly sets the tone for the teasing, bad-boy anthem. The trio sings and raps throughout the song about being “wild and free” while throwing on leather jackets and declaring, “So what if I’m hated?”
The snazzy unit track is an exquisite way to end ZEROBASEONE’s fifth mini-album BLUE PARADISE, reminding fans of their ever-growing versatility and swagger that has cemented them as fifth-gen K-Pop leaders. The inclusion of unit songs provides fans with a fresh glimpse into their diverse talents across genres and performance styles.
Miss seeing ZEROBASEONE on stage or weren’t able to attend the TIMELESS WORLD tour in person? No worries! Fans can catch limited screenings of TIMELESS WORLD in CINEMAS in theatres around the world beginning on March 12.
Readers can listen to BLUE PARADISE on all major streaming platforms now. The physical version of the mini-album will also be available to purchase at major U.S. retailers such as Target, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart for the first time. BLUE PARADISE hits shelves in the U.S. on April 4, so don’t wait to order!