Boy band ZeroBaseOne’s first full-length album, “Never Say Never,” comes at a pivotal moment for the group, which is nearing its expected contract expiration set for January next year amid ongoing speculation and uncertainty over a possible extension of its activities.

The album serves as a timely and unmistakable testament to how the nine members have outgrown their past selves ahead of what could become a turning point in their careers — a reflection of their eventful two-year journey from finalists of Mnet’s hit audition program “Boys Planet” (2023) to “iconic” artists they’ve evolved into today.

During a press showcase held in Seoul on Monday, the members said that no decision has yet been made regarding potential contract renewals.

“We’re currently exploring what direction would be best through ongoing discussions, but nothing has been finalized,” said member Sung Han-bin during the press event.

“For now, I believe what matters most is presenting our first full-length album, which carries such significance for us,” he added.

ZeroBaseOne was formed through Mnet’s audition program “Boys Planet” (2023) and debuted with the EP “Youth in the Shade” on July 10, 2023. Since then, all five EPs the group has released so far have sold more than a million copies back-to-back.

The group consists of nine members, the program's finalists: Zhang Hao, Seok Matthew, Ricky, Park Gun-wook, Kim Tae-rae, Kim Gyu-vin, Kim Ji-woong, Han Yu-jin and Sung.

Regardless of persistent speculations and conversations surrounding the contract renewal, the members emphasized that their bond remains unshakable.

“For all of us, our team, ZeroBaseOne, means so much,” said Park.

“The nine of us are currently together as one team as ZeroBaseOne, but we’re genuinely close as individuals,” he continued. “So I believe our fans will always be able to see us laugh with each other and hang out together in the future.”

The group’s first full-length album, “Never Say Never,” which comes six months after the release of its fifth EP, "Blue Paradise," features 10 tracks, led by "Iconik."

B-sides include “Slam Dunk,” “Lovesick Game,” “Goosebumps,” “Dumb,” “Extra,” “Long Way Back,” “Star Eyes,” “I Know U Know,” and a Korean version of “Now or Never,” the lead track for the group’s first Japanese EP “Prezent" released in January.

“Extra” is performed by the subunit consisting of Sung, Seok, Kim Gyu-vin, Park and Han, while “Long Way Back” is by Kim Ji-woong, Zhang, Kim Tae-rae and Ricky.

The album, first and foremost, reflects the group’s two-year journey and the growth it has undergone along the way, according to the members.

“We wanted this album to go beyond simply showing growth,” said Kim Tae-rae. “We wanted to clearly present our own unique color, and encapsulate the growth story the nine of us have built together since the formation of the team.”

The message comes through vividly in the music video for the album's lead track, "Iconik," a dance pop leaning into nu-disco sounds, where the members kick down a panel of themselves during their “Boys Planet” era.

“When we looked at that part of the music video, we all thought it was so cute — and also realized we’ve grown so much from back then,” said Seok with a smile.

“Actually, Ricky was the one who kicked that panel, and watching it, I could feel how far we’ve come since then,” he added.

“The choreography of our lead track carries a declaration of ours wishing to leave a footprint in the K-pop scene, just like how humanity took its first step on the moon,” also noted.

Despite the uncertainty of contract expirations looming large over its future, the members still promised that their story of growth will continue, starting with this album.

“Looking back on the past two years, the word that came to my mind the most was ‘youth,’” Park said. “Above all the accomplishments we’ve made so far, what matters most is to become a team that continues to pursue upward growth — and with this album, we will continue to aim to reach even greater heights."

ZeroBaseOne will soon begin its second world tour, “Here & Now,” with three shows in Seoul from Oct. 3 to 5, which will be followed by shows in Bangkok on Oct. 18, Saitama on Oct. 29 and 30, Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 8, Singapore on Nov. 15, Taipei on Dec. 6 and Hong Kong on Dec. 20 and 21.




BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]