Boys Planet boy group ZEROBASEONE make their comeback with fourth mini album Cinema Paradise and title song Good So Bad.
I have grown to love ZEROBASEONE during this year and they’ve quickly become one of my favourites from this newest generation of k-pop. Although they’ve been giving us quality since their amazing debut (which is probably still their best title), I’ve really loved their last comeback – both the prerelease Sweat and the title Feel The Pop have been going steady on my playlist and I’m so happy they’re continuing with melodic, upbeat music that suits their style. I’ve also grown to love them as a group because they’re all just so nice and have such good chemistry together – reminding me a lot of those early 3rd generation moments and groups I cherish. I’m so excited to dive into this new album so let’s review!
Good So Bad continues the melodic streak ZB1 have going on and I’m absolutely here for it. It’s upbeat, fun, and catchy but also brings this sort of nostalgia with itself due to the lyrics and the anthemic kind of chorus (I love the shouts in the back) that makes you feel like you’re in a movie. The verses are more than solid, with a good instrumental and melody keeping the momentum of the song going, the rap sections are included well, but the true star of Good So Bad is the chorus for me – it’s just so pretty and dreamy. Paired with the imaginative music video and the constant switch of shooting sets, Good So Bad really does feel like a movie, which was the main idea behind this concept, and completes the whole experience. The boys sound lovely and I think this kind of style suits them a lot – they are really able to bring an upbeat, at times even bubbly sound, without it sounding too forced or too much like a cliche. I think that’s why I’ve really enjoyed their releases so far (even Crush grew on me a lot). Good So Bad seems like a combination of In Bloom and Feel The Pop and maybe that’s a nice way to make a bridge between their two best eras.
Now, when it comes to the new album, I was so excited to dig deeper into it. I’m quite pumped that we got the Korean version of Yura Yura because that was an absolute banger that ended up such a big earworm. Looking at the production names, I was really interested to hear Kill The Romeo and I have to say the song did not disappoint! Definitely didn’t expect the song to completely combine two different sounds but it really works – the first part of the chorus is unexpected, but the second part brings that delicious melody back. And the verses? So good. However, the absolute biggest star of this new album has to be Insomnia. From the melodic, interesting verses, to a really catchy pre-chorus that smoothly progresses into a stunning, old-school-sounding chorus, Insomnia is that song from this album for me. I’m absolutely hooked from the first listen and I know this song will keep me company for a while. Worth checking out for sure.
ZEROBASEONE have really wormed their way up my heart and I couldn’t be happier. A great comeback.