Say “Hello” to Summer with ZEROBASEONE’s Third EP
ZEROBASEONE has welcomed summer early with their third EP You had me at HELLO. Released on May 13, this seven-track EP covers more than just the brightness of summer. While the title track “Feel the POP” and pre-release “SWEAT” offer some refreshing summer pop, the B-sides offer more range with sounds like hard-hitting hip-hop and calming R&B.
This EP also completes a message that can be seen on the digital covers for ZEROBASEONE’s discography. The cover for their first EP YOUTH IN THE SHADE focuses on “YOU HAD,” the cover for their second EP MELTING POINT focuses on “ME,” the cover for their single “SWEAT” focuses on “AT,” and the cover for You had me at HELLO adds “HELLO.” It ties everything together.
Tracklist:
“Solar POWER”
“Feel the POP”
“Dear ECLIPSE”
“SWEAT”
“Sunday RIDE”
“HELLO”
“Feel the POP” (Sped Up ver.)”
The Pre-Release: “SWEAT”
ZEROBASEONE shifted from spring to summer when they released “SWEAT” on April 24. Composed by Kyler Niko, Rajan Muse, and Gabriel Brandes, “SWEAT” is a house genre track about summer romance. With lyrics written by 김윈디, the song describes “burning up” due to the warm feeling accompanying romantic attraction.
Its “special summer video” mainly focuses on choreography scenes, but it does include a classic dancing in the rain moment. It’s the perfect preview for the summer season. Alongside the EP’s title track, “SWEAT” is a must-have on this summer’s playlists.
The Title Track: “Feel the POP”
From the title alone, “Feel the POP” sounds like something that delivers a burst of pop. While “Feel the POP” sits within the pop category, it doesn’t quite have the punch the title implies (and in all caps, no less). That in itself does not necessarily mean the song falls flat for me — quite the contrary actually. It takes a more subdued approach to the summer boy group bop, something both light in vocal and instrumental intensity. Composers David Wilson, Max Schneider, and Sean Douglas still created something serene and cute.
When it comes to creative and goofy music video concepts, the video for “Feel the POP” definitely comes across that way. It combines many aspects that just visually scream “K-Pop:” the cowboy getups, the office worker concept, the tennis court choreography scenes (surrounded by water, of course!), and the idols dancing happily as the world seemingly crumbles apart. The video jams that all into one vibrant package. The carefree feeling in the video helps support the lyrics that ask for worries to disappear in a “pop.”*
The B-Sides: Say “HELLO” to a Lot More
You had me at HELLO opens with the powerful and aggressive sound of “Solar POWER,” whose sound runs contrary to the EP’s soft visual aesthetic. The third track, “DEAR ECLIPSE,” appears sandwiched between the EP’s promoted summer tracks, giving a short break from the sun with an R&B song. The fifth track, “Sunday Ride,” follows “SWEAT” and carries on the cheerful energy. The piano creates a jovial bounciness.
The ballad “HELLO” is the penultimate track on the EP. “HELLO” recalls a moment when two lovers met. The lyrics, written by YoungK of DAY6 and Bang Hyehyun (방혜현), describe how the speaker fell in love upon first meeting their partner. It captures the essence of the EP’s title, You had me at HELLO. The song ends detailing a bittersweet goodbye, but the speaker vows to treasure those memories.
The EP ends with a sped-up version of the title track. If you liked “Feel the POP,” you might also like it faster. The increased tempo and corresponding higher-pitched voices makes the song more sweet, but it closes the EP anticlimatically.
*Lyrics taken from English captions in the official music videos.
“Feel the POP” TITLE TRACK SCORE: 8/10
“Feel the POP” MUSIC VIDEO SCORE: 10/10
You had me at HELLO ALBUM SCORE: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Edited by Cara Musashi