The group ZEROBASEONE has drawn a trajectory of steep growth, sweeping through the first half of 2025.
ZEROBASEONE (Seong Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Zhang Hao, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, Ricky, Kim Gyu-bin, Park Geon-wook, Han Yoo-jin) released their mini album 'BLUE PARADISE' in February this year, welcoming a flower path filled with blue roses, just like the album title.
With their mini album 'BLUE PARADISE', ZEROBASEONE sold over 1.2 million copies within the first week of release, achieving the remarkable record of being a '5-time Million Seller'. They are the first K-pop group to have all five consecutive albums reach 'Million Seller' status since their debut album.
With 'BLUE PARADISE', ZEROBASEONE topped the iTunes 'Top Albums' chart in 17 regions worldwide, and all tracks from the album charted on major domestic music sites Melon TOP100 and HOT100, proving their popularity not only among fans but also in the general public. ZEROBASEONE achieved a four-time win on music broadcasts with their title track 'BLUE'.
Furthermore, ZEROBASEONE has achieved remarkable success in the U.S. and Japan, which are considered the two largest music markets in the world. They made a historic entry into the Billboard 200, the main album chart in the U.S., at 28th place with their mini album 'BLUE PARADISE'. This is the highest ranking among K-pop artists categorized as 5th generation. ZEROBASEONE has also maintained a long-running popularity by entering Billboard's detailed charts for 11 consecutive weeks.
In particular, ZEROBASEONE's popularity in Japan has reached a syndrome level. They dominated local major charts with their Japanese EP 'PREZENT', released in January this year. They set a new record for their own sales with 'PREZENT', achieving 1st place in the Oricon weekly album ranking and the weekly combined album ranking, as well as 1st place in the latest Billboard Japan weekly album chart for 'Top Album Sales'. Additionally, they ranked 4th in the Billboard Japan's mid-year summary for 'Top Album Sales', and secured the 3rd place for first-week sales among overseas artists' albums in 2025, following Stray Kids and Seventeen. Reflecting this popularity, they were honored as the 'Best New Artist' in the Asia category at the '39th Japan Gold Disc Awards'.
With absolute support from their global fandom, ZEROBASEONE has won a total of 9 trophies in the first half of the year, including the main award in the album category at the '39th Golden Disc Awards', the Artist of the Year award at the '32nd Hanteo Music Awards 2024', the Best Stage award at the '1st The Awards', the Delight Blue Label and Black Label Record of the Year at The Awards, the Performance of the Year at the 'Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2025', and the main award and Best Album award at the '34th Seoul Music Awards'.
Additionally, ZEROBASEONE is actively engaging in various activities, including OST singing, entertainment programs, music broadcasts, award ceremony MCing, photoshoots, and ambassadorships, further expanding their influence as a 'global top tier'. They have also secured advertising model positions for famous domestic and international brands, conquering the fashion and advertising industries. As they are referred to as the '5th Generation Icon' and each member's charm is fully blossoming, attention is drawn to how far ZEROBASEONE's upward trajectory will continue.
Meanwhile, ZEROBASEONE is reportedly preparing for a world tour in the second half of 2025 to repay the love received from their fandom, ZEROSE.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
