You had me at HELLO

As a group formed out of a K-pop competition show, ZEROBASEONE signed an initial contract that is much shorter than the standard term. The nine young members were contracted for a two-and-a-half-year run, which means there’s little time to waste. With their third mini album *You had me at HELLO*, ZEROBASEONE wraps up their youth trilogy within only 10 months of their July 2023 debut. “Feel the POP” (released in both standard and sped-up versions) is an upbeat UK-garage bop that encourages listeners to let go of their worries and live in the moment, while pre-release single “SWEAT” pairs a “Brr-rup, ba, ba, ba-dum” hook with an upbeat descending-chord chorus to get people on the dance floor. DAY6’s Young K wrote the lyrics for the sweet ballad “HELLO” (the group’s first official fan song: “It\'s so special between you and me/I wish only for happiness”), while Big Hit producer EL CAPITXN has credits on both high-energy opener “Solar POWER” and feel-good pop track “Sunday RIDE.” The seven-track EP is roughly 20 minutes, and ZEROBASEONE makes use of every minute on the eclectic addition to their young discography. Hypnotic, R&B-infused B-side “Dear ECLIPSE” allows ZB1 a chance to showcase their vocals, using the imagery of an eclipse to sing about a sudden, all-consuming attraction. But, for a dynamic group whose members’ lives changed dramatically with the winning of *Boys Planet*, the metaphor echoes across their EP and young careers.