One team has split into two! While one group continues under their original name, the other is starting fresh with a brand new identity. We are talking about boy groups ZEROBASEONE and AND2BLE, both of whom are gearing up to release albums and begin promotions this month.
First up is ZEROBASEONE, who will maintain the original team’s identity and brand power. Out of the original nine members, five members—Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook—have signed new contracts with WakeOne, a management company under CJ ENM, to stay with the team.
They are set to release their 6th mini album, ‘Ascend-‘, on the 18th. This release is drawing significant attention as it is their first album since reorganizing into a 5-member lineup.
‘Ascend-‘ is themed around the start of a new journey and features a total of seven tracks, including the title song ‘TOP 5’. The members are determined to showcase the team’s expanded musical spectrum by organically weaving together various genres.
Meanwhile, Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin returned to their original agency, YH Entertainment, after their project activities ended to form a new group called AND2BLE. With the addition of Yoo Seung-eon, a former ‘Boys Planet’ participant, AND2BLE has also become a 5-member group, mirroring ZEROBASEONE.
AND2BLE will release their debut mini album, ‘Sequence 01: Curiosity’, on the 26th. YH Entertainment explained, “This album opens the prologue to the journey AND2BLE will unfold,” adding that “curiosity,” the most instinctive emotion humans face, served as the main keyword.
Since both groups hail from the same survival program and share a common history, the showdown between ZEROBASEONE and AND2BLE is expected to generate a lot of buzz. Given that ZEROBASEONE is a top-tier team whose six albums since debut have all surpassed 1 million copies in sales, the industry is keeping a close eye on the results of their first activities after the split.
A representative from a music promotion agency predicted, “Since this is their first head-to-head battle, there is a high possibility of a clash of pride between the agencies and fandoms. Competition over initial album sales, music chart rankings, and concert scales is expected to be intense.”
