Since their debut, ZEROBASEONE has been one of the most formidable groups in K-Pop. ZB1, or the jebes, came from one of the most beloved and highly watched Mnet survival shows ever, so, from the very start, ZB1 had a huge fandom and a lot of expectations to live up to. Throughout their journey, they’ve met those expectations, and then some! ZEROBASEONE’s achievements as one of the pioneering acts in 5th Gen K-Pop are endless, but here are ten of the most impressive.
ZEROBASEONE’s Formation
Who could forget how it all started for ZB1? The first achievement we have to mention is how these nine Boys Planet trainees reached the top ranks and debuted as as members of ZEROBASEONE! Every challenge and every episode was an achievement in itself for these guys, and from ‘Here I Am’ to ‘Not Alone,’ they are absolutely worth celebrating.
ZEROBASEONE’s Debut
Of course, with the formation of ZB1, there’s a very obvious next milestone: their debut! ‘In Bloom’ is easily one of the best debut title tracks ever, and it was the perfect way to start ZEROBASEONE’s career! The craziest achievement is that ZEROBASEONE’s debut EP, Youth In The Shade, was the first K-Pop debut to sell over a million copies on the very first day.
ZEROBASEONE’s First Music Show Win
As if the success of their debut era wasn’t impressive enough already, it was also the era when ZB1 reached another milestone: their first music show win! ‘In Bloom‘ got the trophy on The Show just eight days after their debut, making them one of the fastest groups to nab a win, too.
ZEROBASEONE’s Rookie Grand Slam
When we say that ZEROBASEONE’s career got off to a phenomenal start, we mean it. In late 2023-early 2024, ZB1 became the seventh (and first 5th Gen) group to complete the rookie grand slam, taking home awards at all five major Korean ceremonies: the MAMAs, MMAs, GDAs, SMAs, and CCMAs (at least. ZB1 actually won 10 rookie awards). They join the likes of SHINee, TXT, and aespa, who achieved the same feat in their debut year. Elite-tier stuff!
ZEROBASEONE’s First MCountdown Win
Yeah, maybe ZEROBASEONE’s first win on MCountdown might not seem as big an achievement when they’d already won some music shows and end-of-year awards, but it was extra important for one particular reason: Sung Hanbin. At the time, Hanbin was MCountdown‘s MC, along with BOYNEXTDOOR’s Jaehyun and Riize’s Sohee, so getting to hand the trophy to his own group must have been extra special.
ZEROBASEONE’s First INKIGAYO Win
From the leader to the (former) maknae! Just like Hanbin, Yujin was an MC during the ‘GOOD SO BAD’ era, but on INKIGAYO. The group also scored their first win on that show whilst Yujin was hosting, making for an extra cute encore stage. Fair warning: do not watch their other INKIGAYO encore from the ‘ICONIK’ era, when they won their very last OT9 music show trophy on the same day as Yujin’s last MC broadcast. You’ll never stop crying.
ZEROBASEONE’s First Tour
Just over a year after their debut, ZB1 embarked on their first tour, TIMELESS WORLD. Spanning across Asia, the tour kicked off with three sold-out dates at Seoul’s KSPO Dome, which is seen as a major benchmark of success for K-Pop artists. We’ll forever be jealous of all the ZEROSE who got to see the OT9 Boys Planet performances!
ZEROBASEONE’s First Daesang
Yep, you read that right; ZEROBASEONE have already taken home a Daesang. They won the Grand Honour’s Choice at the 2024 KGMAs, making them the first 5th Gen act to be awarded a Daesang! The jebes also won Best Artist and gave ZEROSE an incredible performance, including one of our fave b-sides, ‘Insomnia!’
ZEROBASEONE Are Million Sellers (…Again!)
Remember earlier in this list when we said that ZB1 were the fastest group to sell a million copies of their debut? Well, that was quite literally just the start. To date (not including Japanese releases), ZEROBASEONE have released five mini-albums and one full-length album. And guess what? Each and every one of them was a million-seller within 24 hours! ZEROBASEONE is the first-ever K-pop group to sell over a million copies consecutively from debut!
ZEROBASEONE Are Here To Stay!
Listen, we know that this ZEROBASEONE achievement feels a little (or a lot) bittersweet, but stick with us. We, just like all ZEROSE, have very complicated feelings about this situation, but there’s one thing we will absolutely always celebrate: ZEROBASEONE becoming an official group! After their project group contracts, five members were able to continue and sign permanent contracts as ZB1. Of course, we were gutted (and likely always will be) that not all nine could stay, but five members, from five different companies, being able to continue on this journey is a beautiful thing!
So, that was ten of ZEROBASEONE’s most impressive achievements so far! Which moment was your fave? And, maybe more importantly, what milestones are you excited to see them reach in the future? Let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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