K-Pop Stars ZEROBASEONE Brought ‘SexyBack’ To 2026 KCON LA

ZEROBASEONE 2026 KCON LA DAY 2

CJ ENM

ZEROBASEONE (ZB1) has go a fixture wrong the KCON scene, performing 9 times astatine the celebrated Korean civilization normal (one successful Hong Kong, 4 successful Japan, and 4 successful Los Angeles, including past night astatine the Crypto.com Arena).

This was the first twelvemonth that the now-five-member group – Hanbin, Jiwoong, Matthew, Taerae, and Gunwook – headlined KCON’s M Countdown performance some astatine KCON Japan (back successful May) and Night 2 of the LA performance past night. The group was fixed an hour-long set, which they filled pinch celebrated songs for illustration “Doctor! Doctor” and “SLAM DUNK,” on pinch tracks from their latest album, Ascend, including “Top 5,” “V for Vision,” and “Zero to Hundred.” Jiwoong performed his solo song, “CLOSER.”

Before the show, the group did immoderate property to hole for their showcase, perpetually dropping hints astir their plans. As now veterans of KCON, the members softly gasped astatine the thought they’re nary longer the rookies of the celebrated convention, recalling their acquisition performing astatine KCON Japan successful May 2023 moreover earlier their debut successful July of that year.

“Before our debut, we were capable to execute connected stage, which was a meaningful commencement for us,” Hanbin says done an expert the time earlier their M Countdown performance. “Being capable to showcase our different sides arsenic a group is honestly a very charismatic constituent for america performing astatine KCON.”

Hanbin wasn’t kidding regarding the group showcasing different sides to themselves. The members (both existent and former) person had opportunities to MC the shows, execute solo sets, create units, and collaborate pinch different artists. Hanbin has been a regular MC astatine KCON LA, Japan, and Hong Kong since 2024, making history arsenic the first personification to big each 3 days of 2025 KCON Japan’s festival. At this year’s KCON Japan, ZB1’s Gunwook and Matthew performed aespa’s “Dirty Work” pinch JO1’s Junki and Ren. Taerae collaborated pinch Kim Jaehwan to execute CNBLUE’s “I’m Sorry.”

On Friday nighttime for Night 1 of M Countdown, Gunwook teamed up pinch TREASURE’s Junghwan and KICKFLIP’s Kyehoon to shape their KCON unit, “Oisobagi” (named aft the celebrated Korean stuffed cucumber kimchi broadside dish). The trio performed K-rapper Crush’s “Rush Hour (featuring j-hope of BTS).”

“This group [TREASURE, KICKFLIP, and ZEROBASEONE] is ace caller because we’re [like] cucumbers,” Gunwook explains. “Each personnel [in this trio] is really the ace of each group. We’re professionals. Each of our group colors and identities tin beryllium beautiful different, but we harmonize really good and travel together.”

The members person collaborated pinch different artists for KCON, but person expressed liking successful doing moreover much successful the future. Matthew says the group has ne'er done a team-up pinch different afloat group, and would for illustration to effort that.

“I’d want to effort to [work with] &TEAM,” Matthew shares. “Let’s operation it up pinch P1Harmony! Yeah, those three.”

When pressed for what sanction he’d springiness the trio group unit, he is taken aback for a moment, wondering what sanction would fresh the 3 K-powerhouses. He exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. Oh man, we’re truthful wack!”

He past realizes that’s the cleanable name, laughing, “We’d telephone ourselves ‘The Wack!’ Roll pinch that!”

As the main vocalist for ZB1, Taerae dreams of doing much vocal collaborations pinch the different main and lead singers of different groups – perchance much ballads. He says, “I personally don’t deliberation I’ve seen a batch of vocal stages [that have] collaborations among different groups. [We] tin do a bully opus together.”

Jiwoong expressed liking successful moving pinch Hanbin for a portion set. He couldn’t travel up pinch a portion name, but shared that together, they would “really eat that shape up.”

Despite ZB1’s progressive information successful aggregate KCONs, they explained that each shape “feels new” to them, and they’re fresh to beryllium themselves connected each shape constantly. Gunwook elaborates, “Obviously, KCON is simply a large stage. So whether I’m unsocial aliases performing successful different units and groups, [it] feels caller to america and is simply a awesome opportunity to beryllium ourselves – and it’s a large accomplishment for us. We’re capable to turn each clip we're connected those different stages. It gives america the assurance that we tin really do thing for immoderate different stages.”

Hanbin recalls proposal he received arsenic a rookie performing astatine KCON that stayed pinch him: “Be cautious astir becoming excessively acquainted pinch either stages aliases performances.”

“So, successful different words, that intends to really dainty each shape pinch a batch of worth and meaning,” he simplifies it. “Considering [the stages] arsenic a caller opportunity each clip is thing that we ever had successful mind, and it’s really meaningful for america to execute again here.”

Now 3 years successful – and considered the seniors to the rookie groups, ZB1 has immoderate proposal for them. Matthew recalls being tense for his very first KCON because it was the biggest shape that they’d done astatine that time. He advises, “Don’t beryllium nervous. Enjoy it. KCON is erstwhile a twelvemonth (sometimes twice). It’s specified a typical arena wherever you get to meet a bunch of different artists excessively and spot their stages. You tin spot [how they execute connected stage] and person tons of chances to learn. Take your chance to study what you tin and bask arsenic overmuch arsenic you can.”

The group now takes KCON arsenic an opportunity for them to person nosy and do much covers – because the fans really for illustration them. They’ve antecedently done covers of Wanna One’s “Energetic,” Red Velvet’s Psycho, BLACKPINK’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” KAI’s “Rover,” and SHINee’s “Sherlock (Clue + Note),” to sanction a few. This year, the group performed 2 covers – Taerae sang IU’s “Love Wins All,” while Hanbin, Matthew, and Gunwook performed Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack.”

“Whenever we do a cover, [fans] person specified precocious expectations now,” says Matthew. “There’s 5 of america now, [so] we gotta capable up the hour. So we person a batch of covers prepared. They’re very special. One of them isn’t K-pop, truthful it’s gonna beryllium very interesting, and we cannot hold for their reactions.”

ZB1 besides did a unrecorded debut of their caller song, “Exotic,” unveiling their aggravated (and sexy) creation routine. Matthew says the choreography “slays,” and that fans are gonna beryllium “bamboozled.” He laughs, “I don’t moreover cognize really to opportunity it. I can’t hold for them to spot it. [They’re] gonna person a batch of fun.”

It’s adjacent to opportunity the group has done a batch complete the past 3 years since their debut, and went done changes earlier this year, going from 9 members to five. Despite these adjustments successful the group dynamics, ZB1 are fresh to look up and support pushing guardant arsenic a quintet.

“Ascend was released successful May,” Gunwook comments. “I deliberation that our medium and promotions pinch that 1 showcased our group’s chemistry and really group our teamwork to really specify america arsenic ZEROBASEONE correct now. I want to support pushing guardant and challenging ourselves pinch caller attempts wherever we tin make much cool and blase music.”

Hanbin, ZEROBASEONE’s leader, acknowledges that their erstwhile “refreshing concepts” suited them well, but the group still has overmuch much to effort successful the future. He says confidently, “Going forward, we tin really situation ourselves and find retired our charm and what suits america champion successful this adjacent era pinch our fans. That would beryllium a goal.”