[Album Review] MELTING POINT (2nd Mini-Album) – ZEROBASEONE

The best selling and very popular rookie of 2023, ZEROBASEONE, made their first comeback in November 2023 with the mini-album MELTING POINT. This mini-album features the title track CRUSH and four additional side tracks (one of which shares the same name with the mini-album). After the success of Youth In The Shade, and the fact that they are (once again) breaking records with this album release, I just had to check out MELTING POINT in an album review post. And my thoughts on the overall album is simple – while the mini-album isn’t as strong as their debut one due to the title track, all of the side tracks on this album are quite good to check out.

1. Melting Point – Click here for the review for Melting Point. (8/10)

2. Take My Hand – Drum and bass dominates the instrumentation and song of Take My Hand. It might be much for some, but I thought it was a really good way of pushing the song along. The members provide very crisp, clear and loud vocals to ensure they come off as striking and are heard over the dominant instrumentation. I feel like that there is some emotional weight to the vocals, which was also interesting addition to a dance/electronic track. Maybe better blending of the background and vocals would have helped make Take My Hand feel a little more cohesive, but it is still a good song. (8.5/10)

3. CRUSH (가시) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for CRUSH. (6/10)

4. Kidz Zone – This pop rock song is amazing and was an instant favourite of mine. Kidz Zone is about wanting to be like kids forever, and so it features a very carefree vibe that you expect kids to have. But it is also nostalgic as it brought up some happy memories of childhood for me. Right from the get-go, I was impressed with ZEROBASEONE’s vocals in this. I personally thought the higher register gave the vocals a lot of character to match up with the carefree tone of Kidz Zone. The use of the choir in the chorus adds an extra layer of energy and brightness to the song that makes it very hard to put down. A definite gem on this mini-album. (10/10)

5. Good Night – The fifth and final song on this mini-album is a ballad, which should come as no surprise. But this is no typical ballad. Good Night has a very beautiful instrumentation. There is some complexity to it, thanks to the mix of synths and acoustic elements. I particularly like the twinkling effect that the piano gave Good Night, which gives off a dreamy effect in the midst of everything else. The vocals from the members are really nice as well, and the swaying melodies is very much there is Good Night. (8/10)