[Album Review] You Had Me At Hello (3rd Mini Album) – ZEROBASEONE

1 month ago 17

ZEROBASEONE is next in the lineup of reviews I have ready for posting while I am on a little break before the end of rush preparations and rush kicks for me. Their third mini-album, You Had Me At Hello, was released in May of this year. Led by the pre-release single SWEAT and the title track Feel The POP, the mini-album features seven songs (including a sped-up version of the title track). Overall, it was a fair mini-album.

Since this particular comeback, the group has released their first original Japanese single, YURA YURA (which I will review in the future), and dropped their fourth Korean mini-album, Cinema Paradise (which features the title track GOOD SO BAD).

1. Solar Power – The cool introduction to Solar Power felt like the album was being powered up. It brings quite an edgy energy to the song every time that intro sequence recurs in Solar Power. I quite liked the use of the deeper voices in this track, particularly in this recurring sequence, as well as the hefty beat and the trap elements in the instrumentation. Altogether, we get a cool hip-hop dance track out of Solar Power. I just think the song needed a more vibrant hook. (8/10)

2. Feel The POP (Title Track) – The track has grown on me slightly since I reviewed it. As such, I will be bumping up the song rating for Feel The POP to a 7/10. Click here for my original thoughts on Feel The POP. (7/10)

3. Dear ECLIPSE – Dear ECLIPSE takes us into R&B territory. Great vocals from the members, who fit in well with the R&B genre. The synths used in the instrumental felt quite dreamy, which I put down to how the rounded beat had a bit of a rebounding effect, which helped smooth out the background of Dear ECLIPSE. But while good, the song could have used a rap sequence. This would help cut through the smoothness and dreamy vibes that Dear ECLIPSE exudes, which tends to feel overly consistent. (8/10)

4. SWEAT (Pre-Release Track) – Click here for the full review for SWEAT. (8/10)

5. Sunday Ride – We turn to an upbeat mid-tempo pop track in Sunday Ride. It has a fun vibe to it. The vibrant energy I feel radiating off Sunday Ride makes me smile. It truly felt like a song you have playing while on a car trip with your friends. The feel-good vocals, the rapping that gives Sunday Ride some oomph and the all-member “Baby Baby” in the chorus were all my favourite parts of the song. (9/10)

6. Hello – The last original song on You Had Me At Hello is Hello, an acoustic guitar ballad. The song itself includes the title of the mini-album in its lyrics. The vocals work was nice, and you could feel the emotions for the fans the members put into Hello. I like the ending, where the powerful vocals suddenly take over before softening to close the song. It is that extra push from the members to make sure their passion (on top of all that emotion already mentioned) is captured in the song. (8/10)