Song Review: ZEROBASEONE – Good So Bad

As with most survival show spawned groups, ZEROBASEONE’s discography has been a mixed bag. Most songs have grown on me, but none blew me away on first listen. And despite a number of similar b-sides, no title track has yet to recapture the airy effusiveness of their debut. New single Good So Bad manages to break this trend, forging ZEROBASEONE’s signature sound into an instantly effective package.

I consider it a strength when a group’s pre-release teasers heavily highlight a song’s chorus. It’s a sign of confidence, and Good So Bad certainly thrives on its melodic centerpiece. Supported by a celestial bed of synths, this soaring refrain opens the track and only grows bigger from there. I love the structural diversity here, moving quickly from rhythmic phrasing to an elongated note that coasts into the verses. It’s a style of full-throated, multifaceted melody we don’t hear enough of in K-pop these days, and it fits ZEROBASEONE like a glove.

Good So Bad‘s verses largely act as set-up but avoid common pitfalls to craft a brisk, effective onramp for the song’s main attraction. An exciting bridge also serves this purpose, though an extra twenty seconds or so at the end of the track could have given space for a knockout finale. This is a slight missed opportunity, but overall Good So Bad is a definite success and feels like  ZEROBASEONE’s biggest hit yet.

Grade: B+