"In Bloom" is the debut single recorded by South Korean boy group Zerobaseone for their debut extended play (EP) Youth in the Shade. It was released as the lead single from the EP by WakeOne on July 10, 2023.
On June 7, 2023, WakeOne confirmed through a title poster that the group would be releasing their debut EP, Youth in the Shade on July 10.[1]
On July 3, 2023, a title song poster revealed "In Bloom" as the title track for Youth in the Shade. On July 6, the first music video teaser for "In Bloom" was released and an audio snippet of the song was also released on TikTok.[2][3] The second music video teaser for "In Bloom" was released on July 9.[4] On July 10, Zerobaseone released the song alongside the music video and the EP's release.[5]
"In Bloom" was written by Seo Young-joon, Danke, Jo Yoon-kyung, Yi Yi-jin, Seo Ji-eum, Rum (MUMW) and Jeon Hye-hyung (MUMW), produced by Imsuho, Niko, MLC, and Gabriel Brandes, and arranged by Imsuho and Niko. It is a drum and bass and synth-pop song that samples the main riff from the 1984 single "Take On Me" from the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha.[2][6] The lyrics describe the members having the courage to take their first meaningful step as a group, while being aware of an inevitable end, as they are determined to run to you.[6] The song is composed in the keyofF-sharp major with a tempo of 82 beats per minute.[7]
The music video showcases the members going on a journey to gather and deliver flowers to the viewers after waking up in a room filled with overgrown plants. The group encounter various obstacles that they must overcome when they are suddenly transported into a video game-esque world, such as having to go through different levels and dealing with error codes along the way, but are successful in delivering the flowers as they are shown in a room filled with flowers at the end of the video.[2] The music video received 6.1 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release.[citation needed]
Business Insider ranked it number 8 in their list of the best K-pop songs of 2023 while Dazed placed it at 22 in their list of Top 50 best K-pop tracks of 2023.[8][9] The song was also included in the Billboard list of 25 best K-pop songs of 2023, praising the choice to sample the main riff from "Take On Me" and its resulting success in delivering something familiar and, at the same time, a message for the fans.[10]
^Moon Wan-sik. 제로베이스원, 7월10일 데뷔 확정..데뷔 앨범 'YOUTH IN THE SHADE' 발매 [Zerobaseone confirmed to debut on July 10th..Released debut album 'YOUTH IN THE SHADE']. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Naver.
^"목표는 신인상·음방1위"...'데뷔' 제로베이스원의 자신감 (종합)[현장의 재구성] ["The goal is to win the Rookie of the Year award and the first music show"... Confidence of 'debut' Zero Base One (comprehensive) [Reconstruction of the scene]]. Korea Daily (in Korean). July 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
^제로베이스원 데뷔곡 'In Bloom', 美 빌보드 선정 '2023년 최고의 K-POP 노래' [Zerobaseone debut song 'In Bloom' selected by the US Billboard as 'Best K-POP Song of 2023']. Star News (in Korean). December 30, 2023. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
^Lee, Da-gyeom (January 10, 2024). NCT 드림, '2023 써클차트' 디지털 앨범상...올해의 가수상은20팀(종합) [NCT Dream won the '2023 Circle Chart' Digital Album Award... Singer of the Year Award goes to 20 teams (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). Maeil Gyeongje. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Naver.
^"SHOW CHAMPION 484회 TOP5" [SHOW CHAMPION Episode 484 TOP 5]. MBC Plus (in Korean). July 19, 2023. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^Choi Kyu-seok (July 18, 2023). 1위 앵콜 무대 선보이는 제로베이스원(ZB1) (더쇼) [HD포토] [Zero Base One (ZB1) showcasing the No. 1 encore stage (The Show) [HD Photo]]. Top Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
^Jang, In-young (July 25, 2023). "제로베이스원, '더쇼' 두 번째1위...장하오 생일까지 '겹경사' (더쇼)[종합]" [Zero Base One, second 1st place on 'The Show'... 'Double congratulations' until Zhang Hao's birthday]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
