Gather 'round bitches. It's about 3 weeks or a month or so between two groups with May releases.
Since the last entry on March 17th, fans of ZB1 and potential fans of the new Yuehua boygroup AND2BLE (yes, the dumb spelling got confirmed but whatever), were anxious about when the jebes' next release was going to be and how many potential new members would be interacting with former jebes respectively.
On April 3rd, Soompi was among the first to report that AND2BLE would premiere as a 5-piece group with Yoo Seungeon as the 5th and final member. https://www.soompi.com/article/1829999wpp/zhang-hao-ricky-kim-gyu-vin-and-han-yu-jin-confirmed-to-debut-in-5-member-group-and2ble-with-yoo-seung-eon
Seungeon was seen as a welcome addition to the unofficial but still kind of canon ZB1 multiverse, given his Boys Planet history (Yuehua K-Group with Gyuvin and Yujin, but basically buddy-buddy with every future jebe.) Plus, it presented another group with five singers. Their debut was set for May 26th, once their IG was actually active (potentially tempting fate when their social media began going live on April 1st or APRIL FOOLS DAY.)
Then on April 24th, the concept teaser for their release was published.
As of today the 26th of April, we now know their debut EP set for a May 26th release day is called Sequence 01: Curiosity. Although from the initial photoset used to promote them, you'd never know this group was gonna go in an almost psychological horror aesthetic playing off the five senses (or whatever the ear is gonna mean.)
The above photo and concept doesn't tell me shit about their debut except that at one point, "hey what if a KPOP boy group looked like architects or civil engineers that shopped exclusively at the Express Men located in a shopping mall?" was greenlit. As for the general followup photos or looks from a concept, it's better.
The look pretty much says, "what if Hao picked out everyone's outfit and said in an on the clock KPOP boygroup manner, 'serve cunt in a god honoring way'?" Mentioning Hao specifically here because he was confirmed as the leader of AND2BLE in a prologue group launch published on the official YouTube channel. Yes, Haobin is now leading two groups between them, power couple shit on lock hunnies. And if you don't believe me, look up the t of Hanbin leaving an NCT concert for a date night with his Haohao. #LoveWins
Speaking of #LoveWins, ZB1 would begin April making thirsty fans rise from the dead with concept photos on EASTER SUNDAY April 5th. A release on Easter that has gays and gherls screaming, Lady Gaga's impact, truly.
So here's the best way to describe the concept photos and rebrand: if chic male fashionistas went the route of KPOP. This much proved to be intentional when the shots used for the rebrand were photographed by Cho Gi-seok, whose clients include Vogue Korea, Gucci, Prada, and Nike. Personally, I looked at this aesthetic and went right to Diesel brand fragrances (just based on the intensity and severity.)
Two notable standouts from the profile/rebranding pics, Jiwoong and Gunwook (!), give hint to a possible "sexier" direction for the release:
Gunwook being shirtless and from the back does not surprise us given he pulled this shit at the 2025 MAMA Awards. It's still a bit shocking in terms of concept photos or rebranding given anything sexy or "giving off sexy" happens in live settings and not to the 6,000 ft. teddy bear in photos before a release. Speaking of which, speculation on Reddit feared that WK1 would try and "Barbenheimer" a premiere/release week with AND2BLE which thankfully did not happen. We owe that to the label getting common sense...and I'm being reminded from the internet, that it was actually a Twitter leak that had the release date.
The internet got a hold of an apparent Twitter live or social media live, in which ZB1 will be premiering their 6th EP on May 18th. Cut to today, April 26th/27th if in South Korea and the confirmation that May 18th, a week after their KCON Japan appearance, will see the release of their 6th EP Ascend-. The hyphen or dash after "Ascend" is like symbolic of continuing which is cute.
In a move that's actually not that fucking stupid for once kind of smart, the music video for the single releases before the actual mini-album. As to what the EP could entail, at least we have a better match for the teaser/concept trailer thingy via their "A-Film" that released yesterday the 25th.
The visuals do seem to mirror or at least act as an unintentional "wait, why are these two...oh...wait..." moment between the group's concepts. Leave it to stan speculation AND2BLE is about heightened senses and ZB1 is about loss of senses but that's airing up some worn tires, interpretation wise.
Throwback to me guessing the comeback date for ZB1 and getting accurate in this section: At the latest, we're hearing of it by Friday, May 15th. I would not think the group wants to release a comeback right around or on KCON Japan days. Because apparently Monday is perfectly fine for tracking, I wound up being right in that they're not gonna release on the day/s of KCON Japan and that the May 15th date wound up being pretty fuckin' close.
What annoyed me around this time between the impatience of stans was the alleged worry of "streaming giants" and acts releasing in May to avert being ignored in June for some soccer thing. Apparently May 18th was the least obstacle ridden date ZB1 could've gotten. The thing we really didn't want was a stunt move of the 26th, competing directly against AND2BLE. I'm not saying it won't happen eventually, but let's be fuckin' real here, even when some tacky ass G-Dragon song with Anderson Paak was released, "Blue" still won 3 out of 6 music shows for ZB1.
The question remains, what now? There's still a lingering question of material releasing in the States, but for AND2BLE, I wouldn't imagine so. Again, I couldn't name you a Yuehua Entertainment act that has released in a mainstream retailer like Barnes & Noble. For ZB1, I would be pleasantly surprised if they continued to but will not be surprised if they do not release material in the States this time. Mainly because there's no way of telling if Wakeone's deal with Virgin Music Group (Universal owned) is still in tact or renewed.
Either way, I will review Ascend- and Sequence 01: Curiosity when they're released. From there, if I like the albums, I'll buy a version of each if in Barnes & Noble or try to see if the KPOP shops in my neck of the woods have them. Stay tuned for more.
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