ZEROBASEONE’s post-2025 future remains undecided, but they’re finally set to give us a full album on September 1st. Weeks before that, they’re back with pre-release Slam Dunk — an uncharacteristically hip-hop dance track.
In K-pop, there’s often this urge to throw many different concepts and styles at a group rather than let them settle into the one sound that fans love the most. I certainly don’t flock to ZEROBASEONE for hip-hop, but like the mission songs on Boys Planet or Produce 101, agencies like to dress their acts in all sorts of guises. In this case, they’re playing basketball players a la the popular anime Slam Dunk. I love this idea, but I’d love it more if it came packaged with a song as awesome as that show’s Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai. Instead, we have a very shouty, very chant-heavy track that sounds way too much like way too many other boy groups.
There’s this specific tone that’s forged when a bunch of K-pop boys’ vocals are fashioned together into a shout-chant. With few exceptions, it’s remarkably cut-and-paste for pretty much every group. It’s a bit shrill and quite grating and I wish it would fade from popularity. Sadly, this sound overtakes Slam Dunk‘s chorus and much of the track. There are moments of more melodic funk during the verses but they don’t amount to much. The pre-choruses are definitely the song’s strongest element. Otherwise, if you enjoy the sound of idols screaming at you Slam Dunk will scratch that itch. Personally, it’s not at all what I covet about ZEROBASEONE’s music and does the members no favors.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
