[OSENWORLD] ZEROBASEONE has broken their own Billboard record.
According to Billboard’s latest chart (dated Sept. 20), released on Sept. 16 (local time), the group’s first full-length album Never Say Never debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 — five spots higher than their previous best of No. 28 with their fifth mini album Blue Paradise. With this leap, ZEROBASEONE now holds the highest Billboard 200 placement among 5th-generation K-pop groups, proving their status as a “global top-tier” act.
The record doesn’t stop there. Never Say Never landed across seven Billboard charts: No. 1 on Emerging Artists, No. 2 on World Albums, No. 3 on Independent Albums, No. 5 on both Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales, and No. 19 on the Artist 100. The strong U.S. performance cements the group’s explosive momentum in one of the world’s most competitive music markets.
Global album sales and chart performance mirror the Billboard success. In its first week, the album sold more than 1.51 million copies, securing ZEROBASEONE’s streak as a “six-time million seller.” The release also charted No. 2 on both Oricon’s Weekly Album and Weekly Combined Album Charts in Japan, topped LINE MUSIC’s Daily Album Top 100, and claimed No. 1 on China’s QQ Music Daily Digital Sales Chart.
The lead single ICONIK has been equally unstoppable on stage. The track swept first place on six consecutive Korean music shows, marking ZEROBASEONE’s first-ever “grand slam” and underscoring the aptly named song’s rise.
Beyond the numbers, Never Say Never carries a message of resilience: a bold reminder that “nothing is impossible” if one refuses to give up, even in the ordinary moments of life. ZEROBASEONE’s steady stream of broken records underscores their rise as a defining force in K-pop’s new generation.
Up next, ZEROBASEONE will open their 2025 world tour HERE&NOW with three sold-out nights at Seoul’s KSPO Dome from Oct. 3–5. Tickets sold out instantly in fan club presales, prompting the group to open additional restricted-view seats — yet another sign of their overwhelming demand.
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of WakeOne
