In Bloom (Zerobaseone song)

"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.

Background and release
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.

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. The second music video teaser for "In Bloom" was released on July 9. On July 10, Zerobaseone released the song alongside the music video and the EP's release.

Composition
"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. 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. The song is composed in the key of F-sharp major with a tempo of 82 beats per minute.

Music video
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. The music video received 6.1 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release.

Critical reception
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. 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.