Never Say Never is the first studio album by South Korean boy band Zerobaseone. It was released on September 1, 2025, by WakeOne and supported by the singles "Slam Dunk", which was released on July 23, and "Iconik", which was released along with the rest of the album.

Background and release On July 20, 2025, WakeOne Entertainment announced that Zerobaseone would release their first full-length studio album, titled Never Say Never, on September 1. The album follows the group's February 2025 EP, Blue Paradise, and was described by the agency as a "highlight" of the group's journey with their fans, Zerose. The project was preceded by the single "Slam Dunk," which was released on July 23.

On August 12, the group released the tracklist of the album via their official social media channels. It features a total of 10 tracks, including the lead single "Iconik". The music video teasers for Iconik was released on August 28 and 31, respectively.

Composition Never Say Never features ten tracks that span genres including EDM, hip hop, and pop. The album's central theme focuses on the message that "nothing is impossible", offering encouragement and courage to those pursuing dreams within the constraints of reality. The title track, "Iconik", serves as a representation of the group's journey as artists and conveys a message of self-confidence and the ambition to shine regardless of external evaluation. The track "Slam Dunk" is an EDM and hip hop song designed to evoke the energy of a basketball game, while "Lovesick Game" describes the complexities of a romantic relationship. "Goosebumps" is characterized by an addictive chorus centered on the sensation of being in love, and "Dumb" is an upbeat, hip hop-based pop song with a playful melody. The album also incorporates specialized recordings and unit performances. It includes a Korean-language version of "Now or Never", originally the title track from the group's first Japanese EP, Prezent. The record features two distinct unit songs: "Extra", a high-energy hip-hop dance track featuring members Sung Han-bin, Seok Matthew, Kim Gyu-vin, Park Gun-wook, and Han Yu-jin, and "Long Way Back", a ballad-leaning track performed by Kim Ji-woong, Zhang Hao, Kim Tae-rae, and Ricky that depicts the longing to close the distance in a fading relationship. The album concludes with "Star Eyes", an EDM pop track depicting the group's narrative, and "I Know U Know", a dedicated fan song for their fandom, Zerose. Production for the album involved a wide range of domestic and international producers, with noted songwriter Kenzie contributing to the composition of "Extra", "Long Way Back", and "I Know U Know".

Commercial performance Upon its release, Never Say Never debuted at number one on the Hanteo Daily Album Chart, selling 1.1 million copies and recording 1.21 million points on the physical record index, becoming the band's sixth consecutive million-selling album. By the end of its first week of availability (September 1–7), the album reached number one on the Hanteo Weekly Physical Album Chart with 1.51 million copies sold, totaling 1.69 million points.

On the Circle Album Chart, the album ranked number one with a total sales of 1,459,415 copies. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognized Never Say Never as the global seventh best-selling album in the Top 20 IFPI Global Album Sales Chart 2025.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts + Chart (2025) Peakposition Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon) 2 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 7 South Korean Albums (Circle) 1

Monthly charts + Chart (2025) Position Japanese Albums (Oricon) 3 South Korean Albums (Circle) 1

Yearly charts + Chart (2025) Position Japanese albums (Oricon) 45 South Korean Albums (Circle) 6

Certifications

Release history + Region Date Format(s) Label Various September 1, 2026 WakeOne South Korea CD United States September 5, 2026

Notes

References