When Seok Matthew and Kim Tae Rae of South Korean hitmakers Zerobaseone covered “Die with a Smile”, it was a real revelation. Although they have performed together in the nine-piece boy band for years, fans were blown away hearing their incredible harmonies on the cover of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ hit. The band’s main vocalist Tae Rae kicked off the song with a delicate low-register vocal on Bruno Mars’ parts that was so calming to listen to.
Next, Matthew got to shine in the second verse, which fans were loving, because with his role of vocalist and dancer, he doesn’t get a huge amount of big vocal features within Zerobaseone. Next came the moment everyone was waiting for, when the boys began harmonizing at 1:38, and the rest of the song was all dual vocal bliss. It probably won’t surprise The Music Man readers to hear that the final third of the song was the most replayed part of the video by a long shot.
Zerobaseone released the “Die with a Smile” cover on October 11, 2024, and it has since gained 2.2 million views. Listeners gave big props, adding comments such as “Matthew and Tae Rae need to sing in harmony more. Their voices work together so well, I have no words” and “Tae Rae is the definition of a unique and powerful voice. Matthew’s voice really touched my heart.”
It’s rare to hear a Matthew and Tae Rae duo performance, but Zerobaseone have plenty of other killer group performances. The nine-piece appeared on the South Korean channel It’s Live to perform “In Bloom,” and the boys were dropping gorgeous vocal runs left, right, and center. The Music Man is a big fan of It’s Live, as the show features a killer playing in a live studio format from some of South Korea’s top musicians, and a focus on getting the best live vocal performances from the headlining bands.
Zerobaseone is a major sensation in South Korea and Japan, but the group hasn’t broken in a major way in the rest of the world so far. After the band formed on the reality television show Boys Planet, their 2023 debut EP Youth in the Shade was an instant success, clocking up a record 1.08 million pre-orders in their homeland and eventually selling 2.2 million units worldwide. Since then, Zerobaseone have topped the charts in South Korea and Japan multiple times with their five EP releases. The group has also fostered a fanbase in Europe, as they have charted multiple times in Belgium, Hungary, and Sweden.