ZELO

ZELO, born Choi Jun-hong, debuted as the youngest member of B.A.P in 2012 and released his most recent single, "ELA," in July 2026 under his new label VLACKSQUAD. Between those two points sits a gap of just over two years – time he spent, by his own account, rethinking how he wanted to work rather than chasing a fast comeback.

What arrived instead of a cautious re-entry was "Cola Comigo" in March 2026, a Latin pop single that pulled his sound into territory he had never worked in before. "ELA" followed the same instinct, and he tested it live at Waterbomb Seoul days ahead of release, playing to a festival crowd that, by his own admission, mostly didn't know who he was yet.

That willingness to put unfinished work in front of an audience runs through everything ZELO is building right now. At Waterbomb, he stood B.A.P tracks next to his new material on the same stage – not as nostalgia, but as proof that both versions of him can hold the same room. The decision to sign with VLACKSQUAD tells a similar story: less about the terms on the table, more about trusting a CEO he'd crossed paths with once, briefly, as a teenager on tour with B.A.P.

Genre has shifted under him more than once – hip-hop, R&B, techno, now Latin pop – and he's stopped treating that as reinvention. It's simply the shape his instincts keep taking.

"ELA" is out now, and you played it live at Waterbomb before release. What did that first reaction from the crowd tell you about the song?

ZELO At the Waterbomb Festival, most of the audience were people seeing me for the first time. Because of that, I thought a lot about whether performing a stage centered around Latin pop would fit well with the atmosphere of the festival.

Even so, I saw it as an opportunity to introduce myself as an artist for the first time, so I did my best on stage. I was relieved because the response was much better than I had expected. I especially remember that even though it was an early-time performance, many international fans gave such loud cheers.

Seeing that reaction made me confident that “ELA” is a song that can naturally connect with people regardless of language or familiarity. Even though it had not been released yet, watching people enjoy it purely through the energy of the music gave me confidence that this direction was not the wrong one.

Of course, the floor was slippery and it had been a really long time since I had performed in front of an audience that didn’t know me well, so I was very nervous. Personally, there are still things I wish I had done better, but next time I want to show a live performance and stage that I myself can be even more satisfied with.

"Cola Comigo" moved into Latin pop, somewhere you hadn't gone before. What pulled you toward that sound?

Having received a lot of love from a young age, I’ve long been thinking about how I could use that influence in a meaningful way through music. As I thought about that, I often felt that I wanted to naturally introduce the free energy and charm of Latin pop to people in Korea as well.

I’ve always enjoyed listening to many different genres of music, but what especially appealed to me about Latin music was its energy and free-spirited atmosphere that naturally makes people move. And rather than feeling like a new challenge, that sound felt to me like the kind of music that could most naturally express who I am now, including a slightly rougher and more honest side of my charm.

These days, as K-culture is receiving a lot of love around the world, it seems that more and more artists in Korea are gradually trying Latin pop as well. Seeing that trend has been very exciting for me and I also wanted to show my own color within it.

You debuted very young and have grown up in front of an audience. How would you describe who you are now, separate from who you were then?

I don’t think there’s been a major change. My love for music and my affection for being on stage are the same now as they were back then.

If I had to point out one thing that has changed, it would be that I no longer hesitate to express and talk about the things I feel. In the past, I didn’t talk very much and was a bit more careful about expressing my thoughts and emotions. Now, I’m able to speak more clearly about the direction I want to take.

And while music, performing and satisfying others are still important to me, I also think it’s important that I can genuinely enjoy what I do. I tend to hold myself to very strict standards, so I value my satisfaction with the final result above all else. While maintaining those standards, I want to continue showing better music and better performances.

You signed with VLACKSQUAD after your CEO turned out to be a former B.A.P dancer. What made that conversation different from other offers?

To be honest, during B.A.P’s activities, I only met him briefly from time to time. I was really young back then, but because he was someone who toured with us, I remembered him as someone I was grateful for and I didn’t think it would be awkward to meet again after such a long time.

When I heard that he had started a company, I went to see him and have a casual conversation, partly because it had been such a long time since we had last met. But the more we talked, the more I realized what a sincere and serious person he was. Based on all of his experience, he left a distinctly different impression from the other people I had met over the years.

At that meeting, I spoke honestly about the new side of myself that I wanted to show on stage in the future, the ideas and images I still hadn’t been able to show my fans, the R&B songs I had created myself, the sketches and material I continued working on even during my military service, as well as the musical direction I wanted to pursue and even my ideas for music videos.

As we continued meeting several more times, he also showed a great deal of excitement about my new side and my potential and I could genuinely feel his sincerity. More than anything, I felt a great sense of trust and admiration for him as a person and I became convinced that he was someone who could practically help build the things I needed in order to move forward. So in the end, more than the conditions the company could offer, I decided to sign with VLACKSQUAD because I trusted the CEO.

You were away from new music for over two years. What changed in how you wanted to work when you came back?

Rather than trying to achieve results quickly, I started thinking about finding a direction that would allow me to do this music that I love for a long time. And whereas before I would experiment with and try out all kinds of things I liked, I think I’ve now started to focus more on creating a distinct color that people can clearly remember when they think of the artist “ZELO”.

At Waterbomb you performed solo versions of B.A.P tracks alongside your new material. What does it feel like to showcase both eras on the same stage?

It was meaningful to be able to show both the past and the present on one stage. I think it was a stage that both the fans who had been waiting for my old music and the people who had just gotten to know me could enjoy together.

Looking back at your debut as the youngest member of B.A.P, what do you understand about performing now that you didn't then?

In the past, I focused on showing my performance perfectly but now I’ve learned that connecting with the audience is more important. In the end, I think a performance is something that we create together.

Your sound has moved through hip-hop, R&B, techno, and now Latin pop. What ties all of it back to you specifically?

I think genres can continue to change. But my attitude of not being afraid of trying new things, along with the desire to convey my energy through my own performance, has always been the same. I think that is the color that is most like me.

You're heading into fan concerts across Osaka, Taiwan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong this year. What do you want those shows to give fans that a music video can't?

There is something special about creating the same moment together in the same space at a performance. I don’t think the experience of making eye contact with the fans and directly exchanging energy with them can be replaced by any video.

"BANANA" hasn't been released yet but you already played it live. Why put a new song in front of fans before it's finished?

Sometimes, a song gets completed through performing it on stage. By directly feeling the fans’ reactions, I gained the belief that I could develop the song in a better direction and I wanted to share these moments of being in that process with them.

What has surprised you most about building this new chapter of your career?

What surprised me the most was that more people than I expected had continued to wait for me. Thanks to the fans who have continued to support me without changing even as time has passed, I’ve also developed a greater sense of responsibility to repay them with better music.

A year from now, what do you want people to understand about ZELO that this chapter is only just starting to show?

I want to hear people say, “ZELO is an artist who continues to evolve”. I would like to be remembered as an artist who is not confined to a particular genre and who always shows new sides of himself through music and performance. And I think this is the beginning of that new chapter.