Apart from finally seeing their idols perform live on stage, fans also wondered whether these K-pop artists would cover a song by a local artist, regardless of language. Earlier this year, K-pop soloist Paul Kim performed a rendition of Anuar Zain’s “Sedetik Lebih” at the 2025 ROUND Festival in Malaysia, and prior to that, BIGBANG’s Taeyang covered “Antara Anyer dan Jakarta” by the legendary Dato’ Sheila Majid.
Joining the list of Korean stars who have covered songs by Malaysian artists is ZEROBASEONE (제로베이스원), who performed their rendition of Ismail Izzani’s 2018 hit “Luar Biasa”. Check it out below:
Over the weekend, K-pop idol group ZEROBASEONE brought their “HERE & NOW” tour to Malaysia, performing at the Idea Live Arena in Kuala Lumpur. One of the show’s highlights came during the encore, when the boys surprised fans with a cover of Ismail Izzani’s hit “Luar Biasa”. The moment the members began singing in Malay, the venue erupted in cheers.
In videos posted across various social media platforms, fans can be heard singing along to every word with ZEROBASEONE, especially during the chorus. It’s hardly surprising, considering the single was the one that catapulted the local artist to stardom back in 2018. The moment, as expected, instantly went viral with fans praising the idols for their amazing pronunciation of the Malay lyrics.
Some even commented on how local they sounded while singing the song, joking that they suspected the members of ZEROBASEONE might secretly be Malaysian. Others are hoping that more K-pop idols will cover songs by Malaysian artists whenever they hold concerts here. If you’re wondering whether Ismail Izzani is aware of the cover, it’s hard to miss. The singer commented on one of the viral videos with “Love”, showing his appreciation for the group’s choice to perform his song.
In other news, ZEROBASEONE kept their word and held a physical fansigning event on the day of their concert. HAN YUJIN (한유진), KIM GYUVIN (김규빈), MATTHEW (석매튜) and TAERAE (김태래) were seen wearing baju Melayu gifted by fans during the event, and images and videos of them in the traditional attire have since gone viral.
Watch ZB1’s viral moments in Malaysia below:
@gvukyra they sound so fluent! #zerobaseone #zb1 #kpopfyp
@tthewday upin ipin comelnyaa 😭🤲 #seokmatthew #kimtaerae #zerobaseone #zb1inkl
Sources: TikTok (1)(2), Instagram, Twitter (1)(2)
