Today, we celebrate the 20th birthday of Zerobaseone Ricky, and here’s a list of things we love about our Charisma Boss Baby!
May 20, 2024 is no ordinary Monday for fans of Zerobaseone (ZB1), as it is a day to celebrate the 20th birthday of Ricky. Get your strawberry-flavored drinks ready; we’re going through a list of things about Ricky that we love!
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1. His Boys Planet PR Video
If you’re in too deep in K-Pop social media, you’ve probably come across the line, “Young and rich, tall and handsome.” This was popularized by then-trainee Ricky during his 1-minute self-promotion video for Boys Planet.
With almost a hundred contestants vying to secure a spot in the survival show’s project group, Ricky’s PR video stood out for having a different gimmick. Instead of wearing costumes or showing other skills, he just presented himself as what he is: young and rich, tall and handsome.
In the video, Ricky shared two things he loves: journaling and eating pizza. Of course, he blessed us with his soothing vocals and a little bit of dance. For what it’s worth, his PR video did its job—catching the audience’s interest.
2. His Iconic Dance Challenges
Ricky may not post many solo videos, but when he does, he makes sure to slay. On top of showcasing his talent, his dedication to his craft is exhibited in these dance challenges.
A prime example is his entry for Enhypen’s “Bite Me”, where he goes all out with the vampire concept.
Ricky’s take on DPR Ian’s “Don’t Go Insane” ironically made everyone lose their minds because of his suave dancing… his caption is just a bonus.
And lastly, as Zerobaseone is a bunch of Shawols, it’s no surprise that Ricky also did SHINee Taemin’s “Guilty.”
3. Ricky, a “role model”
Ricky has a tattoo of role model on the right side of his neck. In his Boys Planet finale speech, he explained that the reason behind his tattoo is because he wants to be a role model to other dreamers in the future.
Given his story behind getting the tattoo, it makes us appreciate Ricky’s efforts in bettering himself as an artist more. This brings us to the next part…
4. His Power and Charisma on Stage
Ricky would not have successfully debuted as a member of Zerobaseone if it weren’t for his talents. Get your tissues ready as we watch through his various performances where his improvements can be seen!
First, let’s watch this 11-minute compilation of his fancams in Boys Planet compiled by MNET, prior to the show’s live finale episode. We have two-star trainee Ricky for the show’s introduction song, “Here I Am”. Next, Ricky takes the killing part for the G-group’s performance of Stray Kids’ “Back Door” during the K vs G Group Battle.
For the Dual Position Battle, Ricky leads the “Rush Hour” team as he once again takes the killing part. And lastly, in a group of excellent performers, Ricky’s stage presence doesn’t fail to shine through in “Over Me” for the Artist Battle.
Ricky continues to show his amazing performances after debut, and as proof, here’s his fancam from when ZB1 covered TVXQ’s “The Way U Are” in Immortal Songs 2.
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5. Ricky, The (Unofficial) Bridge King of ZB1
There is no doubt that Zerobaseone has a solid lineup, and the members’ talents translate excellently into their songs. With the group’s current discography, Ricky singing the bridge of their promotional songs has become a thing.
Bask in Ricky’s soothing vocals and clean dancing by watching his fancams below for “In Bloom”, “Crush”, and “Sweat.”
6. When He Embodies His MBTI
Here’s the thing: before Zerobaseone dedicated two episodes of their ZB1_Folder YouTube content to find out what Ricky’s MBTI is, C.O.O.L. and C.U.T.E. have always been his go-to answers.
It is undeniable that among several things, one of Ricky’s top charms is his duality. And since his visuals are a sight to behold, let’s take a look at his photos where his MBTIs shine through.
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C.O.O.L. Ricky
Get ready to look at these photos where Ricky lives up to the capital COOL with a dash of SEXY.
C.U.T.E. Ricky
He is 183cm tall, but prepare to fight the urge to put him in your pockets as we scroll over Ricky in peak CUTE and SOFT.
Granted, we now know that Ricky’s actual MBTI is INTP. But it still cannot stop our hearts from being captured by his dual MBTI!
7. The 𝓡𝓲𝓬𝓴𝔂 Font
Another signature Ricky thing is a fancy font. Due to his Boys Planet PR Video, and the fact that he usually appears calm, collected, and elegant, fans began to use a special font to write his name: 𝓡𝓲𝓬𝓴𝔂.
What started as an inside joke among his fandom got popular, so much so that official accounts of Zerobaseone has used the font multiple times for titles and captions of contents with things about Ricky. Ask any Zerose, and they’d automatically associate 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓷𝓽 with Ricky.
8. His Love For K-Dramas
Ricky has been open about his love for Korean dramas, among other things. He has shared that he cannot eat a meal without a K-Drama playing in front of him. Not only that, but during his travel to their schedules, he passes the time by watching an episode or two.
In many ZB1 contents, he has parodied current dramas such as My Demon and Queen of Tears. Watch his Gucci Ancora vlog below to see how watching K-dramas is part of his meal routine.
9. LOVELICKY
Lastly, one of Ricky’s nicknames which was originally given to him by company staff, is Lovelicky. The moniker is a combination of his name and the word lovely.
Based on things we know about Ricky so far over the past year: his endless love for strawberries, his habit of always munching on something inside the practice room, his soft-spoken nature… lovelicky is the perfect nickname.
Ricky is loved, and rightfully so, by fans and his co-members alike. Even when he often bickers with Gyuvin. Even when he barges into Jiwoong’s room despite the eldest’s “No Entry” sign on his door. Even when he speaks to Gunwook while he’s in the shower to ask for shampoo. Even when he sings loudly at the dorms in the middle of the night. Even when he dabs in the year 2024, and even when he pulls out his finger guns that he got from his time in LA.
After all, he may appear aloof and intimidating but in reality, despite all the things people outside of the Zerobaseone fandom assume about him, Ricky is just a talented silly baby cat inside.
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Bonus: Quick List of Other Ricky Things
Suffice it to say, there are so many more things to love about Ricky that have not been covered by this list. He may be young, but there are already a lot of things to admire about him. Let’s list them down quickly, shall we?
- His talent for doing his own make-up (Boys Planet and non-official ZB1 schedule)
- His knowledge of the fine and visual arts (from his studies in the US)
- His multilingual skills (Mandarin, English, and Korean)
- His taste in fashion (and how he is unapologetic about it, e.g., the legendary leopard print shirt)
- His naturally funny antics (which always elicit the biggest laughter from his co-members)
We’re already looking forward to discovering more things from 20-year-old Ricky, so this list can expand!
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Shen Quan Rui, popularly known as Ricky, is a singer born on May 20, 2004 in Shanghai, China. He lived in Los Angeles, California, before moving to South Korea to become a trainee.
He rose to fame as a participant in MNET’s 2023 idol survival show, Boys Planet. He was a member of the G-group, representing YueHua Entertainment.
On April 20, 2023, Ricky’s debut was confirmed by winning 4th place in the Boys Planet finale with a total of 1,572,089 votes. He’s currently a vocalist for the group Zerobaseone.
ZB1 recently made a comeback with their third mini album, You Had Me At Hello. Moreover, the group is set to meet their fans all over Asia through The First Tour.
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Images: MNET Plus, ZB1_official (Official X), zb1official (Official Instagram)
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