"CBZ (Prime Time)" () is a song recorded by BSS. It was released on January 8, 2025, as the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

of their second single album, '' Teleparty'', which marked the group's first release in two years after their commercially successful single "

Fighting Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of ...

". "CBZ (Prime Time)" was written by the three members of BSS alongside Seventeen member and producer

Woozi Lee Ji-hoon (; born November 22, 1996), known by his stage name Woozi (), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and record producer. Managed by Pledis Entertainment, he is a member of the South Korean boy band Seventeen, the leader of its vocal ...

and frequent Seventeen collaborator

Bumzu Kye Beom-ju (, born November 8, 1991), better known by the stage name Bumzu (), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bumzu is best known for writing and producing much of the discographies of boy bands NU'EST and Seventee ...

Background and release

In November 2024, it was revealed that BSS were preparing new music. A single album titled ''Teleparty'' was announced on December 27, with the tracklist revealed on January 6, including the name of the lead single, "CBZ (Prime Time)". A teaser for the lead single's music video was released the following day, featuring the members handing out denim jeans to students in a classroom, with a cameo appearance from singer and actress

Uhm Jung-hwa Uhm Jung-hwa (; born August 17, 1969) is a South Korean singer, actress and dancer. Uhm is considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry, finding success in both music and film. Her legacy and career re ...

. "CBZ (Prime Time)" and its accompanying music video were released on January 8.

Composition

"CBZ (Prime Time)" was written by

, Hoshi, DK and Seungkwan. It was composed by Woozi and Bumzu, with Bumzu and BuildingOwner credited for

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

. The song is described as having

swing jazz Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

-based sounds. In terms of

musical notation Musical notation is any system used to visually represent music. Systems of notation generally represent the elements of a piece of music that are considered important for its performance in the context of a given musical tradition. The proce ...

, it was composed in the key of

D Major D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...

, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

of 110 beats per minute. The song's title in Korean, "" (), refers to a common drinking cheer in South Korea. It is an acronym for "" (), which translates to "youth is right now". The term "" also means "

jeans Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by ...

", with the lyrics of the song interpreting both meanings. Throughout the song, the lyrics explore the concept of youth being a mindset rather than age, encouraging the listener to put on jeans and enjoy the moment.

Critical reception

In her review of the album ''Teleparty'', ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' Carmen Chin commended "CBZ (Prime Time)" for its musical experimentation, highlighting its "refreshing callbacks to the more understated retro eras of pop music", which is best embodied by the song's incorporation of swing jazz and country.

Music video

The music video was released alongside the single on 8 January 2025. Intended as a celebration of youth, it depicts individuals from various walks of life, including exhausted students and office workers, a distressed mother, and a teenage daughter, joining BSS in a joyful chant of "CBZ" to convey the message of the youth being anyone who finds joy in the moment. The video features cameos of South Korean celebrities

Kal So-won Kal So-won (; born 14 August 2006) is a South Korean child actress. She debuted with the television series '' Take Care of Us, Captain'' (2012) and is best known for starring in '' Miracle in Cell No. 7'' (2013), one of the best-selling Korean ...

, , and .

Accolades

"CBZ (Prime Time)" won one first-place music program award from ''

Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...

Background and release

Composition

Critical reception

Music video

Accolades

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Release history

References