Courtesy of KQ Entertainment
Who is ATEEZ?
If you don’t already know them, allow me to introduce you to ATEEZ, an eight-member group formed through KQ Entertainment. This group has defied the odds coming from a small Korean pop label. It is hard to break into the industry outside of the big three labels (SM, HYBE and YG), but ATEEZ came out on top.
Debuting in 2018, the members have been working hard to get to where they are currently. Known for their incredible vocals and stage presence, ATEEZ has become one of the most successful boy groups. Their overarching concept is pirates. They even call the leader of the group, Hongjoong, captain. ATEEZ has many different positions in the group with incredible rappers, main dancers, visuals and vocalists. This band does not stick to one genre, encompassing many different sounds and even languages in their tracks. In their latest title track, Spanish appears in the lyrics.
The group sounds better live—if that’s even possible—and are dancing machines with intense choreographies. They tell a story with their music videos with very intricate lore that requires video explanations to understand. To sum it up briefly, ATEEZ are pirates looking for treasure and taking over the world while fighting anyone who gets in their way. You would think as pirates they would only do dark, horror concepts. However, ATEEZ has done ballads, upbeat pop songs, etc. There isn’t a niche in music this group can’t cover.
ATEEZ had four chart entries on the Billboard Album chart and, in 2023, they earned their first number-one album with The World EP. Fin: Will. This is not an easy task to do coming from a company that built itself from the ground up. ATEEZ defies the norms and is currently at the top of its success.
ATEEZ Perform At Coachella
In April of this year, the group performed at the iconic Coachella festival, becoming the first male K-pop group to perform. At the festival, they rocked the stage, singing their hits to a large crowd with little to no backtrack. ATEEZ are experts at performing live, from dancing to being able to sing and rap with ease. The group proved their global dominance and showed the world they are all-rounders.
ATEEZ “Work” Review
ATEEZ made their comeback in May with GOLDEN HOUR Part 1. “WORK” serves as the title track. Firstly, “WORK” is hip-hop mixed with a Latin influence track. It’s another infectious earworm that won’t leave your head. “Gotta work / Gotta make that money, make purse / Got a fur coat so I make it purr / Gotta get that credit, get perks / Gotta, gotta, gotta work” is shouted in the chorus. The lyrics of the song talk about the hard work the group has put in since the very beginning and will always stick with them. They have trained their lives and helped KQ Entertainment become a prominent name in the industry. The track is very catchy and captures the high-energy vibes ATEEZ has been doing in recent comebacks.
The music video for “WORK” shows the group doing different weird jobs to make a living. You can also see the intense dance moves the group brings to the table with the member SAN being the co-choreographer for this track. ATEEZ is very talented and is directly involved in the music process. They are hard workers and have truly made a name for themselves around the world.
ATEEZ GOLDEN HOUR: Part 1 Review
ATEEZ are incapable of releasing a bad song in their discography and this album is no different. The mini album is full of hits that only this group can pull off. Every song was written and thought out with attention to detail. Consisting of six songs, including a spoken word introduction, there isn’t a single dull moment. It is a cohesive project that shows ATEEZ are topping themselves each time they release music.
Overall, The album has a Latin flair to it, which sounds really good within the tracks. Each track provides a high energy, with “Empty Box” being the exception. This track is more of a mellow song and gives you a second to cool off from the intensity of the rest of the album. My personal favorite tracks off the album are “Shaboom” and “Blind.” “Shaboom” is a hip-hop track with intense rap verses and an insane drop in the chorus. It has a grit to it and is perfect against their voices. The track is unique and continues that Latin influence in the verses.
Secondly, “Blind” is another in-your-face song with a Latin influence. From the beginning to the end of “Blind,” it is very catchy and makes you want to dance.
GOLDEN HOUR: Part 1 debuted at number two on the Billboard album chart and remained in the top ten for two weeks.
ATEEZ Announce World Tour
Around the time of their Coachella performance, the group announced their world tour, ATEEZ WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT: WILL TO POWER]. They will be performing at ten iconic stadiums around North America this summer. Their tour begins on July 14 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.
Next, the tour will go to Oakland and Los Angeles for two nights before heading to Phoenix, Arizona. Then, they will go to Arlington, Texas. Duluth, Georgia, is after Texas for two shows and then they will go to New York to perform at the iconic Citi Field. After the New York show on August 3rd, Washington DC is up on August 6th. Canada is after DC with one show before wrapping up the tour with two nights in Rosemont, Illinois on August 10 and 11. Check out Ticketmaster for tickets. You will not want to miss this amazing group perform live this summer!
