FORGET K-POP, ATEEZ ARE THE MOST PROMISING GROUP IN ALL POP
If you don’t follow K-pop, you might not be familiar with ATEEZ, but if you’re a fan of pop music in general, you should definitely ensure they are on your radar.
I first fell in love with ATEEZ’ music when they dropped their pre-debut track From under the name KQ Fellaz. While it didn’t tie in with the pirate-inspired theme of their official releases, it was an undeniable bop that had me constantly asking my kids about when would their debut hit.
In October of 2018, ATEEZ then made their debut with the Treasure Ep.1: All to Zero mini-album with solid videos for Pirate King and Treasure that set the thematic stage for what was to come. Right out of the gate, ATEEZ was being hailed by many of the press — from Billboard to MTV — as one of the most promising new K-pop groups to watch. While it sounds like an accolade any group would love to be saddled with, it’s problematic for one key reason — ATEEZ should be positioned as one of the most promising new pop groups to watch. No K needed. Period.
ATEEZ checks all of the boxes in regards to what defines a great pop group: complex high-energy choreography, unique thematic videos, and catchy songs with just enough English to make them as radio-friendly as BTS’ Boy With Luv (which received plenty of radio play stateside).
Like all true artists, ATEEZ are innovators. Just check out their teaser performance video for HALA HALA where they manage to organically create a 3D effect.
In terms of fashion, there is no question their style is distinct. This is a rare feat given how most K-pop groups reinvent their image with every release, leaving very few fashion stones left unturned.
From their hats and studded face masks to all black uniforms, ATEEZ invited viewers of HALA HALA and Say My Name to a gothic masquerade uniquely their own. And while K-pop boy groups are often maligned for being too effeminate for Western male audiences, ATEEZ’ ominous attire shouldn’t threaten guys insecure about their own sexuality.
Their visual creativity goes beyond their clothes. Although Hongjoong’s hair was sheared for their next comeback, this singer accomplished the impossible — He made the mullet cool and fashion-forward. Allure, a respected barometer of what is hip, even did an entire feature on it.
ATEEZ also have a great sense of humor. This is best exemplified when San went undercover as an 82-year old man. See for yourself:
Adding to the group’s mainstream appeal, their first US tour in March of 2019 was sold out at every stop with frenzied Beatlemania-like crowds screaming so loudly you couldn’t even hear ATEEZ singing. Due to underestimating the group’s popularity, the Los Angeles premiere was the Fyre festival of concerts. It was oversold to a fire hazard capacity, there was an astonishingly higher ratio of VIPs to General Admission tickets, the show had to be stopped twice since fans had passed out, and the group even ended up giving their own water bottles to the crowd. Other tour stops had similar situations. What other validation does the mainstream media need? Let’s talk about the music itself…
While not every K-pop song can be appreciated without the requisite big budget video and choreography (which takes months of practice to master), ATEEZ is among those who don’t need visuals to make a mark. K-pop albums are often filled with musical inconsistencies since there is a tendency to try and appeal to a myriad of audiences. This can mean a ballad, a trop house track, and a thumping club jam all cohabiting the same release with the only connecting thread being the vocalists. In the case of ATEEZ, while they cover a wide range of styles, they always manage to ensure a consistent vibe distinctly their own. This can be credited to Edenary, their song production team featuring Eden, Buddy, LEEZ and Ollounder. This is in contrast to many other groups who often mix and match producers on each release.
By serving up a diverse hits-heavy release that is easily identifiable as the ATEEZ sound, pop music lovers who are sleeping on them need to wake the funk up. As testament, check out the videos of their first three songs off their TREASURE EP.2: Zero To One EP:
And if those songs weren’t catchy enough, ATEEZ switched things up for Treasure Ep.3: One to All. The tracks might not be as conceptually dark as Zero to One, but the pop hooks are undeniable.
To close out their Treasure concept, in October they released their first full length album, Treasure Ep. FIN: All To Action. Once again, they hit all the right buttons in terms of fashion, choreo, and music with their single.
And just when you thought the Treasure era was over, they kicked off 2020 with Treasure Epilogue: Action To Answer. Like every release to date, the single slaps.
While some might be sad the Treasure era was over, a new era began with Zero: Fever Part.1 which kicked off with the infectious Inception video and then followed by THANXX.
Showing they can crush it with great tracks for other countries, they released Dreamers as their first Japanese single.
If you didn’t catch a fever yet, then you didn’t tune into Fever Part 2’s single Fireworks (I’m The One), Fever Part 3’s Deja Vu, Eternal Sunshine, and the moving Fever era Epilogue cut Turbulence.
Notice how I didn’t mention Epilogue’s The Real? That’s because it was the best video of 2021 and needed its own sentence.
And now a new stage beings with THE WORLD EP.1 : MOVEMENT and its epic single Guerrilla.
If any of the songs in the videos above don’t sound like they would be modern pop radio hits, then you don’t like pop music. Treasure them.
