Get To Know ATEEZ: The New K-Pop Band Thinking Equal Parts About America And Korea
wooyoung #wooyoung
KQ Entertainment
No doubt that the K-pop scene is hotter than ever in America, but how does a new act successfully ride this already humongous wave? If you’re ATEEZ, you start very early.
The eight-member boy band only formally debuted in November 2018 and boast just two EPs to their name, but have gained such international attention that the demand was too high to ignore when it came to overseas touring opportunities. Teaming up with concert-kickstarter website MyMusicTaste, which brilliantly allows fans from around the world to request artists to come their city which then gives artists access to see where their most active fans live, ATEEZ secured five U.S. and ten European shows for their 2019 Expedition Tour. But in an unexpected move, MyMusicTaste shared with Forbes that interest and demand in the tour actually went up after the dates were confirmed—which typically does not happen as not every fan requesting artists to visit typically buy tickets after factors like expenses and life events. This time, demand had grown so large that the humble venues the original crowdfunders were willing to pay for seemed potentially too tiny come show day.
The result was an intimate tour that gave the lucky audience members a rare chance to not only get to see ATEEZ perform their combination of electrically charged hip-hop/dance hybrids music for the first time in America, but also get to know the guys more themselves. With just 10 songs technically to their name—albeit 10 extremely promising songs from the zipping EDM aggression of debut single “Pirate King” to the high-energy, house vibe of album cut “Promise”—Hongjoong, Mingi, Seonghwa, Yunho, San, Yeosang, Wooyoung and Jongho not only performed for fans but let them into their inner-workings as a team. A 45-minute Q&A section of their tour was key to this, but so were moments of crowd interaction where for ATEEZ’s fans—known affectionately as ATINY—to see how they operate firsthand with lots playful jokes between the members about who’s better friends with who, a handful of backhugs and a thank you section that extended to everyone from ATINY in attendance to their makeup artists and company CEO.
The day after the U.S. leg of the Expedition Tour officially wrapped at Brooklyn’s Warsaw venue, the guys prove that that their affection for one another, as well as their gratitude, wasn’t just for show. Speaking in their TriBeCa hotel, the guys sit in a huddle-like fashion, comfortable enough to rest their hands on a fellow member’s knee or throw their arms around one another while talking. They knew there was growing interest in them thanks to social media (in particular, dancer-vocalist San says online conversations got him excited to come overseas), but they still seem in awe at the reaction they got across these nine days of touring. In their own words, ATEEZ explain to Forbes their thoughts on ending this major career moment, detail their larger mindset and goals as a group, and share more about one another.
Jeff Benjamin: Congratulations on completing your first U.S. tour! How are you feeling now?
Hongjoong: I can say that it’s been amazing. Except for Los Angeles, we’ve never been here [America], we never visited another city, we’ve never promoted here. But we experienced so much love and we already have so many ATINYs? That’s amazing. I hope we can come back again and, some day, we can properly promote our new album in L.A. and New York City. Also, we gained a lot of inspiration while here so we can take that back to inspire our [next] concept in Korea.
Benjamin: I remember watching your pre-debut videos filmed in L.A. when you were known as “KQ Fellaz.” What was visiting L.A. like now as a full realized group?
Seonghwa: We actually went to the same location [hip-hop studio Millennium Dance Complex] we visited last time so that brought back some memories back from then. I think the most memorable part was meeting with the dance teachers once again.
Yunho: We showed that we’ve grown a lot. When they met us, they didn’t know who we were and we weren’t known as “ATEEZ.” But we felt proud to show them a stage as our group, as ATEEZ, that was truly finished.
Hongjoong: They came to our show too. We also gave them our debut album—our own album!—and they were so proud of us and we loved that.
Benjamin: Any regrets on this tour?
Yeosang: If I could speak English better, I could communicate a little bit better with my ATINY, but maybe this could be the tipping point where now I’m able to learn more.
Benjamin: Speaking of English, I thought it was really remarkable that the first track on your first debut album Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, “Intro: Long Journey,” is all in English. Does this speak to an international mindset for the group?
Benjamin: So if that’s the mindset, what are your larger goals as ATEEZ?
Mingi: This year, we hope ATEEZ can spread themselves around the world. But long term-wise, our goal is that when you search “A” on the search engine like Google or Naver that ATEEZ is the first result—better than Apple! [Laughs]
Hongjoong: I can’t tell our plans just yet…but the next album, I don’t know when it’s going to come out, but that it’s going to be amazing and a great gift to our fans and our audience. You can definitely expect that. But above all, we want our ATINY to know we know they work so hard and we want to thank them for working so hard.
Benjamin: The interest in definitely growing. I reported on how when you released your second album, Treasure EP.2: Zero to One, and the sales of EP.1 actually grew as well so that both appeared on the Billboard charts. Do you feel more eyes are watching you now versus your debut?
Wooyoung: When we first shared our performance video [of “HALA HALA (Hearts Awakened, Live Alive)”] and it got more than a million views and we were really proud of that. And then “Say My Name” got even more views, and it just felt like the motivation we needed to work even harder. I’m really thankful for that.
Benjamin: Take us through ATEEZ’s creative process.
Hongjoong: Okay so, we already have an in-house producer EDEN and we already have a lot of staff working in different sections of the company communicating with us a lot and giving us a lot of feedback. We always practice and create with their feedback in mind, but they also listen to our feedback too so we have a lot of communication with each other when it comes to participating in creating But I’m always writing my own tracks with plans that one day it will be released.
Benjamin: Your own tracks, as in, solo music?
Hongjoong: No, no, I write for the whole team. I never write solo music. Mingi and I participate in the lyrics because we need our lyrics and we need our opinions in our songs. So, we participate in many parts of the creative process and we’ll continue to participate more and more. Maybe more members will too? These days it’s just me involved in the production, but some day maybe some of the other members can participate because I think they all really have talent. When we record, they have a lot of good opinions so I could see them getting involved in songwriting.
You’re talking a lot about your staff and your company, and I noticed that too at the concert when you thanked the whole staff at KQ Entertainment, MyMusicTaste, and even pointed out your CEO. How do you all support and work with each other?
Wooyoung: The CEO always says, “You’re going down your road.” The chemistry between us and the bosses is really good because we communicate all the time. Of course, we wish that he can take pride in us, and vice versa.
Mingi: It’s a bit like a family, not like a business.
Hongjoong: Well, because, you know a lot of people know that our company is not big, but I think that’s a good point. They always focus on us so we can do things for us, and then we can see our boss celebrating us. We can do that because they focus on us and have genuine interest in seeing us succeed. We can’t be here without them, we know that.
One of my favorite ATEEZ tracks is “Promise” and if you had to give one promise to ATINY, what would you tell them?
Seonghwa: It’s one of my favorite songs too and I wish to deliver the promise that ATINY know, no matter where we go, that ATINY is with us and that, no matter what kind of hardships we’re all going through, we can get through it together.
While you sold out your first U.S. tour, people are still learning about ATEEZ. To end, I want new fans to get to know you through your eyes. In your own words, can you introduce and share something special about another member?
Seonghwa on San: He’s cute, he hits the stage with a lot of charisma, but I think he’s the fun one in the group when we’re all together. He’s like the comedian when it’s just us in private.
Yunho on Wooyoung: He gives a sexy aura on stage, but offstage he’s very playful and very cool. But the thing you might not know is that his skin is very stretchy! He’s very skinny, and only his face and neck have this extra stretchy skin! He needs to go on a variety show [Laughs] or get in the Guinness Book of Records.
San on Yeosang: The thing people may not know about him is that he thinks really deeply about other people. For example, he will always put someone else ahead of him no matter what. It’s like, “You first and you first and you first!” He’ll always move out of someone’s way and put someone first. He’s a sweet guy.
Jongho on Mingi: He’s charismatic with his low-tone voice and, even though he’s the tallest, when we’re in our dorm or in our studio, he’s like the youngest, like the maknae. He would say no, but the rest of members agree that he acts like a little kid when it’s just us—like a nosy little kid. [Laughs]
Yeosang on Jongho: While he sings very well, he’s very strong, but he’s very scared of small bugs. Anything and every kind of bug.
Mingi on Yunho: We’ve been together as friends for five years, he’s a joker, but he’s the person who brings everyone together no matter what we’re doing. Just like Yeosang, he also looks out for other people so we can all do things together. A bit like an energy maker, that’s a good way to say it.
Wooyoung on Hongjoong: Hongjoong is our leader and our oldest member, but usually he’s very cute! Anytime we’re talking, he butts in and asks questions like he knows what’s going on, even if he doesn’t know! [Laughs] He’s like a puppy, except that nobody calls for him. He’s the cutest member.
Hongjoong on Seonghwa: Wow, thank you, my members. [Laughs] Anyway, I think Seonghwa is so clean. We share a dorm room and he’s always cleaning our room. He usually he cleans for me, but sometimes he says, “Hongjoong! Clean, please! Clean!!!” I think I clean well, but he tells me to clean. Even when I’m tired, he’s always telling me to clean. He takes around an hour to clean up. But he’s a good friend.
ATEEZ’s Expedition Tour begins its European run in London tomorrow, April 3, and runs until April 21. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.