ATEEZ know how to sell a story line. While lore is fairly common in the K-pop industry, KQ Entertainment’s octet — made up of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho — stand out for just how much they commit to the bit. Since debuting in 2018, they’ve used lyrics, music videos, “diary†versions of albums, and mini-lectures from team captain Hongjoong to build narratives around, say, treasure-seeking pirates or dimension-hopping anarchists. The storytelling even translates to their live shows: Their ongoing Towards the Light world tour includes everything from members fighting off enemies cloaked in black to undulating kraken tentacles.
This summer, ATEEZ are bringing those signature theatrics to arenas and, for the first time, U.S. stadiums. The North American leg of the tour, which runs through August 11, arrives after a history-making year: In April, they became the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella; two months later, they were the first K-pop act to headline Morocco’s Mawazine festival. Meanwhile, the group’s latest release, Golden Hour: Part 1, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for seven weeks straight. Ahead of ATEEZ’s stop at Citi Field on August 3, resident men on fire Seonghwa and Hongjoong (speaking in English and via a translator) pulled back the curtain on the preparation and goals for this tour. Says Hongjoong, “I hope that the ATINY who come leave feeling as though they reached ‘utopia,’ like the namesake of the last encore song.â€
You open the set list with “Crazy Form,†which has lyrics declaring that your ego’s in this show. Did ATEEZ always have an “ego†about performance skills, or was there a turning point when the group developed more confidence?Â
Seonghwa: I just trusted our members. That’s it. When we first went up onstage, I was never afraid because of the seven people I was with.
Hongjoong: The turning point for me was before we debuted. I didn’t really know about about the standards of K-pop choreography or singing. We just practiced and practiced, so I didn’t think about that. But then we released a few dance videos, and many people told us we did really well with our dancing and expressions. So I thought, Oh, we are good. But it’s really hard to relate success in this industry with just doing great. I had confidence in our abilities, but I was afraid no one would know about us. We just wanted to be onstage. If someone said, “You can perform there†— okay, let’s just go! That’s why we came to America.
Yeah, you sold out your first world tour just four months after debuting, at a time when you were still having your songs occasionally cut short on music shows in Korea.Â
S: As rookies, those things did end up happening, especially because we came from a smaller company. But the people who came to our concerts had listened to our music and watched our performances. All the members haven’t ever lost that grateful mind-set, and always put our all into our promotions. I think that’s what made ATEEZ who we are today.
ATEEZ is known for its teamwork, but this tour also spotlights individual members and units, including your “Matz†duo. Were there any moments during the rehearsal process when you felt particularly moved by a member in a performance you’re not in?
H: For the “IT’s You†and “Youth†units and the “Everything†solo performance, the members themselves took part in the production process, so these are all songs where a lot of our opinions and emotions were taken into account. It was great to just listen to these songs on their own, but I was really proud to see how the members showcased their individual strengths onstage. With “Everything,†Jongho is the only one who performs solo. It’s always deeply impressive to see him perform well without being nervous.
How did you two react to being grouped together?
S: I’ve always wanted to work with Hongjoong, and the two of us have shared a studio in the past. Our company also thought we matched well. The more we tour, the more happy I am to be paired with him. “Matz†was also my first time challenging myself with songwriting. Since Hongjoong helped elevate my rap lyrics, I am very grateful to him. I also learned a lot from watching Hongjoong produce — he is really passionate and genuine when it comes to making ATEEZ music.
What was the preparation process like for the dramatic interludes where backup performers pretend to attack ATEEZ members as part of the concert story line?Â
H: We thought about what would allow the audience to easily understand the interludes and find them enjoyable. We were researching all day — in the car, outside, during practice, even up to the moment we slept. For my solo performance, it wasn’t planned, but after I spoke with the choreographer, I asked if it would be possible to add more in the beginning, which resulted in this impressive stage. While we’ve had multiple tours up to this point, we’re always looking for new ways to express emotions in our performances and keep things fresh.
The Symphony No. 9 version of “Wonderland†was the opener of your 2022 tour and is now the last song before the encore. How did you build the stamina to pull off such a high-energy performance, which includes sword choreography from Seonghwa, near the end of a three-hour show?Â
S: This is very much a mystery. [Laughs.] I don’t know. The song itself gives me a lot of energy. The members and ATINY sing along, and that really makes not just the song but the scene itself powerful.
H: We’re also performing the “Wonderland†Kingdom version, so the last dance break is much harder than the original version. After Jongho’s high note, when we start the dance, I feel like … [inhales, looks up] Can I do that? Can I do that again? ’Cause it’s 20 songs in. But after finishing, it’s like time flew by. And when I saw our video, we all danced really hard. I’m really proud of that.
S: I love that sentence Hongjoong says before the last dance break.
H: Ahh, “The one who wants to wear the crown, bear the crown.â€
S: It’s like, okay, [closes eyes and nods] let’s go.
What do you consider to be the elements of a good performance, and which of them have ATEEZ grown into the most over time?Â
H: Of course, there are the standard dance and vocal skills. But if you already have those, then teamwork is an important element. For ATEEZ, we’ll naturally check on each other from the morning rehearsal, and we do a good job of knowing who is in better condition and balancing each other out. We don’t necessarily need words when it comes to doing that. And for any larger issues, individual members will often express themselves so we can all help out.
I think what’s changed the most is how we interact with the audience. During our debut, we were more busy showcasing ourselves, even if it was just for one stage. Now, we’re also trying to create stages that let us have fun with the audience, which I think shows how much we’ve improved as performers. Since we’ve recently done a lot of large festival performances, that’s become a natural place to learn and improve.
Is there any advice you would share with artists who want to develop a stronger stage presence?
S: I don’t know if it’s even right for me to give advice since I’m also lacking a lot myself. But what helped me be who I am today is loving myself. I’ve had many experiences where my self-confidence was low, but meeting fans helped me overcome that. Every album, I’m not afraid of the challenge. Every concert, I’m able to surpass my limitations because I have self-confidence, which is thanks to ATINYs. Also, while watching my sunbaenims in this industry, I learned that a consistently humble person always shines brightly.
ATINYs can get pretty passionate about what makes the set list — I’ve seen memes about how it feels when a favorite doesn’t make the cut. Can you walk me through a tough set list choice you had to make?Â
S: There are so many things to consider.
H: Always. [Laughs.]
S: We come back with new music in between legs of our tours. Let’s say on this leg, we didn’t add “Work†— we don’t know what kind of reactions we’d get. But also, song additions can’t interfere with the concert story line. We need to show fans a new side of us. We need to show performances that have never been seen. Most importantly, we need to consider our members’ physical stamina. Because of all of that, we are continuously in conversation, even up until the show itself. We can’t say everything in our decision-making process is correct, but we do always try our absolute best.
H: And if the result is not good, I just try to take on more responsibility and learn more about our ATINYs’ minds. I want to keep figuring out the best way for our fans and our members.