Ateez made historical past earlier this 12 months by turning into the primary Korean boy band to carry out at Coachella, only one cease on their “Towards the Mild: Will to Energy” North American tour, which the octet will play on July 20-21 Carried out at BMO Enviornment in Los Angeles.
Lengthy earlier than Desert Feast, the KQ Leisure band had already been on the rise, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in December 2023 with “The World EP. Fin: Will” and in June with the only “Work” No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2023, Ateez turned one of many top-grossing Okay-pop excursions, grossing $13.9 million from 10 exhibits and promoting 103,000 tickets, in line with Billboard. The group debuted in 2018 and will have attracted extra followers (dubbed ATINY) with their high-energy Coachella performances and songs and tracks with extra story-telling than different fashionable acts.
Consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, Ateez launched “The Golden Hour: Half 1” on Could 31 and ranked No. 2 on the Billboard chart. They kick off their North American tour on July 14 on the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, and have simply added tour dates in Georgia and Illinois.
The group agrees that Coachella positively modified their status in the US. “We have toured a lot, visited so many nations, carried out for thus many followers, however that is the primary time we have been to such an enormous competition,” Seonghwa mentioned. “There’s positively an outpouring of feelings as a result of it’s actually thrilling and nerve-wracking and an honor to be part of.”
Ateez introduced their distinctive fashion of choreography to the competition’s Sahara stage, garnering consideration on social media. “As we ready for the present, I did really feel some strain to do properly, however as I walked on stage, a easy thought got here to my thoughts and altered my perspective. This present is for us A present for everybody, it was constructed on the time Ateez and ATINY spent collectively. It was with this concept that I used to be capable of benefit from the present to the utmost and present all the things we wished to indicate,” Seongwha mentioned.
After acting at Coachella, the band gained new followers with its model of connecting music and storytelling. “The storyline follows our music, so the idea has been built-in into our total sound. The songs and performances embody the emotion of the storyline by way of our facial expressions and performances, additional amplifying the narrative. kind.
San famous: “The second our eyes met ATINY, time and area fell into place in a totally synchronized manner, and it felt like we might overcome something. Because of ATINY, it actually felt like something was doable.
However the place did the inspiration for Ateez come from?
“Truthfully, we drew inspiration from many alternative locations, folks and issues round us, however ultimately, I must say the most important inspiration got here from the eight members and ATINY,” Hongjoong mentioned. “We spent virtually six years collectively and this fashioned a particular bond by which we impressed and influenced one another. This, in flip, created our orchestra’s distinctive musical sound.
Their newest music showcases the evolution of their sound and the members’ completely different views on songs. “I personally suppose Ateez’s music is all the time altering,” Mingi mentioned. “From our debut album to our present album, I consider we’ve been making music to specific each state of affairs we’re in with out limiting ourselves to a particular style. So it’s not a lot that our present album brings Moderately than an enormous change, we consider in evolving as we put together our music and seizing alternatives for development by way of change.
Reflecting on their continued international success, Yeosang mentioned they’ll’t transfer too quick. “When aiming excessive, there are numerous methods to do it,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to take the elevator or escalator up, however we took the steps step-by-step. Alongside the way in which, we realized to depend on one another, perceive one another, and share the efforts and enthusiasm that every of us put in to realize what we’re in the present day. .This makes all of it extra treasured and useful.
Zhong Hao mentioned: “Our objective is to proceed to grab each alternative to carry out on stage and create extra moments that can accompany ATINY for a very long time.”
As for pursuits exterior the group, Wooyoung mentioned, “If given the chance, I want to present followers a brand new aspect of myself by way of varied actions, together with a few of my private pursuits. To be sincere, I need to present that I’ve not been capable of present it to date. side, however most significantly, as Ateez we all the time need to carry out on stage collectively as a lot as doable.
Nico Lightfoot contributed to this report.
