South Korean octet ATEEZ who have earned a reputation for their powerful combination of hip-hop and electronic trap have swerved into an expansive and storytelling-led sonic experience on their latest mini album THE WORLD EP 2: OUTLAW.
Taking the world by storm from their debut in 2018, ATEEZ consisting Hong Joong, Seong Hwa, Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, San, Min Gi, Woo Young, and Jong Ho, immediately struck a chord with teen hearts through their dark-tinged and bold musicality.
Now, having evolved and grown as artists, ATEEZ continue down a path that seeks to polish their musical identity further. Speaking to Earmilk, the eight-piece delve into the creative process behind their album, their personal favorite tracks, how they keep themselves motivated and where their artistry stands at the moment.
1.You’ve just released your newest mini album THE WORLD EP 2: OUTLAW.Can you tell me about it and the creative process behind it?
HONGJOONG: Actually, the album was already nearly complete during our HALAZIA promotions. It’s an EP that came together after a lot of thought from the members, the producer team we work with, and our company staff. There was a lot of consideration put into finding a middle between change and ATEEZ’s unique color for the album.
2.Though it’s difficult to choose, what would you say is your personal favorite track from your latest project and why?
HONGJOONG: Personally, my favorite track changes day to day. Today I’d say it’s ‘Dune’ because it fascinates me every day just how the track atmosphere gives me such overwhelming feelings.
SEONGHWA:My favorite song changes every day, too. Honestly, that’s how good all the songs are. So, today’s favorite song is ‘Wake Up’. I’d love to perform a band version of it on stage someday.
YUNHO:It's ‘Django’. The overall vibe of ‘Django’ and the numerous parts of the song that leave such a strong impact make it my favorite.
YEOSANG:Personally, ‘Django’ is my favorite song. The melody and rhythm are so good that I can keep listening to it on repeat.
SAN:‘Django’. The song style suits me well and I really like the bold lyrics.
MINGI:‘This World’. I think the lyrics were written well with a philosophical perspective.
WOOYOUNG:It's ‘BOUNCY’. If we’re talking songs on the track list except for ‘BOUNCY’ then I’d say ‘Django’. The reason being that I love the sound and concept of it!
JONGHO:I’ll pick my favorite song as ‘Dune’! I really put my all into recording this one. It felt like I was breaking my limits to reach the sound when I recorded it.
3.How would you describe your artistry as it stands presently and how do you think your sound has evolved over time?
MINGI:Right now, artistry in this industry no longer applies to just songs. It’s a culmination of the parts of a person, from their overall vibes, fashion, music, and how they carry themselves that determines the artistry. Where we stand at present as the group ATEEZ and as artists is still a question without a complete answer. Our sound has musically grown with the individual influences of each member as they find answers to parts of the question that asks what our artistry is, but we’re still an incomplete picture of that. We’re still searching for that answer, but there’s also an artistic aspect in showing that imperfect and incomplete side of us as well. (Kind of like painting or fashion.)
4.As a band and as individuals, how do you keep yourselves creatively motivated on a daily basis?
WOOYOUNG:I like watching a lot of K-pop artists’ videos! Our seniors in the industry have so much talent and skill that I’m always inspired when I watch them. I tend to watch a lot of SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi and MONSTA X’s I.M videos.
5.You’ve had a pretty packed tour schedule this year after dates in Europe and upcoming dates in Asia and Latin America. Besides getting to meet your fans around the world, what’s your favorite part of touring?
YEOSANG:First and foremost, meeting the fans is the best part of touring. It makes me so happy to see everyone. The best thing following that would probably be the fact that I can try all kinds of delicious food and get to know the culture of every country we go to on tour. It’s something I’m very thankful for.
6.Do you have any specific fond memories or incidents that come to mind from your tours?
YUNHO:We made some wonderful memories with the fans and every show was equally memorable. Besides that, I do have some great memories of playing soccer with the members or going to watch some matches while on tour.
7.Any bucket list countries you’d love to perform at in the future?
JONGHO:I’d honestly love to go to any country where ATINY are waiting for us to perform! That’s my most honest answer, but I’d also love to go to Switzerland!
8.Speaking of the future, as a band are there concepts, styles or even genres you’d love to experiment with at some point?
SAN:We’ve already done it once, but I’d like to try a style where we can wear a uniform again like we did for ‘WONDERLAND’.
9.Finally, what's one question no one has asked you before you’d love to be asked?
SEONGHWA:It’s not really a question, but I tried rapping for this album. It was something completely new for me, but so many ATINY sent me their support and reassured me. I just want to take this moment to say thank you to the ATINY who encouraged me. I want to relay my endless gratitude for the courage they gave me.
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