ATEEZ

With a tougher edge than most contemporaries, K-pop octet Ateez combine model good looks and a runway aesthetic with darker tones that incorporate hip-hop and electronic trap touches. Emerging in 2018, they issued the two-part Treasure EP series, making a quick impact on the U.S. world charts and touring internationally less than a year after their debut. By 2019, they had topped the Korean charts and risen into the U.S. Top Ten with their first full-length LP, Treasure EP.FIN: All to Action. The group launched their next era with 2020′s Zero: Fever Part 1, a four-part series which wrapped up in 2021. They continued in 2022 with The World EP.1: Movement, returning to the Japanese market with The World EP. Paradigm.
Formed by KQ Entertainment — they were originally known as KQ Fellaz — Ateez comprises eight members: leader Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. Though based in Seoul, the group trained in California when they were still known as the Fellaz, making their public debut in late 2018 as Ateez. They issued the swashbuckling debut Treasure EP.1: All to Zero that October. Featuring the singles “Pirate King” and “Treasure,” the set peaked in the Top Ten of the Korean chart and was promoted with a tour that included stops in the U.S. In 2019, they released a sequel, Treasure EP.2: Zero to One, which rose to number five on the U.S. World Albums chart, while single “Say My Name” climbed to number eight on the World songs list. They also signed a deal with RCA Records. Following the June release of Treasure EP.3: One to All, Ateez issued their first full-length, Treasure EP.FIN: All to Action. That album became their first number one in Korea and also rose into the Top Ten of the Billboard Heatseekers and World Albums charts. As their international presence continued to expand, they made their Japanese debut with Treasure EP.Extra: Shift the Map.
The Treasure series continued into 2020 with Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer (their second consecutive Korean chart-topper) and the Japanese-language mini-album Treasure EP.Map to Answer. Just as the group was about to embark on a lengthy, sold-out international tour, plans were cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the setback, they continued promotions in a virtual setting and returned to the studio for their next phase, which was unveiled that July with fifth EP Zero: Fever Part 1. The seven-track set made an impact in Korea and in the U.S., where the single “Inception” peaked at number nine on the Digital Songs chart. 2021′s Zero: Fever Part 2 continued their international rise, incorporating English songs such as “Take Me Home” and “I’m the One.” Early that year, the group also issued their first Japanese album, Into the A to Z, with Zero: Fever Part 3 arriving later that September. Ateez wrapped up their Zero project in December with Zero: Fever Epilogue, which was end-capped by the Japanese release of 2022′s Beyond: Zero.
In July 2022, they kicked off a new series with The World EP.1: Movement. Featuring the single “Guerrilla,” the seven-song set topped charts in Korea and the U.S., notably rising to number three on the Billboard 200. The World EP. Paradigm returned them to the Japanese market months later. They closed out the year with the single album Spin Off: From the Witness, which featured the single “Halazia” and a trio of pulse-pounding electronic remixes. ~ Neil Z. Yeung