Man, I did not expect my year-end list from last year to go out of date so quickly... but here we are. Karma's come back around to bite me in the ass for writing ATEEZ off as just another rookie boy group, I suppose.

If I could change anything about that list, I would put "Pirate King" on it right now. Not to spoil my opinions on the rest of the albums in this post or anything, but "Pirate King" is far and away my favourite title track from ATEEZ. 

"Pirate King" is full of powerful synths, blaring horns and even operatic vocals at some points - it's really hammering in the dramatism of the pirate concept ATEEZ put their spin on here. And, quite frankly, it's a fucking wonderful rollercoaster of a song. The way each section soars and sweeps into the next is really something to experience - those pre-choruses are some of the best I've heard in a long while. And don't even get me started on Hongjoong's rap verse, and how the instrumental is in THAT part, cause we'll be here all day if we do. This post is long enough as it is. You don't need that.

Lyrically, the pirate concept is reiterated upon yet again, but with a huge amount of style. The lyrics have this sort of bouncy, vivid style in their writing that smacks you across the face instantly. It gives you the same bright-eyed, bushy-tailed rookie impression that IZ*ONE did with "La Vie en Rose" last year, but in a whole new way. ATEEZ mean business, and these lyrics prove it.

Now, we have my favourite part about any ATEEZ song - the choreography. It's the thing that made me stan them, after all. So, does "Pirate King"'s choreography stack up?

...that may as well be a rhetorical question, because IT'S ATEEZ, HONEY, OF COURSE IT DOES.

Seriously, can someone tell me who the main dancer is here? IT'S BEEN A HELL OF A LONG TIME SINCE THE SPRING REVIEW AND I STILL DON'T KNOW.

What really sets ATEEZ apart in their performance is the sheer amount of charisma they have - no member looks out of place here. Every single member fucking nails this choreography, regardless of how difficult it is. They really do make it look easy, but rest assured, it's not. It really shows why they have "8 makes 1 team" as their motto, ironically enough - the syngergy and chemistry between the members is outstanding. And that's not even talking about the actual choreography! It's so detailed and complex, and it never lets up with its ruthless energy. Not to mention the beautiful positioning and contrasting of members, as well as how parts are changed up each time they're repeated. It's insane.

Okay, so the title track is amazing, we've established that - but we still have the rest of the album to look at here. As mentioned, these are simply going to be my impression of each song, with just a few lines on each track to give you a feel for what I think. If I didn't limit it like this, I'd be here all day. 😅

1. INTRO - LONG JOURNEY: Remember that time ATINY thought it was San narrating this, but then it turned out to be one of the group's producers? Yeah, I do. 😂 Narration aside, this is just about the perfect way to lead into an album with this concept. It sets the stage beautifully, and the way it leads into "Pirate King" gave me legitimate chills.

2. TREASURE - The main B-side for this album, and a stunning one at that! I can never quite register that it's Hongjoong singing in falsetto at the beginning. Hongjoong and Mingi's rapping is at its most percussive and addictive, the group chanting gives off a sense of wistfulness and hope, and the brief section in the middle where the beat goes into double time is just the cherry on top. The tempo is never completely stopped or slowed down here, yet it's still given time to develop and change itself up. "Treasure" is a complex yet really damn beautiful song that sounds like it could be off of a movie soundtrack.

3. TWILIGHT - Definitely a tad more toned down than anything we've heard so far, but it remains upbeat and incredibly addictive all the same - this is the sort of song you'd want playing whilst you're just driving on a roadtrip with a group of friends. It's light, it's carefree, it's breezy, and it makes for very easy listening. And yet, at the same time, the bassline gives a really solid foundation and sense of groove. The ending really allows the song to come around full circle, and makes "Twilight" feel really well developed and executed by the song's end. 

4. STAY - My favourite song on the album beside the title track! The reggaeton influence isn't driven into the ground here; rather, it's used as a baseline foundation to be improvised upon. And it works! The steel drums definitely give it a brighter tone in comparison with "Twilight", ensuring the two songs don't sound too similar. San and Jongho are particular standouts here, especially with that crazy catchy chorus. The ending is beautiful, too - it ends with just the right amount of gravitace and power. A really damn good song! (It also has a "fix on", which makes it automatically amazing. Just saying.)

5. MY WAY - You'd think that ATEEZ would slow it down a bit for the last track on the album, and while they do a bit of that on "My Way", it's more of a triumphant goodbye than a melancholy one. "My Way" is very much allowing the boys to celebrate their debut, which is always a wonderful thing to see - idols work so damn hard, of course they should get songs like this one. The saxophone drop in the choruses is certainly interesting, and while I do see how it could be grating for some, it's enough of a breath of fresh air that it really never bothered me. This song both packs a punch and relaxes me at the same time, but it's got a really smooth vibe to it that I really can't help but love. And, yet again, it's beautifully well developed - that seems like a theme with ATEEZ, and I'm very much okay with it!

Overall, I really, REALLY liked Treasure EP.1: All to Zero. "Stay" and "Pirate King" are my definite favourites, and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of sounds and style choices on the album as a whole. No two songs sound the same, which is a trap most artists and producers fall into very easily - a recent example I can think of is TWICE's "Hot" and "Turn It Up" on Fancy You. 

For a group to debut with an album as promising and versatile as this one, I think it's safe to say that ATEEZ can only go up from here. I'm excited to see how they execute their concept going forward!

Ah, Treasure EP.2: Zero to One. The era I found out ATEEZ were much, MUCH more than I thought, as well as the era they really started gaining popularity. They had already created quite a bit of buzz with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, but this was the era many people still hail as their best yet. Some of the side tracks on this album - at least from what I've heard - are just as good as the title tracks, and I'm definitely excited to see if they live up to the hype.

But first, title tracks! Since I've already covered "Say My Name" back in the spring comeback review, I figured I'd cover the other title track here - "HALA HALA". 

When I first listened to both title tracks from this era, this was the one I preferred less. To this day, I haven't really been able to put my finger on why. But now, knowing what I know about ATEEZ, and being the stan that I am, I feel like I've come to appreciate "HALA HALA" much more than I did initially.

The song itself does still feel a little scattered, though; the tempo changes are frequent, and it can't decide whether it wants to be dark and ominous or a full-on trap banger. It switches back and forth between the two quite a bit, which can leave you a little confused or frazzled on your first listen. But don't let that put you off, because there is quite a good song to be found here. Yes, it's a little messy, but Jongho's killer vocals in the pre-choruses let you know this is much more about the boys than the song. And jeez, is that true here! Their performances are stellar, with just the right amount of swagger and power where it's needed. The rap sections are fiery, the vocals are insane, and overall, the members' performances are excellent here.

Lyrically, this is the era where ATEEZ really started using a lot of garbled English - which, hey, if you ask me, they're pretty notoriously loved for it by this point, so I don't consider it a bad thing! Although, I did find the Suicide Squad reference pretty cringy first time around, not going to lie. Grammar errors aside, the lyrics do continue that wistful yet eager concept from the likes of "Pirate King" and "Treasure", which is nice to see. Consistency is something I do like, after all. It can be hard to sift through all the bad grammar to find the song's actual meaning, admittedly, but there's a nice continuation of themes here if you really look for it.

If you ask me, where "HALA HALA" really shines is in the performance and choreography... and holy shit, does it shine.

Remember when I said that "HALA HALA" is really all about the members? Yeah, the choreo here shows what I mean. There are so many little iconic parts to this choreography that the song wouldn't be the same without - Yeosang's glare in the beginning, Seonghwa, Mingi, and Yunho's marching dance break in the choruses, and CHOI SAN BEING POSSESSED BY A DAMN DEMON.

Is it really a "HALA HALA" performance if San isn't possessed towards the end? No. No it's not. And it wouldn't have it any other way.

The dance for "HALA HALA" really elevates the song and helps to minimise a lot of its shortcomings - it's very much meant to be experienced rather than just listened to on its own. If you saw this live at KCON this year, I really fucking envy you, because this shows just what ATEEZ are capable of. Everything here coalesces and forms the ultimate K-Pop package, and even if I don't like it as much as some of their other title tracks, I can still appreciate it for what it is and what it does.

Title tracks aside, I'm interested to hear some of the more popular side tracks on the album - I'll try not to put my expectations too high, but I'm excited nonetheless! So, how are the other songs on offer here?

2. SAY MY NAME - I've already covered this in my spring comeback review, and my points still stand! I still really like "Say My Name", and it'll always have a special place in my heart as the song that introduced me to ATEEZ.

3. DESIRE - This is one of the songs I've seen hyped up to hell and back, and personally, I feel like I could love it, but there's so much going on that it's hard to digest! I can't even begin to describe what the instrumental is like on this song, you honestly just have to hear it. There's so many elements here that it's impossible to put it into a sentence or two. What I DO vehemently agree with though - this is Hongjoong's song. This is his chance to shine, and it's a really damn amazing thing to witness. This one will need some time to simmer, I think - maybe time will help me make sense of what exactly is going on here. I like the potential, though!

UPDATE (18/01/2020): Heyo, it's future me here to say that yes, "Desire" ended up clicking. Holy shit, this song is STUNNING. It's pure, concentrated, unadulterated motivation, with a super satisfying buildup and payoff. Yes, it's overwhelming at first, but give it another chance if you were apprehensive like me. Sit down, find your best pair of headphones, and blast it. It'll pay off, I promise - I can guarantee that you haven't heard something "Desire" in a while, if ever!

4. LIGHT - The first real slow track ATEEZ have had so far, but it doesn't quite drop all the energy they've been known for up to this point. "Light" is mainly bossa nova influenced, with some soulful elements (like that organ) thrown in to jazz things up a bit. And hey, it really works! It's incredibly funky and delightful to listen to. This is going straight in my coffee shop vibes playlist, that's for sure. (Also, he is my bias, so I'm obviously probably very biased, but hearing Mingi properly sing was DELIGHTFUL. Let him do that more often, KQ.)

5. PROMISE - This... straight-up blew me away, holy shit. I'm still kind of reeling. I'm obviously hoping there'll be more instances of this going forward, but "Promise" has a real shot at being on my side tracks of the year list. I mean... the percussive instrumental, the bridge with just the piano and Seonghwa's vocals, the explosive EDM choruses that have juuuuuust the right amount of buildup, the staggered bassline in Mingi's rap... "Promise" is fucking phenomenal. Not just their best B-side so far, but their best song so far! MORE OF THIS PLEASE.

To say that ended on a high note is an understatement - the bar has been set in terms of good ATEEZ songs, and I'm interested to see if anything else will rise to that standard going forward. Overall, I don't think Treasure EP.2: Zero to One is as well-rounded of an album as Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, but then again, it may just need some more time to process in my mind. But when it shines, it really shines - "Promise" is enough of an example of that on its own. Anyway, moving on!

To say Treasure EP.3: One to All marked a shift in tone for ATEEZ is an understatment. We went from wistful, starry-eyed hope on their first mini album to darker, more mature sounds on their second album, only to have a summery concept for their third album! I'll openly admit I was worried about what the change in tone would do for ATEEZ's sound, since this was the first comeback of theirs I was around for, but I guess we'll just have to take a look and see if that's the case after all.

To think that ATEEZ could take a stereotypical bright, summery tropical house track and really make it something new and interesting. And hey, ATINY had a large part to play here too! In the run-up to this comeback, KQ Entertainment gave us the option between two songs - we were allowed to pick one, which would become ATEEZ's next title track. The two options were "Wave" and "Illusion", and, well, "Wave" obviously ended up winning and becoming the main title track for this era. And honestly, I can see why! 

Yes, it's definitely leaning more into tropical house than any of ATEEZ's other songs so far, but it does so in a way that's so goddamn refreshing. The guitars are really pleasant to listen to, ATEEZ have their trademark vocal harmonies and chanting that gives such a wonderful sense of camaraderie, and the boys themselves really sell the song with their performances. They all sound really engaged with what's going on here, and that elevates the song from being good to great. The song itself is also beautifully developed, with a really satisfying ending that wraps everything up so well. ATINY really knew what they were doing when they chose this as the title track - and hey, it ended up getting the boys their first win, so I guess we really do have good taste. 😊

Lyrically, this is exactly what you'd expect from a summer song - it's loose, it's carefree, and it's celebratory. But at the same time, it's appropriate for the song right in the middle of a series of pirate-themed tracks. It's continuing on those themes of exploration and discovery that we've previously seen with ATEEZ, and it really gives the song a distinct identity! It's much more than just a forgettable summer song, that's for sure.

And, of course, there's choreography to be looked at here too. But is it as good as what we've seen so far?

Well, despite what I expected going into it, it is! It's a fucking great routine. It really uses the sense of energy and jovial tone ATEEZ have had lurking in some of their other songs to its advantage. If you're not sitting smiling by the time this dance is through, then I'm pretty sure you have no soul. But just because the dance is energetic doesn't mean it's not a technical marvel! A theme I'm noticing with ATEEZ is that they make great use of staggered movements and canons, which I am an absolute sucker for. Thankfully, they're just as present in the routine for "Wave", if not even more present than they have been previously! Between that and the stunts Seonghwa and Mingi are pulling off, it really makes the routine riveting from start to finish. It really is infectious, and ATEEZ absolutely nailed it!

So now I can only hope that the rest of the album shows as much promise as the title track - with "Promise" still fresh in my mind, I'm hoping for them to blow me away again, but I may as well see what else the album has to offer!

1. UTOPIA - ...remember how I just said I wanted ATEEZ to blow me away again? They took that as a challenge. This side tracks list is getting harder and harder to write, because holy FUCK this is amazing. "Utopia" is a city-pop inspired song that's so much more than you'd think it to be initially. By the time it's over, it's got this tangible sense of nostalgia and longing that shouldn't be physically possible to create within a 4-minute timespan, but hey, here we are! The chromatic progressions in the bridge are a nice surprise, the ambiguity in the key keeps you engaged and curious, and "Utopia" may just be one of the best damn songs I've heard this year. (Seriously, KQ, if you keep this up, you'll be paying for my medical expenses.)

2. ILLUSION - This is the most divisive of any of ATEEZ's songs yet, that's for sure. I remember seeing people so split on whether or not they liked "Illusion" when this album came out, but trust me when I say it's a song that takes its time to grow on you. Yes, the autotune can be off-putting, but once you look past it and accept it as a part of the song, "Illusion" is really enjoyable! It's very upbeat and fun, and really gives off that raw energy that ATEEZ exude if you've ever seen them on a variety show. They're eight lovable idiots, and "Illusion" gives them a chance to have that reflect in their music, if only for a fleeting moment.

3. CRESCENT - Not much to say here, since this is actually an interlude plopped right in the middle of the album. It's certainly an interesting choice, but one I think works very well! It gives a great introduction to "Wave", and it's a very effective way of separating the album's songs so their tones don't clash too much.

5. AURORA - It's songs like "Aurora" that make me question how the hell ATEEZ are still a rookie group. Seriously, this is goddamn beautiful. The synths and violins in the pre-choruses are a stunning mix, Mingi gets to sing again, and the trap breakdown for Hongjoong's rap is inobtrusive - which, in 2019, that's a massive achievement. It's reminiscent of Seventeen at their best, with songs like "Thanks" and "Don't Cry", but with an indescribable flair that only ATEEZ could bring to the table. This is fucking great.

6. DANCING LIKE BUTTERFLY WINGS - This is a song I didn't think much of initially, but... can I just gush about Jongho for a second? Choi motherfucking Jongho is out here, falsettoing into oblivion, and he deserves all the love in the world for it because HOLY SHIT. THIS is how you end an album. If I had a single complaint about this song, it's the weird little breakdown towards the end, but it thankfully doesn't overstay its welcome and just acts as a nice little segue from one part of the song into the next. The choruses here are almost indie inspired, and they feel so much more raw and organic than most other songs in K-Pop; the guitars and drum line are incredibly prominent from start to finish. All in all, "Dancing Like Butterfly Wings" really blew me away, and may I just repeat, CHOI JONGHO IS GOING TO KILL ME. 

All in all, I think Treasure EP.3: One to All has ended up being my favourite album in the series so far. I mean, really? "Utopia", "Aurora" and "Dancing Like Butterfly Wings" on the one album? That should be illegal. 

But with songs like those and "Promise" under their belt, to say ATEEZ have a lot of potential as a rookie group doesn't even begin to cut it. Knowing that I still have a full album to look at just gets me absolutely giddy with excitement - it's probably going to continue to make my side tracks list even harder to write, but fuck it. If the music's this good, it's absolutely worth it. 

If this post served as your introduction to ATEEZ, go listen to all of these albums for yourself. It is 100% worth your while, and you may just find a new group to stan in the midst of it all. I know I have!


ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Pirate King (해적왕)
HALA HALA (Hearts Awakened, Live Alive)
Wave