Meet Your New Treasure, ATEEZ

We’ve got a new boy group on the scene! KQ Entertainment debuted ATEEZ on October 24 with their first mini-album Treasure EP 1: All To Zero. Some of the members are familiar from their participation on MIXNINE! The group featured two debut tracks, “Pirate King” and “Treasure,” and a mini-album with six tracks.

The Music

ATEEZ came out guns blazing with this debut, providing the whole package of vocals, rap, and dance along with a bad boy concept with a pirate twist. While that sounds particularly strange on the surface, it’s executed surprisingly well. If you’re looking for a new banger to add to your playlist, you’ll be a big fan of “Pirate King.”

“Pirate King” is not your typical banger, however. The song starts off intense on the level of a normal chorus drop, and conversely the drop features a slow down in tempo with an eccentric and modern sound that definitely leaves an impression. By the second listen you’ll find yourself jamming along without even realizing it. We personally find this track stronger than its counterpart, but it all comes down to personal taste.

“Treasure” has a more relaxed feel with a modern hip-hop beat and a more traditional drop of the beat. We dare to say that rap is a strong point of this group, but that may just be our own personal bias toward rappers in general. The track also has more EDM influence compared to “Pirate King,” so it would probably be considered the track with more potential for commercial success.

Four B-sides are also on the debut album, starting with “Intro: Long Journey.” A short minute-and-a-half track, the intro introduces the pirate concept with a backing track based on the sounds of the calm ocean and a sentimental feeling that follows once the lyrics begin. The air of adventure certainly is apparent, and their focused concept is incredibly clear almost immediately. While seemingly out of place, the pirate concept is more like a metaphor for adventuring and dream chasing.

The album then dives into the dual title tracks, beginning with “Pirate King” and moving into “Treasure.” The first B-side “Twilight” is a bright track that has a heavy summer feel fit for the beach. “Stay” follows this pattern, but the final track “My Way” has a bit more of a ballad feel to begin with before returning to the EDM-influenced melody. The two title tracks have more hip-hop influence, while the B-sides are more traditional EDM and pop.

Meet the Boys

Hongjoong

Real Name: Kim Hongjoong (김홍중)

Position: Leader, Rapper, Composer

Birthday: November 7, 1998

Fun Fact: Hongjoong is considered the dorky dad of the group and has composed approximately 40 songs so far for the group

Sunghwa

Real Name: Park Sunghwa (박성화)

Position: Vocalist

Birthday: April 3, 1998

Fun Fact: Sunghwa is the mom of the group and is the one that does all the cleaning for the members

Yunho

Real Name: Jung Yunho (정윤호)

Position: Vocalist, Dancer

Birthday: March 23, 1999

Fun Fact: Yunho is the energizer of the group and attended Seungri’s Dance Academy.

Yeosang

Real Name: Kang Yeosang (강여상)

Position: Vocalist, Dancer, Visual

Birthday: June 15, 1999

Fun Fact: Yeosang is a former BigHit trainee and is said to resemble Kim Jaejoong of JYJ.

San

Real Name: Choi San (최산)

Position: Vocalist

Birthday: July 10, 1999

Fun Fact: San loves plushies and has a massive collection, and he is the mood maker of the group.

Mingi

Real Name: Song Mingi (송민기)

Position: Rapper, Dancer

Birthday: August 9, 1999

Fun Fact: Mingi’s personality is almost identical to his father and he also attended Seungri’s Dance Academy.

Wooyoung

Real Name: Jung Wooyoung (정우영)

Position: Dancer, Vocalist

Birthday: November 26, 1999

Fun Fact: Wooyoung loves honey butter chips and has a very good sense of smell.

Jongho

Real Name: Choi Jongho (최종호)

Position: Main Vocalist, Maknae

Birthday: October 12, 2000

Fun Fact: Jongho is related to MIXNINE contestant Choi Jiseon and likes to tease Wooyoung.