ATEEZ Awakens Hearts in New Release

ATEEZ only debuted a couple of months ago, but the rookie boy group has already made their first comeback with mini-album TREASURE EP 2: Zero To One. There has been quite a buzz about this group and their talents, with some even saying that they could be the game changer of 2019. After falling for their debut myself, I was quite excited to see what they had in store for their first comeback.

“Say My Name”

Let’s start with this fact: “Say My Name” is not going to be what you expect upon first listen. There is a very distinct acoustic melody that carries throughout the song, though it does have a hip-hop beat accompanying it. Still, the acoustic elements make the song seem lighter than you may expect, especially after the pre-release of “HALA HALA.” Based on the teaser images, it seemed like the title track was going to be dark and intense, but that didn’t really come to fruition—at least as far as the melody is concerned. Still, the song is definitely catchy, even if unexpected.

The visual elements, however, are no joke. The music video begins with Hongjoong in an incredibly flashy fur coat, which sets the stage for what can be expected in the rest of the video. The concept is clearly Wild West-influenced, and that is seen in the overly flamboyant outfits. The choreography is executed well and is definitely unique, fitting the light track itself. Although, the general darker scenes that are rampant throughout the video seem a little bit out of place in comparison to the song itself. “Say My Name” isn’t exactly what I expected from the teasers, but it certainly has its own charm.

The Album

TREASURE EP 2: Zero To One begins with “HALA HALA,” which definitely made waves among the K-Pop community with its pre-release on January 9. Less than a week after the video was released, it surpassed the one million view mark, which is quite an accomplishment for such a new group. “HALA HALA” is a better fit for the teasers in my opinion, and would have probably been a stronger title track to choose if cohesiveness with the concept was important. The performance video only gives a brief teaser of the track and what could have been used as a title. In my opinion, this track is the strongest on the album.

“Say My Name” is the second track on the mini-album, followed by the strangely intriguing “Desire.” “Desire” has a bit of a scattered melodic line that is both intriguing but simultaneously off-putting at first. The song has a heavier EDM influence than the first two tracks. “Light” comes next and changes up the melodic line once again with a softer R&B feel. It sounds very different from the tracks the group has released before, and I mean that in the best way possible. The mini-album concludes with “Promise,” an upbeat EDM track that is more measured than “Desire.” Overall, this mini-album has a bit more appeal than their debut album, at least in my opinion. The first album didn’t contain much musical diversity, but in TREASURE EP 2: Zero To One the group explores a lot of different musical genres that they hadn’t touched before. That fact keeps the album interesting throughout!

There is no doubt in my mind that ATEEZ has the ability to make waves in this industry. Though they are still fledglings, they have a strong foundation to grow as artists going forward. Their impressive performance is enough to get them noticed. If you haven’t taken the time to familiarize yourself with this group, now is the time!