ATEEZ Proves They’re in it For the Long Haul with First Full-Length Album
Only a year into their career, ATEEZ has already caused quite a buzz amongst the K-Pop community. This monster rookie group has consistently delivered with each release and their latest album, TREASURE EP.FIN: All To Action, continues that trend. This is the first full album from the idol boy group, giving fans a whopping eleven brand new tracks that will surely be on repeat.
Tracklist:
End of the Beginning
Featured Track: WONDERLAND
Dazzling Light
MIST
Precious (Overture)
WIN
If Without You
THANK U
Sunrise
WITH U
Beginning of the End
The Title: “WONDERLAND”
If there’s one thing ATEEZ has conquered without a doubt, it’s the dark, intense concept. They travelled away from this trend with the last comeback, “Wave,” which left fans either reeling or fairly unimpressed. Having been in the latter category, I hoped that their new comeback would see the group return to their roots, and they did not disappoint.
Right off the bat, the strong horn melodies and powerful chanting combined with Hongjoong’s intense rap set the tone for the rest of the song. The hard beat drives through the following vocalist features of Yunho, Wooyoung, and Seonghwa. The melody is kept fresh by a shift in the time signature as San begins his portion, giving a brief taste of double time before building up toward the chorus climax with Jongho.
What really left an impression on me in “WONDERLAND” was the choice to not dive right into a drop at Jongho’s high note, but instead feature a brief respite with the breathy, and dare I say sexy, elongated whisper of “가자.” In addition, the actual drop featuring a heavy tribal melody is extremely fierce and only builds up the driving force of the song. It’s rather uncommon, but new melodic features are added during Yeosang’s verse—a percussive, metallic feature that adds another flavor to the general composition of the track. Ending with a consistent rhythm to fit the dance break and tie the full song together, there’s not much that can be criticized about the composition of this track. The only thing that I could comment on is that the rappers’ verses don’t fit quite as nicely as I’d like, but it definitely doesn’t detract from the song overall.
The CG budget was clearly bumped up with the video, with scenes of large rooms full of mechanical elements, never ending staircases in what appears to be a tower, and many things on fire. Red light and the manipulation of light and shadow are major visual elements used in the video, with some members in darker and more intense scenes than others (see: Wooyoung completely chained up in a black room). However, as expected of ATEEZ, the real highlights are the choreography shots throughout the video. The group has always been exceptional at performance, to the point that upon debut many commented that they looked like seasoned idols. The dance breakdown toward the end of the track not only highlights the staccato nature of the melody, but personifies the overpowering aura of the song itself through the choreography. In a performance only ATEEZ could pull off, the choreography is the icing on the cake of this comeback. “WONDERLAND” may not be perfect, but it comes unbelievably close.
The Album
The album begins with 30 second intro “End of the Beginning,” a heavily tribal-influenced opener that transitions smoothly and directly into the title. The haunting nature of the intro flowing effortlessly into the title track is nothing but pure art, and kicks off the album on an incredibly strong note. “Dazzling Light” brings that intensity to a skidding stop, featuring a much lighter melody that is very reminiscent of “Wave.” It has its own groove that is addicting, particularly in the chorus, but I personally wasn’t a fan of the major shift in mood.
“MIST” adds yet another musical layer to the album, focusing heavily on R&B and featuring a slow tempo that certainly feels sexy. I found Jongho’s high notes and strong voice particularly well fit for this song, along with Hongjoong’s smoother and softer rap that contrasts quite a bit with his rough and frantic tone in the title. The fifth track “Precious (Overture)” features an overture that has quite the duality to it. After a rather soft intro, we’re immediately assaulted with Mingi’s fierce rap and a build to a drop, which comes as a completely unexpected EDM melody that is totally different from where the song began. I can’t quite decide if I like it or not, since it gave me musical whiplash from start to finish, but it’s certainly an intriguing artistic choice.
Next comes “WIN,” a high-tempo, bright track that’s definitely more cheerful than the tracks before it, but the hip-hop elements in the chorus make the song more interesting than it would have been if the melody had remained static. “If Without You” follows, another breezy song with more of an R&B focus in the rhythm. In contrast to “MIST” with its sexy R&B vibes, “If Without You” is a more sentimental and cheerful R&B track. Taking things into another direction once again, “THANK U” features a more popular acoustic/EDM mixed sound that I would label as fairly generic. Despite this, the song has a genuinely sweet sentiment that warmed my heart even upon first listen.
“Sunrise” is a much more mellow track that contrasts greatly from the other songs, which have all been quite fervent in their own way. The song also has a very sunny sentiment that combines well with the relaxed nature of the melody. “WITH U” is the ballad featured on the album and is definitely dominated by the vocalists, who may have a better chance to shine when not overshadowed by the intensity of the rest of the album. This song is soft and sweet and feels almost comforting, like a warm cup of tea on a chilly day. And finally, concluding the album is the outro “Beginning of the End,” a melancholy, heavily instrumental track that brings the album full-circle. The strings are haunting, and the buildup to the end of the song leaves a sense of unease about what is to come next. Perhaps it’s a teaser for what the group has in store going forward?
TREASURE EP.FIN: All To Action is a multi-dimensional album that has the group exploring just about every genre out there in K-Pop. I don’t recall ever being so intrigued by an ATEEZ album before, as I’ve found many of their B-sides to be somewhat forgettable. That’s definitely not the case with this full-length album, which has something everyone will love. I’m impressed by the versatility the group presents, and I think it also shows a maturity in them as musicians. They have grown quite significantly in their first year, and I can’t wait to see how far this remarkable group will fly.