ATEEZ Wanders with an Unknown “Fever” in Their New Mini Album
After an almost six month hiatus, ATEEZ is back with their mini album Zero: Fever Part 1. This album serves as the prequel to the Treasure series, adding some backstory to the ATEEZ universe with seven new tracks including two title tracks.
The Battle of The Title Tracks
From July 14 to July 21, ATINY, ATEEZ, and various Korean celebrities participated in what has come to be ATEEZ’s summer comeback tradition. The “battle of the title tracks” consisted of several rounds of voting; this year the choices were between the songs “THANXX” and “INCEPTION.” The winner of this vote would be the promoted title track, while the other would still be considered a title track but would not be promoted as much. Each time fans were given a different type of teaser so they could be well informed during their choices. After ATINY were given their chance to vote, ATEEZ took the vote to the streets and asked fellow industry celebrities to listen, view the performance teasers and vote themselves, this ranges from fellow label mate P.O. all the way to Guy Sebastian. Finally, ATEEZ themselves were able to vote, and the winning song would be announced at ATEEZ’s comeback show. In a very close battle, the track “INCEPTION” came out victorious.
The Album
The physical album was released in three versions: Inception, Diary and Thanxx. In true ATEEZ fashion they came in boxes, but this time they had a flip top instead of the usual box cover. Each version has its own eye catching color scheme that is sure to be a gorgeous addition to any album collection.
“Dear Diary: 2016.07.29” and “Fever”
The first song on the track titled “Dear Diary: 2016.07.29.” It features a monologue by a young girl as she “reads” from a diary entry in 2016. The voice is the same as the girl who does the intro for the “Zero:Fever Part 1 Diary Film.” She spoke of a “weird child” who later became her friend. They hang out, listen to music and dance together. The girl spoke of how these moments were the “first time” she had “actually felt alive.” Towards the end of the reading she mentions that more people joined her and the “weird boy” on their journey with an “Unknown Fever.” As the track begins to come to an end it actually begins playing the first parts of the instrumental to “Fever.” This track starts out like any standard lo-fi hip-hop track before it takes an interesting turn. The soothing melody is accompanied with a very groovy sounding beat. The melody drops away and returns at different parts of the song to allow for more emphasis on vocals. In the pre-chorus, both the beat and the melody drop away as San sings the line “So I gotta let it go” before the chorus begins with a heavy beat drop and choralesque vocal adlb. One of the memorable moments from this song is Jongho belting out long extended notes. ATEEZ was really wanting to show off their skills and this is only track two.
“THANXX” and “INCEPTION”
Both “THANXX” and “INCEPTION” are considered title tracks on this album, however the winner of the battle of the title tracks, “INCEPTION,” is the promoted title track. “THANXX” is the third track on the album and it is a completely different direction from “Fever.” It starts with an infectious latin guitar riff, then the beat that seems latin inspired as well begins. The guitar continues through the song, but it plays below the beat throughout most of the song. The focus of the song really is the dynamic vocals of the members. Two lines of the song really seem to stick in the listeners ear: in the first verse San sings the line “I'm sick and tired of it,” and at the end of the pre-chorus Wooyoung sings the line “Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Gracias.” Both lines seem to be on endless replay in my head, especially Wooyoung’s “gracias.” “THANXX” is definitely a summer hype track that you’ll have on repeat for days. The winning title track “INCEPTION” is another you’ll be listening to over and over again. The song begins with Yeosang and Yunho singing the line “I'm in love,” over a melody created by auto tuned vocals and a very subtle hint of a wind instrument. The whole song's melody is dependent on the auto tuned vocal mix that is overlaid with ATEEZ’s own vocals, and adlibs paired with a very in your face beat to create something very interesting musically. The chorus provides another part that will be on endless repeat in your head. The lines “Every day and night I'm gonna chase you” and “I’m dream in a dream every night” are sure to interrupt the thought process at the most random parts of the day. After the first chorus there is a very fun EDM dance break that helps bridge between the first and second half of the song. Something to note that is the same in both “THANXX” and “INCEPTION” is the fact that Jongho sings some lung defying notes in both songs that can bring a tear to your eye. Although only one song won in the end, either of these tracks would have made a fine promoted title track.
Check out the music video for “INCEPTION.”
“TO THE BEAT,” “Good Lil Boy,” and “One Day at a Time”
“TO THE BEAT” will keep you on your feet for its entire duration; it will be almost impossible to listen to it while sitting still. The first line of the song sung by a high pitched voice is “Move your body to the beat,” and that's what you will be doing the entire time. This high pitched voice continues throughout most of the song, accompanied by one of the dirtiest beats I have heard in a while out of K-Pop group. Yunho, Seongwha, and Yeosang begin the song by whispering over the beat before Hongjoong comes out of nowhere spitting fire. True to the song's title, the song's musical elements are mostly beats of different kinds, some less traditional than others. A favorite line from the whole song is “I'll make you say wow,” and I did indeed say wow as I abused the replay button to listen to this song a 100 times after it dropped. Of all the songs on this album, “TO THE BEAT” is the one that will most likely be heard in a club mix in the near future. “Good Lil Boy” is the song on the album that Hongjoong wrote, arranged, and produced almost all on his own. When listening to the song, it's easy to hear the Caribbean inspired influence in the track, however the chorus takes a completely different turn than the verses—with a more fast paced melody that contrasts very well. The song utilizes many stringed instruments as well as an electric drumbeat. Overall the song isn't as in your face as the other songs on the album, but it still is one that can easily find itself on a heavy rotation playlist.
The last song on the album is sure to bring a tear to your eye. “One Day at a Time” is a track entirely in English, and is meant to encourage people who are having a hard time. With lines like “Sometimes we need a helping hand, you’ll be alright, just take it slow, one day at a time,” the song could not come at a better time with the current state of world affairs. The song is mainly vocal focused, each member singing sweet words of encouragement over a very subtle piano melody and a simple beat. When listening to this song, it's easy to figure out the point is the lyrics.
Final Thoughts
This album is shaping up to be one of the best drops of the summer so far. Coming eight months after their previous release, ATEEZ wanted to show what they were made of and solidify their spot in the psyche of the public. There is not one song on this album that would intentionally be skipped, and is sure to attract many new fans both in and outside of Korea.
Be sure to stream Zero:Fever Part 1 on all major platforms.