I love a strong sense of identity in groups and the work that they make. Would you say that these are emblematic of ATEEZ’s sound or have they gone through many different phases in their career?

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ATEEZ I would say have a large influence on their peers– especially the younger idols coming into this industry. The reason being is they became the industry’s blueprint for performance and expression. I can’t stress enough how amazing ATEEZ are live. Their theatrics are fantastic.

Oh, not knowing of KQ is normal! ATEEZ is the first group they created!

Block B were originally with Stardom Entertainment. They ended up in legal battle with em about lack of payment. The CEO of KQ worked with/for Stardom at the Time. He assisted Block B with the legal battle and negotiated them being allowed to keep their group name, etc. He created a new company solely for them - Seven Seasons. The CEO later created KQ Produce to start "growing" a team of in-house producers, with members of Block B helping to recommend people's. The leader of ATEEZ (HJ) wanted to become a producer and tried to join. It wasn't until Block B was preparing for enlistment and/or solo activities that KQ's CEO decided to try creating their own k-pop group. HJ was called up and became an idol trainee rather than producer- assisting in producing a tonnn of ATEEZ's music.

So KQ has only officially created 2 groups: ATEEZ and their lil brothers XIKERS.

All of this started round 2013, so it was likely not on your radar at allllll.

Sorry info ramble over. I did tryyy to keep it succinct as possible. xD

The Killing Voice is probably the best one I’ve seen.

You mention that they look older for a debuting kpop group, but they actually were still pretty young, I believe 18-20 at the time.  Which, yeah, plenty of idols debut much younger, but they do indeed look older than they are.  I've heard that even during their debut era some people assumed they weren't rookies because of their aura - a lot of people say they can have an intimidating presence when they're working.

They are actually the same age as Stray Kids, and debuted the same year, but skz LOOKS way younger just because of their faces and overall visuals.  But that kind of goes with their name, so it works lol.  (Looks like you haven't done skz on here yet - as a fellow 2nd gen stan I recommend, skz was what pulled me back and then ateez made me stay!)

An important thing to note about Ateez is their dedication to staying themselves even at the cost of fame, Ateez is infamous for being more popular overseas than in Korea as their concept, personalities and overall sound just resonated better with international audiences. Funnily enough they still have a big impact on other groups as Ateez debuted with and maintained a really "intimidating" image and are well known for having some of the most high energy/physically demanding performances in the industry, which has made them (Especially the member Choi San) huge role models to newer male idols who desire to be able to preform with a similar intensity.

That and the members themselves are very open and proudly individualistic some with no hesitation to speak their mind even when it alienates certain "fans" ie, Hongjoong and his dedication to supporting charities, Seonghwa's love for genderless expression, Wooyoung's open disgust with sasaengs, etc. And a special shoutout to the groups lifelong beef with a choreographer that copied a move from their "Say My Name" choreo and tried to pass it off as his own creation, they stay on his neck fr <3

Debut MVs/performance videos were filmed in Morocco because the locations were free, so it only cost the fees of the travel, costumes, film crew etc. There were about 10 staff originally! Ateez leader (called Captain) Hongjoong (he's the higher pitched rapper) sent a mix tape in to the company at age 16, originally wanting to be a producer. After a year, they found the tape and when he came to the company they offered him to be their first idol. He trained for 6 months alone, before being joined by another member, Yunho, then shortly afterwards the deep voiced rapper, Mingi.

Each member has had various levels of experience pre-debut, some not so long at all, but the Maknae Jongho (the powerful belter main singer) I think was training for about 6 years. One of the members (San) had no dance experience at all yet is now contributing to creating their choreos and is the one most people first notice performance wise. A couple of the members (Yeosang and Wooyoung) were in Big Hit, but left - one following the other, saying they'll either succeed or fail together. Jongho was in one of the big 4 too but left because of the conditions. They were born between 1998 (Hongjoong and Seongwha) and 2000 (Jongho), with 5 members born in '99, so they weren't that old. They just had a lot of presence, power and charisma right from the start.

The CEO of KQ paid out of pocket to send Ateez pre-debut to LA in order to train. They went viral for dance covers under the name KQ Fellaz prior to debut. Everything they've done is a result of some real hard work and passion to make it successful. They have mentioned in various interviews how hard it was to even be given the time to show this to fans, as they were often blocked or cut short in performance opportunities. They still have some challenges, but they have become very successful, especially globally. They were the first boy band at Coachella and have also headlined at Mawazine. That said they are very proud of being Korean which is noticeable in their song, The Real, which they often perform as an Encore. They signed on for another 7 year contract last year.

They do stand apart and are well recognised for being performance kings, and are best known for their powerful presence on stage as well as their hardworking humbleness and kindness off stage (as well as being a bunch of chaotic goofballs). That said, not all their songs are super high energy, there is a ridiculous amount of diversity in their genres. But they do deliver everything as Ateez, which does give them a consistent flavour and passion across all the different types of sounds. Even the new mini-album has a huge range in sounds, but they are all distinctly Ateez songs!

They also have highly detailed and utilised lore - including pirates, alternate dimensions, dreams / illusions, rebellions against a dystopic society that is suppressing any form of emotion/expression, fictional religion and significant powerful artefacts. All their marketing is extremely clever and utilises so many different channels interlinking in very subtle ways - leading to a puzzle box fervour amongst Loretinys with every release (the fan name is Atiny, mix of Ateez and Destiny).  

The new MV, Bad, is very lore heavy and also has tons of Easter Eggs to previous releases - including Bouncy, Guerilla, Lemon Drop, Ice on My Teeth and probably more. Those releases are some of their biggest title tracks but there's loads more out there and they have AMAZING b-sides. For other title tracks I particularly love the cinematic Halazia, the dark Hala Hala which was their first comeback, the sexy Deja Vu, as well as the anthemic Wonderland. These are all really lore heavy alongside Answer, Say My Name and Crazy Form which are also brilliant tracks. All very different, all very Ateez.

They did a Killing Voice in 2024 which will definitely give you a flavour of their diversity of songs as well as their voices. They also don't like to lip sync on stage so have live mics with backing track for when they're going all out dancing. Hongjoong, Mingi and Jongho typically use handheld mics.

Ateez has intensive lore, like super complicated multidimensional time and space. lol They are Kings of Performance…they went viral before debut for dance videos they released under the name KQ Fellas. They are the only other group I follow next to BTS. For Pirate King they helped choreograph the dance and write the song. Some of my faves are Deja Vu, Guerilla, and Cyberpunk. And yes they are in fact, in simple terms…pirates. I hope you continue with Ateez

It's such a rare opportunity to hear an opinion of someone who is both familiar with the genre and yet unfamiliar with the Ateez. I'm LIVING for all the insights, it's genuinely SO much fun! Really hope you check out more of them soon. I think that Ateez is a very rare group in the way that they both have signature sound and explore so many genres and it's still somehow feels cohesive enough. And they definitely progressed over the years!

Someone already mentioned but they were not really enmeshed with BlockB that was firmed in another company. Ateez is the first group to come out of KQ and our captain was it's very first trainy when KQ had no development team and didn't know what to do with him for half a year untill the next trainee joined and they started slowly figuring it out! XD

Could you please react to Ateez Killing Voice? It really showcases their stunning vocals and absurd energy lol

more, more Ateez

Ateez saved my teen daughter’s life so I am very grateful for them. Then she got me on them and I haven’t listened to anyone else’s music in over a year. They still keep amazing me and they satisfy all my musical needs. I love their title tracks but the B sides are golden. I haven’t seen a discography that could come close to theirs

ATEEZ really has one of the wildest, most versatile discographies in K-pop right now. Instead of sticking to one safe sound, they just throw themselves into whatever genre fits the mood. Switching from chaotic EDM, heavy hip-hop, and trap to grand orchestral pieces, smooth R&B, and bright indie-pop.
But what actually makes them special is how all this music ties into a massive, cinematic universe. Their albums are broken down into distinct eras: Treasure, Fever, The World, and Golden Hour. And each one moves a crazy, sci-fi storyline forward. The lore reads like a dystopian blockbuster: you’ve got a literal resistance movement, time travel, a dimension called "Strictland" where music and emotions are completely illegal, and these creepy, masked alter-egos called "Halateez."
Every single music video, lyric, and live stage is basically a puzzle piece for the plot, which gives everything they do this massive, theatrical scale. That total commitment to the concept, combined with how fiercely they perform, is exactly why they've blown up globally. They aren't afraid to push boundaries, and it’s paid off with huge industry recognition, including pulling in prestigious Daesang grand prizes at major shows like the SMA, HMA, and the AAA.

Please watch the killing voice as an introduction, and to get a preview to their music.

The mvs for Pirate King and Treasure were filmed in Morocco so you were right about the Northern Africa guess

For more vocal songs (titletracks not bsides) definitely check out mvs like Inception, Deja Vu, Turbulence, In Your Fantasy, Answer, Eternal sunshine...
For strong intense songs chech out mvs like Bouncy, Guerrilla, Crazy Form, Halazia, Hala Hala, The Real,  Say My Name, Ice On My Teeth, Work, Firworks....
You can find every type of music in Ateez's discography.

There wasn't much overlap between Block B and Ateez but the one thing that contributed massively to Ateez style of performance is the dance/choreo group they inherited from Block B called BBTrippin. They basically raised all the members and have been working with them to this day. So you'll see some common points in terms of theatricality and irreverence between the two groups (and their juniors, Xikers). Otherwise, Ateez are very much their own thing and I'm not exaggerating when I say that nobody else in kpop does it like them. The way they perform on stage is in the league of their own. That tiny boy with green hair from the debut MVs, San, grew up to be known as "the man who raised the standards of kpop performance" and Ateez are known under nicknames like the light of kpop and the deities of stage.
If you continue to get to know them I very strongly recommend always watching a live version of the song, preferably a concert one (all their tour DVDs are available here on YT and generally don't get blocked unless you run into an unfortunate automatic filter bc KQ are very pro-reactors) .

The studio versions don't really show how much the vocal line contributes as much as the live version.

Subscribing for more Ateez👀👀

Storyline is deep with this one!!! Everytime I watch bad I keep seeing references from world Z!!!

18:24 It's interesting that you say that 'cause the main vocalist, even as recently as 2025, said he's not happy with how he did on their debut album. I'm looking forward to your future reactions to them!

Since you might react to the Killing Voice, in case it helps, this is the order they'll be standing in from left to right:
1. Jongho: main vocalist, maknae
2. San: lead vocalist, main dancer (was sick at the time)
3. Wooyoung: vocalist, main dancer
4. Yeosang: vocalist, rapper, performer, visual
5. Hongjoong: captain (leader), producer, songwriter, main rapper
6. Yunho: vocalist, main dancer
7. Mingi: producer, lyricist, main dancer, main rapper (was VERY sick at the time)
8. Seonghwa: vocalist, rapper, performer, visual