Say their name! Weāre celebrating six months with ATEEZ by highlighting the rookie boy group in our latest K-pop spotlight.Ā
ATEEZ, short for A Teenager Z, has been a busy bunch over the past half-year, releasing two mini-albums and countless videos for tracks like Say My Name, HALA HALA, and Treasure, and touring the U.S. and Europe via MyMusicTaste, a service that allows fans to request concerts in their cities. Fun fact: the group sold out their entire Expedition tour circuit with only 10 songs under their belt.)
We caught up with the octet during their time in NYC to discuss their tour, self-care tips, and what Treasure means to them.
How would you describe your sound?
HONGJOONG: I would describe ATEEZās music as just āATEEZā. It combines our individual style and experience to create the unique sound you listen to.
Dream collaboration and why?
SAN: I like Shawn Mendes and his music style and would love to collaborate with him.
MINGI: For me, when I think about American artists, I really like Joey BadA$$, MAX, and Migos. I personally listen to them a lot and would love to collaborate with them.
JONGHO: *as a response to Mingi* I think they would go well together!
Whatās the best piece of advice youāve gotten?
HONGJOONG: My best advice is that thereās nothing you canāt do. As long as you put your heart into trying your best and your hardest, you can do anything.
SEONGHWA: For me, the best advice Iāve gotten is to be sincere in my performance on stage and in my singing towards our fans.
This is your first ever tourāwhatās been your favorite part so far?
WOOYOUNG: Getting to meet our international fans for the first time and just the tour as a whole, especially because itās our first.
Best self-care tips for being on tour?
YEOSANG: Sleeping is most important so that we have the strength for our performances.
YUNHO: Be sure to eat well and take off all your makeup thoroughly with cleansing products after performances.
HONGJOONG:Ā Itās very important for us to communicate with one another throughout everything so that if thereās a problem, we can solve it together. We canāt afford to have issues when we have many stages lined up.
How would you describe your personal style?
SEONGHWA: I donāt want to limit myself to just one so I like to have a variation of styles.
SAN: I have a fun style! *finger heart*
YEOSANG: Thereās a lot of variety in clothing style and I like to apply those styles into my own fashion.
MINGI: I like street brands.
JONGHO: Even though Iām the youngest of the group, I want to portray an image where Iām not the youngest.
YUNHO: I want to give a clean and dandy style.
WOOYOUNG: I think for fashion, I love an all-black style. And jackets! Also, similar to Mingi, I like street brands.
HONGJOONG: We all have our individual styles but I usually try a variety of different things that I think is or can be trendy. I want people to describe my fashion style as trendy and to consider me a trendsetter.
Your choreography includes a lot of intense movementāhow do you keep healthy/in shape to perform live?
YEOSANG: Eating my vitamins.
SAN: I get motivation through talking to my parents on the phone!
JONGHO: I exercise to keep in shape.
YUNHO: Stretching before and after performances.
WOOYOUNG: I think just sleep.
SEONGHWA: *laughs* I agree.
MINGI: One thing I love doing is going to the Korean sauna to relax. If I feel tight or stressed in parts of my body, I can release the tension there.
In your song Treasure, you talk about leaving to a far away place and finding your treasureāwhat are your personal treasures?
SEONGHWA: Reaching for my dreams.
SAN: I love Atiny. Atinyās my treasure.
YEOSANG: Atiny is my treasure but I want to find more in the future.
MINGI: I love Hongjoong! *finger heart to Hongjoong*
HONGJOONG: *laughs* Mingiās always doing that during interviews! Only at interviews!
MINGI: But ATEEZ itself is the treasure first.
JONGHO: I have two teasures.
MINGI: Me? *laughs* Is it me?
YUNHO *sitting next to Jongho*: Mingi and Yunho?
MINGI: Oh yeah! Mingi and Yunho! Are we your treasures? *laughs*
JONGHO: My treasure is my lip balm. And an apple. And this mirror. *points at the mirror on the lip balm*
YUNHO: My members are definitely my treasure and I wish that their dreams will come true.
WOOYOUNG: My members, Atiny, our managers, our staff, everyone who is around me are my treasures.
HONGJOONG: I have the same treasures as everyone else! But personally, my treasure is also my MacBook because I use it to communicate with our fans. I also write our songs with it⦠but I left it in the hotel we stayed at! I thought I lost it but we ended up finding it in the end. Itās getting shipped back to me so thatās a big relief.
Want more ATEEZ? Check out their music and follow along with the conversation here.