Ateez Remembers ‘Flood of Emotions’ for Coachella Debut, Thanks Loyal Fanbase for Growing Global Fame: ‘It Feels Like We Can Overcome Anything’

Ateez made history earlier this year as the first male Korean group to play Coachella, just one stop on its “Towards the Light: Will to Power” North American tour that sees the octet play L.A.’s BMO Stadium July 20 and a just-added July 21 show.

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The KQ Entertainment act has been on the rise well before the desert fest, scoring their first Billboard No. 1 in December 2023 with “The World EP.Fin: Will” and in June reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with single “Work.” In 2023, Ateez was among the biggest-grossing K-pop tours, racking up $13.9 million at the box office over 10 shows and 103,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard. The group, which debuted in 2018, probably created more fans — known as Atiny — with its dynamic Coachella set, and their songs and set pieces that are more story-driven than other pop acts.

Ateez — made up of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — released “Golden Hour: Part 1” on May 31 and hit No. 2 on the Billboard chart. They kicked off their North American tour on July 14 at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash., and have just added dates in Georgia and Illinois.

The group agrees that Coachella was an absolute game-changer for their state-side fame. “We’ve done so many tours, visited so many countries and performed for so many fans, but this was the first time that we took part in such a huge festival,” says Seonghwa. “There was definitely a flood of emotions, because it was truly exciting, nerve-wracking, and just such an honor to be a part of.”

Ateez brought their unique style of choreography to the festival’s Sahara stage, setting social media buzz. “While we were preparing our performance, I did feel some pressure to do well, but right as I was stepping on the stage, it was a simple thought that came to me and changed my perspective. This performance was a gift for all of us, built on the time that Ateez and Atiny have spent together. And it was with this thought in mind that I was able to enjoy that performance to the utmost and show everything that we wanted to,” says Seongwha.

Following their Coachella performance, the group accrued new fans thanks to their brand of connecting music and storytelling. “The storyline follows our music, so it’s a concept that is already incorporated into our overall sound. The songs and performances further amplify the narrative by embodying the mood of the storyline with our facial expressions and acting,” Yunho tells Variety .

San notes: “The moments when we meet eyes with Atiny and both time and space fall into place in such a way that we are in complete sync, it feels like we can overcome anything. It really feels like anything is possible thanks to Atiny.”

But where does Ateez get its inspiration?

“Honestly, we’ve drawn inspiration from so many different places, people and things around us, but in the end, I’d have to say the biggest inspiration of all comes from the eight members and ATINY,” says Hongjoong. “We’ve spent nearly six years together, and that has molded such a special bond to draw from, where we can inspire and influence each other. In turn, this has created our group’s unique sound in music.”

Their latest music exhibits the evolution of their sound and different points of view that members bring to the songs. “I personally think that Ateez’s music is always changing,” says Mingi. “From our debut album to our current one, I believe we’ve been creating music to express each situation we’ve been in, without restricting ourselves to specific genres. So, rather than saying that our current album has brought about a huge change, we believe in constantly evolving and seizing opportunities for growth through change as we prepare our music.”

When reflecting on their growing worldwide success, Yeosang says they can’t go too fast. “When aiming for high places, there’s so many methods of getting there,” he says. “You could take an elevator or an escalator up, but we have taken the path of climbing the stairs step by step. Along the way, we learned to rely on each other, understand each other, and share in the efforts and passion that each of us put in to make it here. It made all of this that much more precious and valuable.”

Jongho says, “Our goal is continuously focused on taking every opportunity to be on stage and performing, creating more moments for us to stay by Atiny’s side for a long time.”

As for interests beyond the group, Wooyoung says, “If given the opportunity, I’d like to show my fans a new side of myself through various activities, including some solo interests that I have. I honestly want to present aspects that I haven’t been able to show until now, but above all, as Ateez, we always want to perform on stage as much as we can together.”

Nico Lightfoot contributed to this report.