(KQ Entertainment)

Although it has only been a few months since ATEEZ made its debut, the new kids in town are practicing day and night for their upcoming sold-out world tour. And this monster rookie act is confident that every show will be perfect.

“We can’t believe that the tour’s already sold out. Thank you, ATINY (ATEEZ’s fandom),” said group leader HongJoong during a recent interview with The Kpop Herald in Seoul.

The world tour, titled “Expedition,” kicks off next week and will take the band all over the US and Europe.

But the bandmates are excited, not nervous.




“We just can’t believe it. While we don’t know what the stage will look like or how we will feel on it, we will try and practice more. We hope to put on a perfect show. I can say with confidence that it will be perfect,” HongJoong said.

Rapper MinGi also chimed in and said, “It will be amazing. We will live up to your expectations for all the sold-out concerts.”

After a first stop in Los Angeles on March 15, the band will head to Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta before ending the US leg of its tour in New York City. The European tour begins April 3 in London, followed by stops in 10 cities including Lisbon, Paris, Berlin, Budapest and Moscow.

ATEEZ’s sold-out world tour is a remarkable feat for a rookie band, but its international following has lent momentum to its rapid rise to fame.




The eight-member group -- made up of HongJoong, SeongHwa, YunHo, YeoSang, San, MinGi, WooYoung and JongHo -- debuted Oct. 24 last year with the EP “[TREASURE EP.1 : All To Zero],” dual-fronted by the singles “Treasure” and “Pirate King.”

With a name that stands for “A Teenager Z,” the group said it hoped to appeal to every teenager.




The group has succeeded in carving out its own sonic niche, staying away from the more typical boy-next-door image and leaning toward a more aggressive hip-hop style with swaggering hits like “Pirate King,” "HALA HALA(Hearts Awakened, Live Alive)” and “Say My Name.”

While the band so far lacks mainstream visibility in the local K-pop scene, its singers have captured the hearts of overseas K-pop fans, and its albums have done amazingly well on global charts and racked up impressive views on YouTube.

The act’s debut EP landed at No. 14 on Billboard’s World Albums chart, while its second -- “[TREASURE EP.2 : Zero To One]” released in January and fronted by the single “Say My Name” -- peaked at No. 5.

As a group that wasn’t formed because of an audition show, ATEEZ built its fandom from scratch, mainly by communicating with global fans on social media and widening its musical spectrum.

(KQ Entertainment)

The act’s dynamic performing style, which often includes stomp-filled choreography and fierce facial expressions, also played a huge part in its immense popularity. The music video for “Say My Name,” one of its most boisterous songs, earned over 14.9 million views on YouTube.

Aside from its phenomenal stage presence, what makes ATEEZ’s future so promising is its bandmates’ distinct charms and talents, as well as their chemistry with each other. HongJoong and MinGi, rappers mainly in charge of songwriting and production, had a hand in penning the lead tracks of the band’s first EP, while the other vocalists balance out some of the fierceness with their tight vocal harmonies.

(KQ Entertainment)

Thanking fans all over the world, HongJoong said, “Before our debut, my driving force was myself, but after meeting my bandmates and Atiny, they have become my driving force.”

SeongHwa said, “We will try harder so that ATINY members can see us all over the world.”

YunHo added, “We are very thankful for all the love and we will work harder with gratitude. See you soon!”

Watch ATEEZ's interview below:

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By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)