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ATEEZ (에이티즈), known pre-debut as KQ Fellaz, is a 8-member boy group under KQ Entertainment. They released the pre-debut song, “From” on July 9, 2018 with another trainee, but officially debuted on October 24, 2018.
Biography of ATEEZ
- Group name: ATEEZ
- Debut date: October 24, 2018
- Company: KQ Entertainment
- Total member: 8
- Members: Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho
- Fandom name: ATINY
ATEEZ’s Name and Fandom
The group name, ATEEZ, originates from the term “A TEEnage Z” and carries the meaning of “everything about teenagers”. It also stands for “A to Z”, implying that ATEEZ is an energetic and passionate group, just like teenagers.
Meanwhile, the fandom name, ATINY, is a combination of ATEEZ and the word “destiny”.
Official SNS channels
- Instagram: @ateez_official_ / @from_the_witness
- X: @ateezofficial / @ATEEZstaff / @ATEEZofficialjp (Japan)
- TikTok: @ateez_official_
- YouTube: @ATEEZofficial
ATEEZ’s Career
Pre-debut
KG Entertainment started planning for a new boy group after a staff member discovered a letter and sample mixtape from Kim Hongjoong, who would eventually become Ateez’s leader, expressing interest in becoming a trainee at the company due to his admiration of Block B, a group also managed by KQ Entertainment. Over the next year, members Mingi, San, Seonghwa, Yeosang, Jongho, and Wooyoung joined KQ Entertainment as trainees, and they were known as “KQ Fellaz” prior to debuting.
In late 2017, Hongjoong, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho competed on the survival reality show Mix Nine, placing 42nd, 63rd, 72nd, and 43rd out of all male contestants, respectively. Then, on May 18, 2018, KQ Entertainment released the YouTube video “KQ Fellaz Performance Video I”, which featured all eight Ateez members together for the first time, followed by the pre-debut web series, “KQ Fellaz American Training”. During this period, a ninth trainee, Lee Jun-young, was promoted as a member of KQ Fellaz but ultimately not added to the final lineup. For the finale of the web series, KQ Fellaz released the music video of “From”, a song composed and produced by Hongjoong.
Afterward, KQ Entertainment announced a debut reality show titled “Code Name Is Ateez”, which premiered on Mnet on July 20.
Post-debut
On October 24, 2018, ATEEZ released their debut EP, “Treasure EP.1: All to Zero”, alongside music videos for the two lead singles “Pirate King” and “Treasure”. Their debut showcase was held on the same day. The group later made a comeback with “Treasure EP.2: Zero to One” in January 2019.
On January 24, 2019, ATEEZ announced their first tour, The Expedition Tour, which included stops at 5 American cities and 2 Australian cities. They also performed at their 1st joint K-pop concert, KCON 2019 Japan, within the same year. On November 10, the boy group released their first Japanese-language music video for the song “Utopia”, before dropping their debut Japanese album “Treasure EP. Extra: Shift the Map”.
In 2020, ATEEZ kick-started their 2nd world tour, this time also visiting Europe – a destination considered rather challenging for K-pop artists, with many of the dates sold out. However, due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was indefinitely postponed, except for the opening performances in Seoul.
Across the years, ATEEZ consistently rose in popularity, though mostly outside of Korea. However, their success in Korea is not to be undermined, as they earned their 1st Bonsang at 30th Seoul Music Awards and drew attention via their appearance in the music show “Immortal Songs”. The group also won Artist of the Year award at The Fact Music Awards in 2021.
Since then, ATEEZ has successfully completed several world tours, all of which covers multiple continents. They also became the first K-pop boy group to grace the stage at Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the world, in 2024.
ATEEZ Artistry & Achievements
According to Rolling Stone India, ATEEZ blends hip-hop, trap, dubstep, and pop to craft their signature sound. From Middle Eastern flavors, traces of indie pop, tropical house, synthwave, and trap-infused slow jams they have created a strong singular identity without sacrificing creativity and variety. Meanwhile, Forbes emphasized ATEEZ’s multifaceted artistry, which is reflected in their style and youth-focused messaging. Their lyrics delve into the growth and decision-making process that humans experience during adolescence.
Across their career, ATEEZ have achieved significant success despite their humble beginnings. In particular, the group was named as the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s ambassador in 2020 due to its huge influence abroad. They also endorsed various famous brands such as LG, Poshmark, Adidas, and more.
Despite being from a small company, ATEEZ is known to have recorded significant album sales and have successfully completed world tours in challenging locations for K-pop artists, such as the US and Europe. They also managed to enter the Billboard Charts multiple times, proving the group’s solid stand overseas. In fact, ATEEZ once made history by claiming the No.1 position on the Billboard 200 chart, making them the first boy group not from the “BIG 4” agencies (HYBE, SM, JYP, and YG) to accomplish such an achievement.
Controversies
ATEEZ have been tangled in multiple plagiarism controversies, though none started from their side. In particular, NMIXX’s “O.O” MV was accused of copying various details from ATEEZ’s MVs, sparking discussion.
Additionally, there was a case where (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon was accused of plagiarising ATEEZ’s song “WAVE” in her song “Sun” for the audition program “My Teenage Girl”. In the end, Soyeon had to credit the producer of “WAVE” to the credits for “Sun”.
Finally, there were accusations of “Street Man Fighter” Vata copying ATEEZ’s dance in “Say My Name” for his viral choreography for “New Thing”. However, Vata himself denied the allegations, insisting that the two choreographies “are completely different”.
ATEEZ’s Dating Rumors
Yunho and Non-celebrity
In 2024, ATEEZ’s Yunho was accused of dating a non-celebrity after a video started to spread on the net, showing people alleged to be Yunho and his girlfriend walking side by side. Some netizens also left comments that they previously spotted the two together, with Yunho reportedly even visiting a flower shop run by his girlfriend and the couple wearing couple rings, couple hats, and using couple phone cases.
Wooyoung and Loosemble’s Hyunjin
In 2023, rumors of ATEEZ’s Wooyoung and Loossemble’s Hyunjin dating started to spread after a netizen claimed to have seen Wooyoung’s private Instagram account. According to this person, Wooyoung’s alleged private account use a cat photo as its profile picture, while the cate in question belongs to Hyunjin, leading to dating rumors.
ATEEZ’s Discography
Korean
- Full albums
Treasure Ep.Fin: All to Action (2019)
The World Ep.Fin: Will (2023)
- Mini albums
Treasure Ep.1: All to Zero (2018)
Treasure Ep.2: Zero to One (2019)
Treasure Ep.3: One to All (2019)
Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer (2020)
Zero : Fever Part 1 (2020)
Zero : Fever Part 2 (2021)
Zero : Fever Part 3 (2021)
The World Ep.1: Movement (2022)
The World Ep.2: Outlaw (2023)
GOLDEN HOUR : Part.1 (2024)
GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2 (2024)
- Remix albums
Treasure Ep.Extra: Shift The Map (Remixx!) (2019)
- Repackage albums
Zero : Fever Epilogue (2021)
- Single albums
Spin Off : From The Witness (2022)
- Digital singles
Don’t Stop (2022)
- Remix singles
Work Pt.2 (2024)
Work Pt.3 (2024)
- Collaborations
EDEN Stardust2 Vol.07 (with EDEN, Maddox, and Eden-ary) (2020)
Taste of Korea (Hongjoong and Yunho with Rain, MONSTA X, & Brave Girls) (2021)
Season Songs (with Kim Jong Kook) (2021)
A Little Space (feat. Yunho, San, Jongho of ATEEZ) (with Pentatonix) (2021)
- OSTs
Mimicus OST Part 3 (“Let’s Get Together”) (2022)
Lookism OST (“Like That”) (2022)
- Other releases
Celebrate (2020)
Japanese
- Full albums
Treasure Ep.Extra: Shift The Map (2019)
Into the A to Z (2021)
- Mini albums
Treasure Ep. Map to Answer (2020)
Beyond : Zero (2022)
The World EP.Paradigm (2022)
- Singles
Utopia (Japanese Ver.) (2019)
Dreamers (2021)
Limitless (2023)
NOT OKAY (2024)
Birthday (2024)
- Collaborations
Hush-Hush (with BE:FIRST) (2024)
Royal (with BE:FIRST) (2024)
- Remix singles
“Hush-Hush (☆Taku Takahashi (m-flo) Remix)(with BE:FIRST) (2024)
- OSTs
“Duel Masters Win OST” (2023) (“Limitless”)
English
- Remix singles
Work Pt.4 (2024)
