Yes, yes, I know. I finally finished the review. Well at least I’m finally posting it. I have an excuse okay. It was so hard to finalize it as I find out new things/elements all the time. But I told myself that I would go in order so…here I am. I know I should write for the previous one as well, but this is one that I was on time for as an ATINY (from concept photos-concert)…so yeah…I’m sorry I will do my best to review other albums. But for now, here’s my first ATEEZ album review.

Like always, this is not your typical album review. This is one of a: music enthusiast, artist, and fan. These things combined are infused into this review. To state my bias, I am an ATINY (obvi if you have seen my post hehe), but most importantly I am here to give my honest thoughts. These thoughts change throughout listens so this is just my evolving thoughts. Please consider this while reading.

So yeah. I’m really excited and I know you are as well. So, let’s get right into it. Spoiler alert: this album has been on rotation since it came out June 16th 2023. So, a year and some change of listens. I have a lot to say. Let’s just get into it. Introducing: THE WORLD-

‘This World’

My thoughts: The speed intro was nice. The beats per tempo keeps changing which is exciting. The melodies kept changing. The chords kept changing. I think it kept me on my toes. It’s exhilarating. Might be a little difficult to learn right away. I like how the background sync matches the notes of the singing. The song was really cool. The bridge is fire. You can hear without isolation just how much dynamic is in this song. This is really a way to enter this world (ha) they are telling. Especially that creepy villain ending of the song. My goodness. I loved it. The high notes at the end complemented the song so much. I really love it. The chorus is very addicting as well. The “ooh” is strong and is very strong. I love the lyrics accepting this challenge into this world (ha). The harmonies are great. The song also ends the way it began in its closing. I was in love with it. It was a great start to an album.

The layering is amazing. It felt like every element really belonged and made the song stronger. And I really like this live as well (on the press release), it was very interesting to watch. I felt like a whole story was playing in front of me. I also got inspired to illustrate something so watch out for that. 

LYRICS: Honestly I’m confused, but vibin’.To be honest I love it. Older Atiny please let me know if every song is a part of the lore or is it specific songs. Is this one part of the lore? Hearing the lyrics and seeing the translation is awesome. I love the imagery with the darkness and the battle with it. 

ATMOS RATINGS: The center channel was very interesting, kind of in a scary way. In what’s going on I rated it this way. In terms of activity. This is completely just personal preference because it is all really good. Especially when you can hear something happening everywhere. It makes me smile to hear this. It feels like I’m on the team seeing it put together. I love it. 

1. Hidden
2. Lead
3. Center

The hidden: I learned so much about the song and now I have new harmonies I can try. Very excited about that. I’m not going to lie. I left it alone for a week and it was on my mind for a long time. It was lingering so I had to get back to it. 

Dolby Atmos Stems

1. Surrounded Channel

This one has all the layers (vocal and instrumental). It’s really cool. I wanna know who the singers are who added the layers. The Bridge was cool to hear other voices (same with the chorus). When everything is together you don’t get to hear all of this right away. But now I’ll probably hear it now. Is this experience too? The beat is amazing, it’s really intense in this version. Something feels like a villain in a movie with this one. Or a hero’s battle. 

2. Center & Base Channel

I love hearing those light fluttery vocals in this one. It’s more raw here. It’s so cool to hear the electrical instruments come in at certain parts. For example, the pre-chorus more specifically skips a count of 8. The chorus is very powerful with the ensemble vocals. It feels like the beat is going in reverse for the beat during the chorus. It feels weird. But it feels like you are in an action movie. I feel like I’m in a different dimension. The beat isn’t there for the bridge much, instead we just hear a muted drum. I wonder if this is what the boys hear during the recording. What do they hear? I wanna know. 

3. Left & Right Channel

These channels you can hear pretty much everywhere. Each element has a place. A lot is in the center, especially the leading vocals. I like how from the beginning it gets more and more intense. Not just in the ways mentioned earlier (with speed), but also with volume increasing. It feels like you are getting thrown into this world (ha) completely. Like you will be ready for this world, if you like it or not. The harmonies tend to be more on the Left than the Right, at least for me. The biggest change is the bridge. I love how it sounds. It feels like it’s getting played live, without other instruments layered yet. 

‘Dune’

My thoughts: The bass in all these songs are really good. I like how the beat in pre-chorus was fast, but the singing was slow. This song feels like it would go in an action movie during the crew recruitment or the introduction or first mission. I really like the feeling. The “falling down” while actually falling down with the note, it was really clever. The “Heaven’s door” was a bit awkward in delivery, but addicting for me. I think because we were in one range for the most part except for harmonies in the beginning. The Ooh’s were beautifully creepy. Especially going into the bridge. That bridge goes hard. It’s terrifyingly beautiful. I want an ATEEZ action video for this one. Right before their first mission to take over the world (Know that I know, it would definitely be the other way around or at least for them to fight to change that world of Z…). That would be fire. However, I learned that most things connect with each other for a lore I don’t think I will understand for a long time. So fellow Atiny if you have the concept down, fill us in. Outside of that, I just really like the journey it takes you on. I think this style really fits ATEEZ. And there’s so many elements that come together to make this masterpiece. Fast paced raps, slow tempo singing, and a bunch of layers. And the difference in range singing wise is so amazing. 

LYRICS: One word despair. It’s a very powerful song. I love it.

Dolby Atmos Stems

1. Left & Right

 I love the “falling down” actually falling down.The heaven’s door is weak (vocally) alone, but in a good way. I love the vibrato at the end of it. The phrase got stronger with the layering and the fact that San left it a good base to stack for, that’s amazing. The beauty is not doing too much. The “없어”on the chorus I didn’t hear the riff until today. There is a lot here. The same with the phrases on the bridge it’s nice and calm. And it sounds angelic on its own. I love the adding aggressive slight crescendo as the phrase goes on. And Mingi’s part was one of my highlights in this song. You can hear it without the isolation. I love his unique tone, it works well in this octave. I do think the layering made it better. Jongho’s voice yall…I swear, the strength! 

2. Center 

I like it, but it’s a bunch of base so it’s not as much going on in my opinion. This added the last bit needed to complete the song. There is a few things added here and there, but most of it lives in other channels. 

3. Surrounded

Here you hear everything added. Like a ringer bell and some buttons. I know the names of them, but I can’t remember them right now. Sorry. I love it. The harmonies are really good. Especially the “Heaven’s Door”. It works well. Hard to follow for me to be honest. I’ll do my best to learn them though. Do y’all ever sit there and sing different things listening to a song and going back multiple times to get them right? I do. Towards the ending it felt like I heard a rock band with Yoshi and R.O.B and Wall E (robots). Sorry if I ruined your listen. The choir was nice. One part towards the beginning of the last chorus 9:15 more specially the one on 9:18/9:52 sounds like the music audio illusion that keeps going up. 

‘BOUNCY’ 

My Thoughts: I don’t know why the music video did not show up when searching for it. YouTube let’s get on time please! And other social media copyright striking their own song. So, I’m just watching it after listening to the audio. After watching, I think I’m a changed person. HAHA. The amount of times I was left smiling. Everyone was shining. But I have to mention MINGI. He really changed lives in that cowboy fit. If you don’t already know, I love them all (OT8), but you already know that :).

I swear they use the best presets for their music. Imagine all the bass in a really good stereo. I really wanted to play this louder, but I’m trying to save my ears. But I’m willing for a good song, so I did. There were some parts in the second half I was a bit confused about. But overall, this song was really fun. I wish I was a better dancer honestly. Then I would be able to have a ball with these songs like It was my playground. That crawl in the base 24/7 was fireeeeeeeeeee. 

For the mv, I love it. It’s so action-packed and makes you want to get up and move. I loved hearing Crazy Form when returning back to the music video. I heard it and knew it sounded familiar, but I didn’t know that was a thing until a fellow Atiny mentioned it. Then going back to other music videos, I realized it’s true. That was very cool. It’s hard to listen to the song without singing and dancing. 

LYRICS: This was a very fun song. I felt like dropping everything, slowing it down, and…making it bouncy. I want that explained, but I love the positive and dancey lyrics. It puts you in a hype mood. 

Dolby Atmos Stems:

1. Surrounded 

you get a bunch of crowds and yelling. It’s the heart for me. This must have been so fun to add ad-libs. I wonder where in the song recording process does this get added. Does it get added before or after listening to the “finished product”? This has a lot of stuff I don’t hear in the song. It’s so interesting. SLOW IT DOWN! Mingi! Wow. Don’t surprise us like that. LOL!  The beginning of slow was nicely slid into. The fly part at the end is so effortlessly swag packed. It’s sexy. The whole delivery of the line is though. This one feels like you’re getting ready for a rave. I swear hearing the ad libs with that melody is so cool. I love. Now we get clashing glitchy sounds from the electronic part. There’s a lot going on. I am confused. They use a lot of different instruments. That’s why even with that survey recently, it was hard to see what it is. I think it’s all of the above layered and added throughout each chorus. You can’t trick me ATEEZ and ATEEZ Team.

2. Left & Right

This is the essence of the song. Honestly if this was released, you’d get a lot out of it. Of course there is a lot missing, but this is a pretty good version of Bouncy. Like the diet Bouncy that still has a good taste or well…sound haha. It’s diet K-Hot Chilli Peppers if that makes sense. This sound utilizes all angles that sound can go into. This one has a lot of bass focused sound. Same in the chorus. I love on the chorus the lower notes. I love how this song has both higher and lower notes. And the playful vibe that is delivered in a slide. I love it. That outro is so fun and action packed. I am always ready to get up, shout, and dance to it. And hearing everyone in it yelling it’s so fun. 

3. Center

It feels like I am outside of the studio. It’s interesting actually. 

‘DJANGO’ 

My thoughts: Django means I awake in a different language. I also learned that the producer liked the film Django so that was the reason why it’s named Django.  The more you know. The reason I am mentioning it is I mean I was wondering about the title choice. Mainly because Urban dictionary kind of failed me. I like the wicked feel of this song. It kind of gives Halloween if that makes sense. Like that kind of feeling. So far all of them have action movie potential. The ending was really cool as well. 

I saw it live! I saw it live! I saw it live! Well not fully, but I saw it recorded live. (At the time of writing it!) Twice at their concert in Seoul and their Coachella- actually we call it Chellateez. At the CHELLATEEZ festival. And it was just as intense as it was at the concert. I’m actually getting used to the arrangement of it lol! I enjoy when artist do this. They don’t take any moment for granted. That’s why. Stay hungry and get great results! I’m so proud of them if you don’t understand lol.

LYRICS: The lyrics are confusing because I’m getting different meanings in the first half of the song. Guys help. I want to know. The lyrics give so much boss energy with the only live for today. I love it. And I like the power this song has. You feel like the main character.

Dolby Atmos Stems

1. Surrounded

Here’s the beat! I also wonder what the bouncy spring sounds are. It feels like Tigger hopped (ha) on the chat. I love the orchestra stacco in there. It gives the song the ominous vibe it deserves. The do do do do do added is also very cool. There’s voice and instrument variations of this same thing in the song. I find this to be the sprinkles of the song. Translation: Decoration, embellishments,or layering. The studio has to be lit in the KQ headquarters. I love it. I think honestly this album has so many amazing added sounds and things. Who told them to go this hard? Seriously? I feel like we’re being spoiled. Hearing that bass at the last hook, that was fire. It had  so much attitude in it’s delivery. I love it. And the bridge too we hear it again it felt like they were actually heard at a spoken word with that bass. Mingi rapping on a bass track is something I didn’t know I needed. ATEEZ needs a whole track with just that. A freestyle song. Please. Then we hear the springs again. I don’t think I can let it pass. I just can’t see it through. Sorry. And electronic again. 

2. Center & Base

I didn’t know what the hook said honestly until I listened to it just now and the ending chant. It’s really cool. This one also skips the first beats. I love how Hongjoong basically calls for the Ratata’s. 

3. Left & RIght 

I love how they skipped the first beats of the song and separated them like that. Relistening I was confused. I love how it has a base here and can be a completely different song if it wants to. I love hearing the chant part isolated from the music. This one is cool if you were just spitting a freestyle on a beat. I can imagine this as the sample before adding the rest of the layers. The bridge bass is fireeee. It’s so powerful. And again, the ending with all the voices are so cool.

‘Wake Up’ 

My Thoughts: That beginning is very, very nice. I love the deep, mysterious tone it has. Yunho slayed that. The start was similar to the first one. The rest was amazing. My standards are raised from this point on. THAT WAKE UP TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. It definitely took me by surprise (to the point I’m repeating myself) haha. The pre-chorus is so magical. From the layering to the instruments and how they hit every beat with intention. It feels like it’s made to mess you up, like you’ll never be the same after listening. I know this chorus is going to be so hard. I need to sing it. The flows in this song are fire. The high notes remind me of an alternative Guerilla. The vocals are demanding. The rapping is very fast paced. Each part of this song is really really good. I’m not going to lie, ‘Wake Up’ plays in my head almost every day. I love the bridge layers as well. It’s amazing. 

LYRICS: I’m not going to lie…I am confused, but I love the lyrics. Are you actually awake or are you in a hypnosis state in a different world? Instead of accepting your fate that was pressed upon you…you should wake up? Depending on the answer I will make thoughts about it. But is this a part of the lore? ATINY pleaseeeeee I’m struggling.

LIVE: No words. Wake up and see Ateez.

Dolby Atmos Stem

1. Left and Right 

That intro is just something I can’t let go. This again feels like the more basic version of the song’s final product. However, even the basic is more packed than many songs I listen to. This one if I got it as a first listen to add to, I wouldn’t be scared. The pre-chorus harmonies feel very to the point and exact. They don’t have much emotion and pretty straightforward to me. If they were by themselves I wouldn’t be happy with them, but they are this way so they can be added to later. I find that really cool. The ending did the same thing I mentioned with the pre-chorus before. 

2. Surrounded

This felt scary, beautiful, and action packed all in one. There was stuff I definitely didn’t hear in the actual completed song. I thought there wasn’t a lot going on until I kept listening. It’s nice and it feels like a completely different song. The beginning for sure gave a trailer. This one is the version I heard come out a lot during the coachella stage intro, which was amazing by the way. I can’t hear the song the same after that. The woahs each time one gets added is more and more powerful. The melodies toward the end by the bridge have more softness and emotion. Then that screech and guitar are so loud. It is a full 180. What a way to end something.

3. Center

It gave that depth in the song. Wow, it’s nice. It felt like when you’re a block away from a lit party. Or outside of your cool friend’s car. It feels like you can hear the keys be tapped for the presets. 

With the atmos it makes me wonder what the process was irl. Is this from the files from recording or do you just make these after. Also, the studio recording process. What was first? What was the last thing added? And then, where was the smile like “it’s finished”. I wanna know details. Hit me up and please do spill. We get a better glimpse at those angelic vocals here on the bridge. And the rest is really dimension and texture.

‘Outlaw’ 

My Thoughts: So the song just got released about 20 minutes ago. I am in love with this song. It’s so very fun and doesn’t have a part I would get easily bored with. At a concert I know this will be one of the new fan favorites (And well well well :)). The “I’m on fire” was really addicting. It’s very powerful. And then “see your terrifier”??? Woah. I like the feel of the song. Very bold and I feel like they can do well backing it up. The ending is awesome. The high notes, the change in the song. WOW. That isn’t bad all the time, but it’s a bit unpredictable for an ending. It was a good ending song that wasn’t super sad or slow.

The live performances of this song are amazing. I love Ateez and their energy. I also listened to them all on Dolby Atmos. It’s amazing. It’s easier for me to identify the voices as well. The instrumental is powerful, but whats more amazing is how this song came from the beat. I wouldn’t have thought to arrange it like this or create this concept. Thank you for this song.

LYRICS: 

This song is powerful as well. I love how the song sounds like a big threat that’s a promise. 

Now those ad-libs while Mingi was rapping with the wolves’ verse was really cool. As well as him bringing up the entangling thing again. I love the recurring lyrics with the darkness and the waving the white flag. It’s showing consistency and dedication to the theme. I love the chorus at the end and how it felt different from the other times. It feels powerful. Way to end an album!

Dolby Atmos Stems

1. Surrounded Channel 

This one has all the savage sounds that makes this more of the noise category. Like gunshots, emergency sirens, and screeches. The harmonies are perfect too. All those Hey’s in the pre-chorus are so good. This one during the chorus has more interesting harmonies. I want to learn these so badly. I always forget them after practicing the whole thing. The piano is strong as well. I realized that the beat in the outro plays the whole time, but you don’t hear it as much until the last bit. And I just listened to the whole song with all the layers and yeah it’s masked the whole time. Pretty cool. I have mad respect for everyone in the process of song making.

2. Left & Right Channel

The lyric delivery just feels so grimy and gritty. I love it. This song makes me feel so powerful. I wonder if I feel like a villain or a hero. I’m confused, but I feel like a baddie. This one the chorus feels very straight forward. There’s not much variation in the melody really. Again, like last time, I think this is a part of the stacking process. For it to be straightforward for the layering to go smoothly. Or else each delivery will be too unique for it to blend well. Sort of like in a chorus/choir. It’s one. Like after that “nah” That whole section is attitude filled. They warn you so many times to run. You would be a fool to stay, but I’m here until the end of the song. Decide my fate. I’ll wait to hear it again. LOL! 

3. Center & Base Channel

This song’s intro is even more intense. I love the rawness of it. I love the OOOOOOOHHH. It’s really fun with the dynamic it has. And I love the octave it’s in. I love the “let’s go” as well. The “sector 1” in different octaves is really interesting. It’s addicting. Same with the “Outlaw”. I still don’t get the “nah” after Jongho belting his lungs out lol. I love how it sounds and how it adds with the next verses. It’s pumping you up for that outro. 

RATINGS: 

It was really hard to want to rate these. I’m just going to go with how I’m feeling right now. Because this changes a lot. So, rating based on sound alone…this is my ranking.

1. Outlaw
2. Wake Up
3. Bouncy
4. This world
5. Dune
6. Django

Overall: Overall, this album had a lot to unpack, and it was very hard to choose a favorite as it changes all the time. Especially considering all the elements.

KING CROWN’S RATING:

ENDING THOUGHTS:

This album is definitely worth the listen. If you have the money to spare, I truly think it’s worth the buy. I got the albums and honestly I really love the concepts. I think you should look for the concept photos you like the most and pick that version of the album. But for me…I love the purple case. Why? It’s really pretty, but also badass at the same time. I think that if you want a nice aesthetically pleasing album, this one is worth your purchase. As far as variety goes, I think they nailed consistency. I think the transitional points were really good which made me actually like it a lot more. I believe that this being a mini album they could have done different genres depending on the story they wanted to tell, but in my personal opinion, I think the tempos and the topics of the songs were perfect together. And if you are an ATEEZ enthusiast, fan, or ATINY and have seen them perform these songs, you already know that it’s good. Each one of these songs has a live performance and if you’re bummed out that you didn’t see them…there’s more opportunities to now! The tour dates are up and ready to go. Their live performances are worth the hype. Trust me.

What are your thoughts on the album? What is your favorite song? We want to hear them in the comment section! I have so many so KQ…you know what to do! I didn’t mention everything on my mind (I know that’s a surprise), I have so much more. If you have any moments you want to talk about, let us know. And ATINY tell me what is and isn’t a part of the lore. Also, what ATEEZ album I should review next? I have a lot in the drafts so stay tuned!

Written and illustrated by A.P.