ATEEZ – Futuristic, World-Building Maximalist K-Pop

“Wake up, world,” a voice kick-starts K-pop boy band ATEEZ’s ninth EP. “Are you there?” A Matrix-esque techno-punk synth arrangement explodes into a post-rock arena moment that could make Bring Me the Horizon envious. It’s total pop-rock cinema, delivered in just one minute and some change.

And it’s just the intro, “PROPAGANDA.” Across The World EP.1 : MOVEMENT, ATEEZ find a new edge: “Cyberpunk” is studied in Euro-techno-pop and Nine Inch Nails in equal measure. If they ever open a K-pop club in Berlin, this should be its theme. “Guerrilla” is a retro-futuristic fight song for tough guys who love multi-part harmonies, pulled straight from Y2K and bolstered with 2K22 maximalist production. It’s world-building with intention, ahead of its time, and, ideally, just another new beginning for the group.

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