ATEEZ Reflects on ‘Outlaw’ Hitting No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart, Viral ‘Bouncy’ Challenge & More
Written by djfrosty on August 30, 2023
2023 has been a packed year for the boys of ATEEZ. The K-pop group — which consists of members Hong Joong, Seong Hwa, Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, San, Min Gi, Woo Young and Jong Ho — recently went No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart with its Outlaw EP, hit up this year’s KCON LA for a headlining performance and are about to embark on a series of tour dates in Latin America. In between the group’s stacked schedule, the K-pop stars stopped by Billboard News to discuss their latest career highlights.
Host Tetris Kelly kicked off the interview congratulating the group for the Outlaw EP’s success (the set also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200), and asked the members their thoughts on why it had such positive reception.
“I think this era is a whole different ATEEZ, so that why many ATINY [the group’s fan name] and many audience wanna get some new piece of our album,” Hong Joon mused. “After we got a high number on the chart, we had pressure also, but we try to enjoy these days. We try to have a good mindset to make new songs. After debut, we try to put something deeper into it, like a new genre of music.”
K-pop has become one of the most popular genres of music in the last few years, and as a result, ATEEZ’s rise comes at the right time. Min Gi reflected on this shift and noted “there’s a growing change as K-pop is becoming more widely accepted by the general public despite the language differences.”
The shift has also led to the expansion of ATINY. The group recently mobilized across the world to perform flash mobs of the group’s single “Bouncy” in public spaces, with many of the videos going viral across social media.
“I think the only people that can really capture the ATEEZ energy are our ATINY, so seeing them follow along with our dance was really fascinating,” Yun Ho said of the dance videos. “It made me want to set more cool choreographies that we can do together in the future.”
Up next for the group is the continuation of its The Fellowship: Break The Wall tour. The trek continues on Aug. 30 with a stop in Santiago, Chile, and will visit Bogota, Singapore and Manila next month.
Watch ATEEZ’s Billboard News interview above.