The Pirates are back
By. Laura B.
ATEEZ have announced their next comeback THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL that’s set to release on December 1st. Coming in hot after their album THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW that came out early summer with the hit “BOUNCY(K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)” that took over the internet with all the dance covers and TIKTOK challenges it seems like the bandits are planning to end the year strong. ATEEZ were anything but calm at the start of this year with what seemed to be their never-ending world tour THE FELLOWSHIP: BREAK THE WALL finally wrapping up. The shows were where crowds gathered and blew off the roof with their fanchants that Hongjoong and Yunho commented in an interview with KIIS FM’s JoJo Wright saying that it gets so loud during “Guerrilla” that they had to just trust themselves in their dance skills to stay on beat during their choreography.
Their headlining appearance at KCON LA 2023 was one that brought the masses to witness them perform some of their biggest hits, including “Wonderland”, “BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)”, and “Guerrilla”. Their presence at KCON LA was one that had many camping for days awaiting the chance to get a glimpse of the pirates. Unfortunately the powerhouse vocalist maknae of the group, Jongho was flown back to Seoul to undergo surgery because he injured his knee; but the seven active members were sure to bring the energy and reassure ATINY (fandom name) that they will return again as a complete group.
After making stops throughout South America with their tour, the members had a much needed break and took advantage of the time to explore individual activities. Hongjoong attended Paris Fashion Week to represent the designer Balmain and brought ATINYs pride because the captain has always been vocal with how much he loves to express himself through fashion and now he gets to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet some of the top designers in the world. Seonghwa visited the aquarium and got some practice in, but mostly took the time to rest. Yunho took a trip to Japan and didn’t hesitate to flood our Instagram feeds with boyfriend aesthetic photos that caused many to dip into the delusion of what a trip with Yunho could be like. Mingi, San, Wooyoung, and Yeosang all laid low and updated ATINYs to remind them that they are resting to comeback stronger. Thankfully Jongho returned from his hiatus and then was able to join his members in Paris where they got to perform at MCOUNTDOWN and most importantly, celebrate their 5th Anniversary!
When asking ATINYs their thoughts on the group, words including “Groundbreaking, Innovative, and Inspiring” were thrown around among others. They were also asked what drew them into the group to make them ATINY and moments like the groups first attendance to KCON LA in 2019 and their Drop the Dance event, their dance videos, specifically their Pick It Up performance, and their appearance on the Youtube channel “REACT” caught their eye.
In the midst of their celebrations for the amazing strides they have made in the past 5 years their Instagram posted a banner of photos announcing their next comeback THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL. These posts threw the entire fandom into an excited panic because many were still actively enjoying the last comeback and reminiscing on the past 5 years. Concept photos have dropped showcasing the individual members in masks that are eerily similar vibes to the photos for their first full-length album TREASURE EP.FIN : All To Action, causing the speculations that this coming album could also be a full-length record. The anticipation is in full-swing now that the promotion schedule has been released. There’s no doubt that this album will be full of bops that will carry us all through the colder months.