ATEEZ | The World, Outlaw, Bouncy, Creative Process 

“i had no idea that you guys are the most successful kpop group that’s not part of the big 4 companies” EXACTLY MY ATEEZ IS UP THERE

"you guys are the most successful kpop group that is not part of the big 4" YES SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Hongs English keeps getting better and better. And I'm happy that the other members start talking English too and making a lot of effort

Just a reminder that when Ateez debuted their company only had 10 employees and my boys worked their a$$ off to get where they are rn. Their success is solely based on talent and hard work. Nobody is doing it like my Ateez!!

I love love LOVEEE how hongjoong tries his very best to communicate in English despite knowing that their speech might be translated later on... I love how he isn't ashamed or anything if je makes some mistakes while speaking but keeps going on...a true captain indeed...his sense of confidence and self worth really impresses me the most... We love you our captain

Knowing Ateez's discography esp their new album series, we can all agree with Hongjoong when he said that they are the songs only Ateez could do!

11:30 " how do you know when a song is done" One of the greatest things about zach is hes not your casual interviewer, he's genuinely invested in the people he's interviewing ..you can see he takes his job very seriously... he does his research very well and asks the best questions there can be... I love him and his show fr

Zach thank you for giving our boys more exposure on your platform and letting them share their journey with you. They've put in so much work and come so far. This makes me so happy

After finally getting the translations for the Korean answers. I got to say that I really liked Wooyoung’s answer to the question regarding their longevity toward the end. This is truly ATEEZ’s beginning and they can only go up from here and Im glad that the guys think the same way❤

Please, KQ team, listen to Seonghwa and let us have a "Wake up" rock version for next tour, I need it! Also, I love how soft-spoken they're in these kind of interviews, especially Yunho, it's cute and funny at the same time listening to them talking so softly while knowing how much of a mess they're if left alone. 🤣

not an atiny, but i am so consistently impressed with ateez’s fluency in english - especially hongjoong. his ability to not only understand complex english sentences but also respond so eloquently to each one is incredible! and even more than that, they’re all consistently improving in english as well even though they’re already really good. so glad to see them becoming so successful and so recognised 👏

Thank you for setting the standard for what a GREAT interview looks like! It was so refreshing to FINALLY hear someone ask intelligent questions and actually want to delve into their musical history, storyline and actually talk about them as a band, as people and as artists! Such an amazing interview!

I wish more people would acknowledge that 4th gen kpop and onwards is a different beast than previous generations. Younger generations will always benefit from the hallyu wave that brought kpop to a global stage, but at the same time bigger companies have used their lion's share of the market to debut more and more groups and squeeze their competition out. There's more attention on kpop than ever but there's also more competition than ever, and Ateez have not only survived in such an oversaturated market, they have EXCELLED beyond anyone's expectations of them. On top of that, Ateez have genuinely pushed the boundaries of kpop performance, and never compromised their musical identity to accomplish all that they have. They should always be proud of how far they've come. Many have tried, but you can't erase their success.

I am so proud of Hongjoong for trying hard to speak Enlish even thought they had a translator

People need to get rid of the idea that K-Pop is only about big companies. They feel bad because a group from a small company has been described as successful. ATEEZ is the most talented and different band in every way right now.

i really love how Captain tries his best and talk in english, he might be not that fluent but the improvement, the courage to speak a language that's so diff. from what he's born in and the the effort to speak more english... i'm really glad and proud of Captain and i really can consider him as the best leader ever 🧡

The backstory to HongJoong writing a letter to KQ and them finding it a year later is wow. I havent ever heard about how he became the first trainee. This was such a good interview.

Thank you for interviewing our boys!!! I had a really good time watching this.

This was unexpected 😭 Thanks for having them ♡ My *ATEeez* ! we're so proud of you

"only ateez can do this song" well said hongjoong 11:44

Hongjoong talking about the letter he wrote to kq, he have come so far

My ATEEZ❤️ I can’t believe how far they’ve come. I’m so proud of them🎉

Hong is so incredible I fall in love with him every single time he talks

I thought Hongjoong would say Wake Up is his favorite because of his rap, but then he proceeded to praise his members' vocals... Oh Captain, Wake Up is my favorite because of the vocals and YOUR RAP. 😍

Hongjoong's English is brilliant actually how dare he be absolutely fluent like this 😭 even the way he constructs such complex sentences bro like we get it you're SMART smart

They look gorgeous, look at our Balmain Prince !

Ateez should make a book or comic book on their storyline it's so interesting fr

Yeeees, ATEEZ music is definitely another level. It's so good

They’re the first group I’ve ever stanned before they even debuted, it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come since then 🥹❤

The confidence is incredible

I hope to see a rock version of Wake Up in concert someday! That would be so insane! I'm really glad Wake Up got some long-deserved love today 💜

HONGJOONG'S ENGLISH IS SO FLUENT AND IM SO PROUD OF HIM CAUSE HES NOW THE MAIN COMMUNICATOR IN ATEEZ

Hongjoong speaking English throughout most of the interview is so attractive. Show'em how it's done, Captain! I wasn't expecting them to appear on this show, but they did so well. I am also happy that other members got to speak too, and that they could express themselves in Korean as well. That must've lowered the pressure. 💜 Very well conducted and prepared interview. 🥰🥰

i hope to see ateez back again soon!!! thank you for being so patient and asking such great questions! the research and respect is great :)

So proud of Ateez! I feel so good to hear that Ateez is the most successful non big4 group! They are the proof that hardwork always pays off no matter which company you are from...

Congratulations Ateez on your success and making your name strong in the arena My beloved and only K-Pop group for four years. From the first moment I knew that you were different and unique in every way.❤😍

Thank you so much for having our boys on ^^ I love hearing about their artistic process. And thank you also for gassing them up!! Most successful group outside of the big 4 THATS RIGHT 👏👏👏

Finally someone mentions "Dune"! Thank you Jongho!! 😊

I never expected this and am so happy that this has happened. Thank you!

I really appreciate our captain hongjoong for always trying to speak English even when doesn't have to i know how is it difficult to try to express what u want in another language the story about the letter too was so brave and i know ateez will keep growing bigger and bigger as all of u are together ❤

I always wait impatiently for the super low “I’m mingi”

OMG they look so amazing, seeing my Haribo is bringing tears to my eyes, I missed him so much.

I noticed how Zach Sang was surprised at the fact that ATEEZ has released so many bodies of work yet he never got to interview them until now As the boys said, it's only just the beginning

Hongjoong is such a great leader!!!!! the way he made everything so comfortable around his members and the host😭😭😭and am so so proud of them💗💗💗

I love that Jongho is getting more confident with his english🥹

Sky’s the limit. We love you here in America. Please come do a USA tour soon. I feel proud of you all; the members and company. So unique.

seeing ateez sitting on the zach sang sofa made me so emotional like all my fav western artists have been there shared their stories and knowing ateez are getting same things on their own is so special thank you for this zach 🫶🏽

My ateez, how can I not feel proud of them? They are my greatest pride and the best of my life ❤️‍🩹

watching this interview and seeing Ateez lands their 1st on billboard are so amazing

Most successful group out of the big 4 SAY IT LOUDERRRRR🎉🎉🔥🔥🔥🔥💅 thanks for having them😊❤

Wake up is probably now my favourite song too Hongjoong. Yaaayyy, like bias, like fan

I admire ateez so much

I feel like we got so much from this interview. Thank you so much Zach for having ATEEZ!

i've been a kpop fan since 2015 but ateez is one of the only groups i've closely followed since their beginning. they truly only get better with time and remain committed to their craft and to each other as friends and teammates. they have worked so so hard for their success and they never forget where they came from. thank you so much for interviewing them and for showing them so much respect as artists and as people!

Our boys are just so humble, Hongjoong did so good with his English too! I love seeing them get interviews.

Omg ATEEZ!!!

Lovee ateez

"How do you know a song is done?" "When we listen back to the full song and think 'only ATEEZ can do this song.'" If that isn't the best way to describe an ATEEZ song, I don't know what is. ATEEZ has such a clear identity, they don't have to stick to a genre or concept, what makes an ATEEZ song is that it could only ever be an ATEEZ song.

Proud of everything that ATEEZ has achieved in only 5 years. Good job with the interview, Zach!

Hongjoon's english omgggggg

I'm so proud of you... You are growing every day.. And your English is great.. I see a lot of hard work behind it all.. You are simply the best... I love you Ateez ❤️❤️❤️🗝️

Thank you sooo much for inviting Ateez! I really Hope they understand how far they’ve gone since debut and how much they’ve grown!

Ateez is one of the most unique and talented group in kpop, their energy and performances are insane, and the discography and concept are top-tier. So with all of that, they r so underrated

Omg i love that ateez really worked from the bottom up. They literally started from scratch. In other interviews they mentioned they only had like 10 staff employees! Also, can we acknowledge that its really hard for an all korean speaking group to gain international attention like this? Most groups (BTS, Stray kids, txt, blackpink, seventeen, etc.) have at least 1 fluent english speaker who makes it relatively easy to grab international interviews.

I loved the songs on all the albums, and as for the last album, I loved Bouncey, Django, and wake-up...all the songs ❤❤❤❤❤

Thank you for inviting our pirates. We love them so much and hoping for greater success on the future Fighting our ateez We will always be here with you. Love you all so much.❤😊😊

how did i find out about this interview 3 months late 😭😭 thank you Zach for interviewing Ateez! loved seeing Hongjoong really go deep into the album and in English!! although, did anyone else notice that Zach seemed a little less energetic than normal? he's only human so im not like calling him out, but I've watched some of his interviews since the first time he met bts. I've seen him interview bts, stray kids, eric nam, alec benjamin etc and i feel like he's normally a little more engaged than he was here. still a good interview and i always appreciate how he asks questions based on answers they give and his own curiosity and not just whatever predetermined question list he may have.

i love how hongjoong is so invested in Ateez's story

Ateez's has such a successful story and background, I am so proud of all the effort and work Ateez has put all these years to get their company and group to the successful place they are right now.

Omg Ateez & Zach Sang. I love this so much

Since they touched on their storyline, here's the story so far as simply as I can put it, and corresponding songs (but not all just ones specific to that part of the story): There are two universes, A verse and Z verse. Ateez as we know them are from A verse, which is our normal world. They have a lot going on in their everyday lives, stress, fights, moving, that is trying to tear the group apart (Inception, and explored in the Diary Film, Turbulence), when Hongjoong is visited by a man in a mask and a black hat, who gives him an hourglass called the Cromer, that allows them to travel dimensions. They use it to run to try and find a place that will let them just be together, like Pirates looking for treasure. (Pirate King, Treasure) The man that gave Hongjoong the cromer was actually also Hongjoong, but from Z universe. We call that group of Ateez, usually seen with masks and hats with chains, Halateez, because the first time we saw them was in the song Hala Hala. Their world is called Strictland, a dystopian nightmare run by a tyrannical government, that has outlawed all human emotion and expression, under the belief that emotion is what causes wars and causes suffering, but acts to control the population. Those keeping people in line are giant androids all dressed in white (seen in Answer and Fireworks). Halateez are a resistance group known as the Black Pirates (Halazia). Halateez are trying to get Ateez to help them (Say My Name, Answer), though Ateez aren't sure about trusting them at first. Ateez end up in Strictland (Fireworks) and after some mishaps with hallucinogenic smoke causing illusions (Illusion, Wave, Eternal Sunshine) end up hiding with the underground resistance, and get pulled into it once Halateez disappear, and work to help break the people out of the control. (Guerrilla) They do end up split up while under cover for a while, before taking the liberation movement to Prestige Academy to try and break more young people out of the control (Bouncy). There's also heists but make it sexy after the cromer breaks at one point (Deja Vu, their Rhythm Ta cover stage), school rebellions (Thanxx, The Real), Yeosang gets captured and put in a big glass box till they break him out (Deja Vu, Say My Name, Wonderland, Answer stage from Kingdom), and there's a LOT more going on but that's and overview of it before it get's into details and speculations/theories. The way they use it in nearly every song and every stage performance is amazing, and so well thought out, especially how they use Halateez.

My ateez ❤❤

This was a brilliant interview. Their English was amazing ❤ They are so dedicated and talented. I adore them. Zach always seems so chill and approachable that even foreign speakers feel at ease with him. And Kang Yeosang is fluent in English. I will not believe otherwise!! He just doesn’t say a lot in either language ❤❤😂

my favorite host with my favorite group ever. I really love how Zach know so much about his guests and makes them feel comfortable. Usually in Ateez interviews they have to explain everything from the beginning. Like what their storyline is, what does the album mean... but Zach already knew these stuff and it was fun to watch them talk about creative process.

19:07 Hongjoong really need to make a book of their storyline

12:30 i thought Jongho would sing his part. I'm prepared to get levitated 🤣 Thank you for having ATEEZ, I'll never get bored listening about their music ❤

0:00: 🎶 The success story of 80s started with a letter to KQED entertainment and they are proud of their achievements. 4:44: 🎵 The group discusses their pirate-themed concept and their desire to convey different themes through their music and performances. 10:37: 🎶 The story behind the song 'Wake Up' involves the band wanting to create a second version of their popular song 'Gorilla' and collaborating in the studio. 14:51: 🎵 The song title was inspired by a Western movie and the band wants to perform it live someday. 19:10: 🎮 BTS collaborates on the storyline and music for their albums, and they are fans of League of Legends. Recap by Tammy AI

Iam sooooo proud of my ateez they've really come so far love you my ateez you deserve everything beautiful like you❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

"I had no idea that you guys are the most successful kpop group that’s not part of the big 4 companies" crying proud tears

Zach, thank you to you and your team so, SO much for having artists like ATEEZ on your show. I cannot tell you how much I respect you and your team for giving actual thought, interest and patience in your interviews.

ATEEZ are the best group that i've ever seen. not only a flawless discography, incredible performance, but they are soo humble and down to earth. like they are 8 of the greatest humans i've ever seen. they deserve the world.

Zach honestly has the most chilled out interviews and that atmosphere must put his guests at ease. Loved watching this.

OMG perfect timing! I've just gone down the ateez rabbit hole and started my atiny journey! Literally spent all day yesterday watching ateez content and now I have something new to watch YAY!

I loved seeing them here. I hope to see them more often in this type of program

Thank you so much for having our boys and making them feel comfortable :)

i don't go here but he 8:03 could read me the phonebook and i’d gladly listen to the entire thing

I found ATEEZ exactly when I needed them in my life. They bring me never ending happiness and peace. I also relate to their nature at times and feel their emotions deeply. They are my Sunshine, my happiness and the reason I'm always motivated to give my best. They inspire me and seeing them give their all makes me give my very best. ATEEZ kummawo, Saranghaeo💙

This was so nice, thank you for having our Pirate Boys!

finally my ateez 🥲 thank you so much for interviewing them!!

im late but thank you so muchhh for having my ateez!!

It's always nice coming back to this, feel so proud of the steady growth they've had and all the excitement still to come from the Towards the light tour, Japanese single, Coachella and whatever else they are secretly planning for 2024 ❤

Im so proud of my Ateez 😭❤️‍🔥

I've always loved how you handled interviewing kpop groups, ever since you first dove into it! For a long time you were one of the only interviewers who treated kpop groups like any other western celebrity while not discounting how hard it was for them to break through into the western market, so I'm always ecstatic to see you interview a group I love :) many thanks and much love! We'd love to see you interview ATEEZ again in the future!

im so proud of them they are so good at what they do keep going ateez i love u

Thank you so much for this interview!!

Also the fact how they so successful overseas without any foreign member and how members working hard to be spokeperson in english especially hongjoong and san is also very remarkable. Like now a days especially in big3 their carefully adding native english speaker member, it does help when they overseas and easier access when talk to interviewer or to fans.

This is EXACTLY the kind of interview I am always looking for - one that really lets them expand on their creative process and show off how brilliant they are as artists. I also have never heard of this show before but I genuinely love the interviewer! He asked some really well-thought-out questions and I love the vibes! You could tell he was really interested in their work and had done some thorough research! (Also I LOVE watching the steady progress that the boys have all made in English - English is such a weird and inconsistent language, but their progress inspires me to hope I'll someday finally start making progress in Korean haha!) And I NEED access to their storywriters because omg their lore is genuinely fascinating.

Thank you so much for having them ! I have been waiting for so long for ateez to do this interview. Zach is one of the best interviewers out there , so humble and considerate. Loved this whole interview with ateez! They're one of the best groups out there ! So versatile with their stages, albums, everything!

This is such a satisfyingly meaty interview, it’s not fluff, it’s really interesting!

Ateez let's go!