The song is 'BAD', the record is 'GOOD'.. ATEEZ's 8-year growth story [★22nd Anniversary]②

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

[Editor’s Note] As a fourth-generation K-pop idol group, ATEEZ has achieved dazzling results in the global music market and emerged as a new leading force of K-pop. Rather than simply inheriting the global influence built by senior groups like BTS, the leaders of the third generation, ATEEZ is expanding it in its own way, broadening the scope of K-pop. In particular, it is noteworthy that they rose to stardom quickly with clear results achieved in a relatively short period after their debut. This demonstrates that K-pop is no longer limited to the success of certain artists but has established itself as a sustainable global music genre through successive generations. StarNews, on its 22nd anniversary, aims to discuss the past, present, and future of fourth-generation K-pop idol groups that are making dazzling impacts in the global music market.

Boy group ATEEZ (ATEEZ, Hongjoong·Sung-hwa·Yunho·Yeosang·San·Mingi·Wooyoung·Jongho) has solidified its position in the global music market based on steady growth. Since their debut, ATEEZ has gained attention with their unique music and intense performances, and by this year, they have reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart three times, establishing themselves as a representative K-pop group.

They continued to expand their influence in overseas markets through domestic and international concerts, followed by consecutive achievements on album charts. In particular, ATEEZ, which first gained attention overseas and established itself as a global group, is now broadening its activity scope by increasing public recognition domestically. With experience and musical achievements accumulated on overseas stages, they are solidifying their position even in Korea. As ATEEZ approaches its ninth year since debut, interest focuses on what records they will create next.

Debuting in 2018, ATEEZ made its name in the K-pop market with intense music and performances, along with a unique worldview. Like many others, ATEEZ gained attention overseas before domestically from the start of their debut, rapidly expanding its global fandom.

ATEEZ built the foundation of its fandom by gaining overseas fans' response through the title track 'Say My Name' and the included track 'HALA HALA' from its second mini album 'TREASURE EP 2 : Zero To One', released in January 2019. Additionally, just four months after debut, they embarked on their first world tour, 'THE EXPEDITION TOUR,' visiting five cities in North America and ten in Europe, quickly revealing their presence on overseas stages.

Within less than a year of debut, ATEEZ achieved notable results overseas, including ranking fifth on the Billboard World Albums chart and topping the iTunes album chart. In October 2019, they released their first full album 'TREASURE EP.FIN : All To Action,' with the title track 'WONDERLAND.' They also appeared on major global stages such as KCON and MAMA, further strengthening their overseas fandom. ATEEZ's growth strategy, which focused on building a fanbase through overseas performances rather than gaining public recognition domestically, laid the groundwork for them to become a 'global powerhouse.'

ATEEZ's steady growth, having secured a global fandom early on, led to achievements on Billboard's main charts.

For ATEEZ, which grew into a global group by securing a thick fanbase overseas first, gaining public recognition and mass appeal in Korea has long been a challenge to solve. While they have continuously achieved results on overseas stages and charts, it took time to imprint the group's name and music on the domestic audience. Consequently, questions such as 'How will they broaden their recognition in Korea?' and 'How will they secure mass appeal?' have constantly followed ATEEZ.

Their eighth mini album 'THE WORLD EP.1 : MOVEMENT,' released in 2022, ranked third on the Billboard 200 chart, and responses began to emerge domestically around events like Mnet's 'KINGDOM: Legendary War.'

Among these, the title track 'BOUNCY' from their ninth mini album 'THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW,' released in 2023, became a significant turning point. The intense sound, catchy melody, and ATEEZ's signature performances served as an opportunity to announce the group's presence.

However, ATEEZ did not simply repeat the success formula of 'BOUNCY.' Instead, subsequent works like 'Lemon Drop' and 'Ice On My Teeth' showcased a different color from before, continuing their unique musical direction. Rather than repeating formulas that worked well domestically to broaden mass appeal, they focused on expanding the group's identity by making new attempts with each release. Through this process of consistently presenting their music, they naturally broadened their connection with the public.

ATEEZ's upward trend became particularly noticeable after 2023. 'THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW' reached second place on the Billboard 200 chart and ranked tenth on the UK Official Albums Chart. Additionally, their second full album 'THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL' topped the Billboard 200 chart and recorded second place on the UK Official Albums Chart.

The upward trend did not stop at one-time records. In 2024, their tenth mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.1' ranked second on the Billboard 200 chart, and their eleventh mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2' reached the top, securing a second number-one position. Notably, 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.2' recorded 184,000 album units in the United States, breaking their own record, making ATEEZ the K-pop artist with multiple number-one albums on the Billboard 200 after BTS and Stray Kids.

The upward trend continued into 2025. Their twelfth mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.3' debuted at second place on the Billboard 200 chart, while the title track 'Lemon Drop' entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, ranking 69th.

In 2026, they achieved even more noticeable results. Their thirteenth mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.4' reached third place on the Billboard 200 chart, marking their eighth top-10 entry overall, followed by their fourteenth mini album 'GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5,' which returned to the top, achieving their third number-one position on the Billboard 200 overall.

This persistent effort reached another turning point with the recent release of 'BAD.'

ATEEZ's greatest competitive advantage lies in continuously accumulating global chart achievements without relying on the success of any single album. By repeatedly entering the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart, they secured a stable consumer base for albums in the U.S. market, and in 2026, they reached the top for the third time overall, proving that their growth trend is still ongoing.

In particular, it is noteworthy that through the 'GOLDEN HOUR' series, they have continued the group's musical identity and worldview while organically expanding album sales, concerts, and global fandom. This is why evaluations suggest that ATEEZ has established itself not merely as a 'K-pop group popular overseas' but as a team with its own fandom and purchasing power in the global music market, including the United States.

ATEEZ's upward trend became even more evident through their recent release of 'BAD.' Having shown strong presence on overseas stages and album charts, ATEEZ achieved noticeable results on domestic music charts with 'BAD,' broadening its connection with the public. In particular, intense performances centered on member San spread through online platforms and short-form content, serving as an opportunity to introduce the group to new audiences beyond existing fans.

Album performance was also outstanding. The album containing 'BAD' topped the Billboard 200 chart and broke its own record by surpassing 1.88 million copies in initial domestic sales, marking their seventh million-selling album overall. For ATEEZ, which built a fanbase overseas first and grew centered on albums and concerts, the success of 'BAD' is particularly significant as it marks the beginning of expanding public recognition domestically.

However, it is difficult to assume that 'BAD's' success immediately translated into domestic mass appeal. The challenge ahead lies in expanding their proven global chart competitiveness into broader mass appeal. Having achieved clear results in the global market, including three times topping the Billboard 200, attention focuses on whether they can further solidify their position as a popular artist beyond global charts.

A music industry executive commented on ATEEZ's steady growth background: "ATEEZ has not repeated specific hit formulas but has continued to maintain the musical identity they built with each release. Rather than relying solely on domestic responses, they consistently presented music centered on their overseas fandom, breaking their own records along the way and growing."

Continuing, "Ultimately, ATEEZ's strength lies in maintaining their musical direction while growing alongside their global fandom rather than focusing on a single domestic success. After 'BAD,' it will be important not to simply repeat past successes but to explore how they can expand their unique identity."

Another executive stated, "ATEEZ's next challenge is not merely achieving higher chart positions but determining how much of their accumulated global competitiveness can be expanded into domestic mass appeal. Having confirmed this possibility through 'BAD,' if they continue to maintain their unique musical identity rather than chasing specific hit formulas and broaden their connection with the public, they may extend their current golden age into a long-term trend."

ATEEZ's growth story cannot be explained simply by the label of being a group from a small or medium-sized agency. Since debut, ATEEZ has expanded its fanbase in overseas markets and revealed its presence on global charts with each album release, carving out its own path. Now, they are experiencing another transformation by extending their accumulated strength to domestic audiences. As ATEEZ reaches the third number-one spot on the Billboard 200 chart in its ninth year since debut, interest focuses on what records they will write next using 'BAD' as a stepping stone.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original