ATEEZ Aims to Own the Summer with New Album 'Golden Hour: Part.3'

"We want to hear people say 'Summer is ATEEZ.'" (Wooyoung)

The K-pop group ATEEZ is set to take over the summer music scene with their latest release. Adding a touch of sexy freshness, their new summer season song aims to beat the heat.

ATEEZ (members Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho) held a press conference at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 12th to celebrate the release of their 12th mini-album 'Golden Hour: Part.3'.

The third installment in the 'Golden Hour' series, 'Golden Hour: Part.3', marks ATEEZ's return with a new album after seven months. The title track 'Lemon Drop' is a summer season song, with members Hongjoong and Mingi contributing to the lyrics, infusing ATEEZ's unique musical style and delicate emotions.

Hongjoong described the title track 'Lemon Drop' as "an R&B hip-hop genre song with a refreshing vibe, containing ATEEZ's sweet and tangy confession." He added, "I've heard this summer is going to be hotter. It's a song that can fill the hot summer days with ATEEZ's excitement." San expressed, "It's exciting to greet everyone with a new look after a long time," and added, "We've returned with sexy freshness." Mingi explained, "Now that we're in our mid-twenties, we wanted to capture refreshing sexiness." He described the album's tracks as "songs that smell like summer nights."

As a song targeting the summer, it tones down the intensity compared to previous tracks and enhances the freshness. Hongjoong stated, "For those familiar with ATEEZ's intense music, they might think 'Has ATEEZ's style changed?' It's not that our pursuit has changed, but this genre of song best fits the message we wanted to convey in this series." San added, "Courage without fear is what we consider 'cool,' and ATEEZ is a team that loves trying new things," explaining the reason for their comeback with a different vibe. He expressed his ambition, "There are many more albums to come. We'll show you even better sides of us."

Despite 'Lemon Drop' being based on a strong beat, the members described it as 'refreshing.' Wooyoung smiled and said, "Since we've been doing intense songs, I think this one feels fresher compared to what ATEEZ has done so far." Previously, ATEEZ showed their potential as summer champions with 'Wave.' Following 'Wave,' they aim for the title 'Summer is ATEEZ' with 'Lemon Drop,' which embodies ATEEZ's maturity. He added, "I want to hear people say, 'ATEEZ is good at summer songs too,' 'Intense and strong songs are great, but these kinds of songs suit them well too.' It would be nice to have the title 'Summer is ATEEZ' as well."

The members highlighted Hongjoong's rap part as a must-see in the music video. Yunho said, "The music video itself has a strong refreshing and sexy vibe," adding, "I like the scene where Hongjoong is rapping while sweating inside a car. We shot that scene last, and we all left him there and went home. When I saw the music video, it was shot so well that it left a strong impression." Hongjoong, with a satisfied smile, added, "In that scene, the members leave me, and I really stayed in the car to shoot. The members probably saw those scenes for the first time in the music video."

ATEEZ is set to embark on another global journey with their new world tour 'In Your Fantasy,' kicking off in Incheon next month. Yunho mentioned, "For this tour, we tried to bring out things we haven't shown before. It might be a spoiler, but we've prepared considering the parts that ATINY (fan club name) wanted to see and talked about a lot." San added, "We are a team that loves trying new things. We've made various attempts in this concert, both in terms of production and new songs. ATEEZ is putting everything into this tour," raising expectations.

Having achieved remarkable success, including topping the 'Billboard 200' chart, ATEEZ was asked about their goals for this album. Hongjoong replied, "Visible goals are good, but our aim is to be a group that continues for a long time with good quality and messages. It's more important to gain persuasiveness through effort rather than showing something visible."

ATEEZ is approaching their 7th debut anniversary this October. With the time to discuss contract renewals approaching, there is interest in whether the members will renew their contracts. Regarding this, Hongjoong said, "We're thinking a lot about how to show ATEEZ for a long time and in what way. We'll try to bring good appearances and good news soon."

Since their debut, ATEEZ has consistently made positive impacts on society through donations and good deeds. In March, they donated 100 million won to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to support the recovery of areas affected by wildfires and aid displaced residents.

Yunho stated, "I've been feeling a lot lately that our small actions and words have an impact," adding, "We try to exert a positive influence. Thanks to ATINY, we've developed this mindset. It's a virtuous cycle." San also said, "Beyond being entertainers, I want to become someone who can communicate more emotionally and closely with fans and the public. I will strive to be a good person before being an entertainer."

ATEEZ's 12th mini-album 'Golden Hour: Part.3' will be released at 1 PM today.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr