ATEEZ Work Album
Added 2024-06-04 06:49:05 +0000 UTCIt's the way I was SO excited at the start and thoroughly realised this is ATEEZ's first hard miss.
The energy is not connected here and I can say that confidently after experiencing the last few releases probably since Fireworks I really started paying attention to them closely and everything just MADE sense.
Work as a title track is underwhelming and is sonically missing a lot of pazzaz that you usually get from ATEEZ, I was waiting for that UH HUH moment for it to click but it didn't and I've come to realise I think they ABSOLUTELY need to get uncomfortable and really experiment with producers that can expand their formula in a way that's exciting and makes sense. They need to record their vocals in new ways to suit the new genre they're expanding in to.
Especially after how well Bouncy and Crazy Form were executed this feels more half hearted. I just remembered I saw tiktoks pretending this was a p1harmony song and I'm inclined to agree when you hear the rhythm of the vocal on that hook. The video is good and I commend them for heading into a new direction and I hope these are growing pains as they find a way to bring something new and exciting to the table whilst maintaining their identity.
I hope it still does well because I don't want them to be discouraged by experimentation but this was a shaky start.
Enjoy!
Comments
God now you got me imagining ateez doing a bridge similar to Armageddon I don't think I can handle that haha. They could definitely do that I mean we saw how successful bouncy was for them too. Nice I'd love to hear what you think whenever you get the chance!
Rayan
2024-09-20 07:44:38 +0000 UTCThat's so true I do think Xikers will give us something close to that but I do think ATEEZ could do something like Bouncy again for sure. Like they could pull off something close to Aespa Armageddon I think. Not I haven't listened to that but will do off camera
Koko3op
2024-09-20 07:35:06 +0000 UTCThis definitely wasn't my favorite album by them, I feel like some of the songs have grown on me, and some have gone the opposite way where I enjoyed them at first and now I don't listen to them as much. I really would like to see them return to more vocally driven songs, I'd love for the next comeback to have a title track like Turbulence, like answer or inception. I think we all would like to see ateez do an R&B song as a title track but I don't think we're getting that, to be honest I think their brother group xikers might be closer to giving us an R&B title track than ateez which I am 100% here for! Also I don't know if you've ever listened to the song Call Me Anytime, it's by ateez and all of KQ, so they have eden (their main producer) and Maddox and LEEZ (used to be one of their main producers too) singing on the song and it's such a beautiful song I need more of this type of r&b sound from ateez, beautiful vocals beautiful harmonies and unique voices I think you'd love that song, if you haven't heard it yet (Also it was in 2020 so unfortunately xikers weren't on it but I'm PRAYING they do something like this again but with xikers on it)
Rayan
2024-09-20 06:39:45 +0000 UTCYeahh I totally hear this, it was a missed opportunity honesty!
Koko3op
2024-07-26 21:49:29 +0000 UTCI agree with your takes and some of the comments. They didn't infuse enough energy for the genres the tracks dabble in and they don't feel like they're comfortable in these genres (yet?). One of the things I was looking forward to when they announced they would come back to the less dystopian part of their lore was their happy to sad ballad songs that I missed from before The World series. I had this whole idea that the producers would show growth in the way they make those tracks, because while I enjoy a lot of the previous ones, they tend to be pretty straightforward in their advancement. I don't demand complexity always, but at least having interesting twists in the instrumental, utilizing the members' voices in ways that can not be explored with their more big energy sounds would be lovely. Empty Box was such a disappointment in this regard, the only part that I got excited by was the vocals of Yunho followed by Jongho. The other vocalists' lines were boring to me and the instrumental stayed too one dimensional
Nahi
2024-07-26 16:27:55 +0000 UTChey!! i was just watching ateez's "ATEEZ in Coachella #1 | Say My Name" video about the behind the scenes of preparing for coachella & i quickly came here to mention it bc it reminded me of something you said in this — they recorded all together in prep for coachella and you can FEELLLL their energy & their songs were reworked with a live band for coachella too. it might be an interesting video for you to check out!
Amelia
2024-06-21 20:58:59 +0000 UTCI honestly know how you feel. Ateez are my Ults but this album was the weakest album that they’ve ever released for me. It didn’t live up to the previous albums that they’ve released. Work has grown on me though but it wouldn’t be the first song I would listen to them. However the concept is really good. Those pics and this MV are funny. Hopefully their next release will be a little better
Tyisha
2024-06-05 17:18:31 +0000 UTCThis description !!
Koko3op
2024-06-05 02:53:57 +0000 UTCi normally ALWAYS enjoy ateez releases, i’ve been here since The Real and never experienced extreme disappointment like i did when listening to this album. it made me super sad because i’m not used to be disappointed by their work, but this album feels so rushed, the production is either lacking or sounds dated, their delivery, like you said, is weak and underwhelming. while listening to it i also thought that it sounded like demos and that they could’ve done sooo much better than that. i think the principal issue is Eden, like you said. he needs to get out the studio respectfully
mariame
2024-06-05 02:52:09 +0000 UTCIt's close but just feels like it's missing something
Koko3op
2024-06-05 02:17:35 +0000 UTCI kinda knew u wouldn't like the title track but actually i thought at least you will enjoy the b-sides especially empty box
Dalia H
2024-06-05 00:36:25 +0000 UTCI feel you but thank god it's a mini!!
Koko3op
2024-06-04 17:41:44 +0000 UTCi’ve been waiting for this to see if i was crazy. i’m a multistan but ateez has always held a special place in my heart. that being said, this album is not it.. it just didn’t do it for me and it makes me sad to say that but like ???
kim
2024-06-04 15:36:41 +0000 UTCAgreed!!
Koko3op
2024-06-04 14:40:43 +0000 UTCThe first time I heard work I thought it was just a single. I was like 'no way this is a title track right?'. It felt really underwhelming. I like some of the songs, but as an album and title track I was extremely underwhelmed. The album also felt really disconnected. none of the songs really work together. That said, I do like how they show how distinct they can be and how many different directions they can go
Virtual TimeLine
2024-06-04 14:14:25 +0000 UTCThis wasn't a ramble at all, I loved reading this!! I agree, it's kinda like Cowboy Carter coming after Renaissance, the energy just didn't hit but it was supposed to be the other way round to start with. I hope they do work with demjointz and other producers stat! I'm glad everyone's over Eden HAHA
Koko3op
2024-06-04 14:07:38 +0000 UTCMy reaction to the killing voice is already live lol. Yess it definitely feels US audience ready. How HYBE of them lool. This is the thing, they mistook easy listening for lifeless. There's a way for easy listening to still have presence that clicks. Hopefully it comes through!
Koko3op
2024-06-04 14:05:46 +0000 UTChi! my friends and i have been atinys since predebut and we just got together to discuss this project - we've settled on the notion that it's a good album but just barely holds up as it came after the masterpieces that were the "will" and "outlaw" albums. we all felt like if this album was released before those eras it'd be more hard hitting if that makes sense. i personally enjoyed every song on the album but it was the first time i listened to a project of theirs and didn't instantly move to replay it like i usually do. again the bar was set super high with their most recent albums and it just happened to not move up higher this time. however i think we'll look back on it fondly in the end. overall i think it's fun and performance-wise they seem to really enjoy work (one thing someone cant take away from ateez is their talent!) if you're ever feeling inclined to watch those live performances i would recommend it, the choreo is well-liked :-) also as someone who also comes from atiny twitter, the majority of the fandom has kinda been fed up with eden for a while now LMAO. but to give you some hope about new producers, hongjoong spent most of his time in cali going to music workshops and meeting new people in the industry, and also went viral like a month ago as demjointz posted pics with him after a studio session, so everyone's super excited for whatever he'll be involved in coming up in the future! anyways sorry for the ramble, appreciated hearing your thoughts on this!
sanichiko
2024-06-04 14:02:33 +0000 UTCYeah the album was also not clicking for me. Even if this is not the genre I prefer (I enjoy more rock-intense sound like The World pt 2), I feel it lacks something... You're right about the energy, but I also feel like it lacks the creativity and uniqueness of their previous releases. Especially the title track feels more like something produced for the US audience, kinda safe and focused on the vibe. What I like about ATEEZ is their intensity and daring approach to their sound. It has this something that differenciate them from others, and for me it xas not the case this time. They themselves said they tried "easy listening" for a change, but I don't know how much this choice is theirs either. I agree with you that it will be interesting to collaborate with other producers then Eden, and I'm sure their focus in the US will bring connections (I just hope they will not cater their song to this market). I'm kinda sad too, because I was so hype after Coachella and the intense performance they did (did you see week 2 btw ?) I'm hoping the best for their next release, after the tour ^^ Btw I just saw that they went on Killing Voice ! I'm sure you will check it out and I can already predict that you will obsess over Yunho haha He was a standout for me !
Andjelai Lazare
2024-06-04 13:44:35 +0000 UTCAs long as it makes sense, I'm happy!
Koko3op
2024-06-04 12:30:29 +0000 UTCKinda sad you didn’t like anything on here but all your points made sense. For me personally I loved everything on this album to me its like a tame (?) dancing album and the new genres they added made me like it even more.
Nya
2024-06-04 09:40:09 +0000 UTCThanks for the reaction! I do agree as well about the overall lack of energy and was let down by the production of this new album quite a bit. I feel like after how new and exciting the last comebacks were I had high expectations and this didn’t meet them. Hoping the next one will be more developed and overall stronger. However, I do feel that Work has grown on me from seeing the live performances of it as I really enjoy parts of the choreo, so would recommend any of those if you weren’t already planning to check them out. Also I did want to quickly recommend Hongjoong’s new episode of I.M on the Beat which gave him another opportunity to show off his impressive rap/vocal ability, so would love to see your reaction to it!
Zoe B
2024-06-04 09:25:21 +0000 UTCOoooo it's a clarinet! Thanks for that! I'm glad someone else hears what I heard!
Koko3op
2024-06-04 08:16:56 +0000 UTCyeah I'm inclined to agree with you here. I just got the feeling with this album that the members didn't love the songs either. Sometimes, even if I don't love a song, if it's clear the whole group is proud of what they've made and their love for the songs is shining in their vocals I end up liking it more. I didn't get this feeling at all tbh. I don't believe that every song you make needs to immediately feel 'legendary' or 'timeless' but I would like to at least feel a sense that the members and production team are passionate about their music and it's not just a throw away album to please fans. Also as a clarinettist I was selfishly excited to see my instrument shining in a title track but if I'm being honest with myself I don't think it really fit the song and I agree it sort of brought the energy down. Nevertheless, I've seen a lot of people enjoy it on tiktok so I'm sure this won't be such a big hit to them. Thanks for the reaction anyway :)
Eleanor Carys
2024-06-04 08:13:03 +0000 UTCI LOVE that analogy! The genre is definitely wearing them it feels like here and tbh even if they're tamer there's a way to record it so it feels connected still. Bad Bunny Ojitos Lindos is tame yet has so much life in the production of the whole song. I guess we'll seee
Koko3op
2024-06-04 07:30:58 +0000 UTCI was curious about your reaction to this one! I agree about the energy not connecting especially compared to how hard their previous releases went. Part of me wonders whether its lore related (going back to a tamer, more 'normal' universe compared to their last 3 albums) and the sound reflects that. Regardless, it feels like the genres they're experimenting with is "wearing them" rather than the other way round. Growing pains like you said and they need some time to find their footing. I did still enjoy the album, Shaboom and Empty Box being my favourite tracks. The sample in Blind sounded similar to the one used in the chorus of Seventeen's Super imo
Regine S.
2024-06-04 07:25:15 +0000 UTC
