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The roaring crowd at Citi Field gave ATEEZ a New York welcome on Sunday as they stepped onto the stage to present the latest installment of their ongoing “In Your Fantasy” world tour (get tickets here). Last year, the octet became the second K-pop group to ever perform at the iconic ballpark, after BTS. Back at that same venue this year and armed with about a dozen new songs to show off, the group kicked off the show in a blaze of back-to-back hits and quickly made it clear that they were more than ready for round two.
Throughout their career, ATEEZ have always shined brightest in concert; the team exudes a natural stage presence that can reach even the furthest corners of a stadium with ease. In the span of three hours, the group ran through song after song with powerful vocals, fiery rapping, and immaculate choreography.
The concert featured eight unique solo stages, allowing each of the members to put their individual strengths on display. What the show lacked in elaborate set designs and pyrotechnics, it more than made up for with a spectacular live band.
The group’s main dancer Yunho began the evening’s solos with a suave, Michael Jackson-inspired performance of “Slide to Me.” The eldest member Seonghwa captivated like a siren, all alluring sensuality and floaty falsettos, for the song “Skin.” Yeosang’s ethereal vocals and appearance turned hauntingly intense in “Legacy.” San rounded out the darker solo tracks, commanding the stage with smooth choreography for “Creep.”
One of the best parts of seeing ATEEZ live is witnessing their commitment to a theme. Whether they’re pirates seeking treasure or cowboys at a shoot-out, the team doesn’t shy away from theatrics and narrative — from head to toes. Fans of ATEEZ even joke about the existence of a “demon line” within the group – consisting of the members Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and San — due to moments on stage when their dancing or facial expressions looked downright demonic. After Sunday’s show, I think it’s safe to say the majority of the group can be considered part of that line.
ATEEZ, photo courtesy of the artists
The group’s most-highly anticipated performances — their latest singles “Lemon Drop” and “In Your Fantasy” — relished in these themes, with lyrics exploring temptation and desire, and choreography to match.With mentions of Lucifer and imagery of burning castles, cages, martini glasses, and forbidden fruit on thorny branches, ATEEZ transport the audience into a world of fantasy and sin.
Of course the band took a moment to acknowledge ATINYs, a.k.a. the fans. In the song “Sagittarius,” Wooyoung sang out a heartfelt promise to be a guiding light. Jongho continued that message with a devastatingly beautiful performance of “To Be Your Light.” He started the song entirely a capella, his voice echoing around the stadium.
Later in the night, in the electronic festival portion of the concert, ATEEZ captain and spitfire rapper Hongjoong turned the set into a rave with his solo track “NO1.” Those few minutes felt like a victory lap, as the man who led ATEEZ to where they are now celebrated their success and invited us to join the party. Mingi, the other rapper of the group, added to the EDM celebration with a fierce performance of “Autobahn” and “Roar.”
The concert was not without its flaws; the group faced a few technical difficulties throughout. At one point, the mics went mute for several minutes and the members even brought out a tablet to write “5 MINUTES PLS” and add “CAUSE ATINY KILLED IT.”
The band turned an unfortunate pause into moments of hilarity. Hongjoong joked, “Last year we had weather issues. This year we had technical issues. I wonder what issue we’ll have next year,” during his closing speech. Was that a hint at another world tour next year?
In true K-pop fashion, the concert had several fake endings before the real one. ATEEZ first closed the show with “In Your Fantasy,” then with an encore that ended on “Fin:Will,” then, “The Real (Heung Ver.)”
ATEEZ’s underdog story, as artists who debuted from a tiny South Korean label in 2018 and skyrocketed to international fame, is a testament to their ability to captivate an audience. The scale has gotten bigger and the venues have gotten grander, and ATEEZ, if anything, have gotten better. They exemplify the industry standard for live performance.
Where last year’s Citi Field show was a statement of their arrival into the “big leagues,” this show was a confirmation that ATEEZ is here to stay.
ATEEZ, photo courtesy of the artists
ATEEZ “In Your Fantasy” Setlist:
Bouncy
Fireworks
Blind
Man on Fire
Slide To Me (Yunho Solo)
Skin (Seonghwa Solo)
We Know
Legacy (Yeosang Solo)
Guerrilla
Sagittarius (Wooyoung Solo)
To Be Your Light (Jongho Solo)
Turbulence
Lemon Drop
Shaboom
Creep (San Solo)
Outlaw
NO1 (Hongjoong Solo)
Autobahn + Roar (Mingi Solo)
Work
Ice on My Teeth
In Your Fantasy
Medley: Say My Name + Thanxx + To the Beat + Good Lil Boy + Crazy Form
Now This House Ain’t a Home
Enough
Fin:Will
The Real (Heung Ver.)
English (US) · 