In amidst the midterms that I have been suffering through at the moment, I decided to take a listen to Ateez's first EP. It's no surprise that I have been obsessed with them since I heard Hala Hala and so I thought I would discover more from them because quite frankly, they sound good. There were other songs that I knew such as Wonderland and Pirate King (which is on this album), so I thought the others had to be good as well. And so far, I'm correct. This EP is really good. They bring so much vocal talent and rap talent to the table that I'm honestly shocked. I also love how summery this record feels. I want to put it on in my car with the windows down. These guys will take over my life soon, I'm sure of it.
Below I'm going to give a track by track rundown of this album and how I feel about each track.
Track 1: Intro: Long Journey
This is such a cinematic intro, I've never heard something like this in K-pop. The strings make the former band kid in me explode. It's a bit simple, but it's effective. The spoken-word lyrics are given by, I assume, Hongjoong (the leader), are kind of cheesy but again, IT WORKS. I honestly love it so much that I got goosebumps the first time I listened to it. It's a good introduction to the group and what this album is about. "Will you join us?" he asks at the end. Yes. Yes I will!
Track 2: Pirate King
The intro transitions well into this song. And let me tell you: this song is a bop! It's one of my favorite K-pop songs at the moment. The break is so freaking good. They know how to work dance breaks, for sure. And the ending with the horns and sick beat change always gets me. This song invented BDE.
Track 3: Treasure
Low-key hip-hop defines this song. The verses are really freakin' good. Mingi, the lead rapper, really delivers on this song. The chorus has a melody I feel like I've heard before but it's good. The angelic vocal harmonies are the complete opposite of the verses but it fits well together. It's a nice track.
Track 4: Twilight
I feel like this is the cheesiest song off the record, with a soft piano ballad intro and a pop dance break. It's nice though. The vocals are really good and make me feel warm. I really can't wait for spring. I want to drive at night with the windows down and this playing in the background.
Track 5: Stay
The chorus is getting stuck in my head as I write this. Again, the vocal delivery is amazing. As someone who isn't as into vocal-heavy tracks as rap-heavy tracks, I really am surprised how much I love this song. It's sweet and fun. It's another one I want to listen to with the windows down. "I want you StayyyyyyyyyyYyYYyY" It's catchy hehe.
Track 6: My Way
The final song on this record. The chorus with the break is probably one of my favorite moments from this record. It's a lowkey hip-hop tune with the rappers delivering their lines really well. The piano which then turns into this catchy horn (?) sample. I love it so much. This album is really meant for the springtime drives, I'm telling you.
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