ATEEZ Are Sleek and Seductive in ‘Deja Vu’

South Korean powerhouse ATEEZ return with their new EP Zero: Fever Part.3, the follow-up to their highly successful March 2021 record, Zero: Fever Part.2. The album is led by the single “Deja Vu” and an accompanying music video.

The eight-member group are usually known for their high-energy, anthemic lead singles but change gears on “Deja Vu” to present a slower, rolling trap-synth/R&B blend. Written and produced by ATEEZ’s longtime collaborators EDEN and Ollounder with lyrics from members Hongjoong and Mingi, the track outlines an obsessive yet familiar love; “I go insane/ The moment we met each other’s eyes/ I couldn’t stop/ I feel an endless thirst/ Know you get Deja Vu.”

The music video is dark and sexy with the members of ATEEZ taking on the roles of what seem to be street racers. The visuals switch from empty parking lots and a car junkyard as the group perform their signature sleek, powerful choreography as lightning and rain surround them. There are references to the octet’s past music videos with Easter eggs to continue the themes of dreams, time and reality which are key elements of ATEEZ’s fictional storyline. The video ends with vocalist Yeosang waking up alone in the parking lot during the day with an hourglass in his hands which he turns over–perhaps a reference to the next video which might continue the story.

Zero: Fever Part.3 and “Deja Vu” mark ATEEZ’s first comeback with rapper Mingi since he returned from his eight month hiatus which began in November 2020. The group began promoting the new record in August with plenty of teasers as well as a video series which saw them ask their seniors and peers in the K-pop industry to watch “Deja Vu” and share their feedback. Zero: Fever Part.3 is set to be ATEEZ’s most successful EP till date, breaking the group’s own record with 810,000 pre-orders as of September 11th (their previous record was 350,000 preorders for Zero: Fever Part.2.) Including “Deja Vu,” the EP comprises a total of six tracks: “Eternal Sunshine,” “Feeling Like I Do,” “ROCKY,” “All About You” and “Not Too Late.”