ATEEZ Make A Triumphant Return to Darkness With ‘Wonderland’
Donning black military uniforms, the K-pop group seem determined to spark a revolution and lead everyone who follows them to victory
Donning black military uniforms, the eight members of ATEEZ seem determined to spark a revolution and lead everyone who follows to victory. Photo: KQ Entertainment
As South Korean group ATEEZ approach their first anniversary, it would seem they’ve decided to make a return to the darker aesthetic which sparked their rise to fame. “Wonderland” is the lead single of their first studio album Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action which follows the group’s more bright, and tropical third EP Treasure EP.3: One to All which dropped earlier this year in June.
Donning black military uniforms and/or striking red velvet suits, the eight members of ATEEZ seem determined to spark a revolution and lead everyone who follows to victory. A similarly-dressed marching band of men and women accompany the group on their journey, possibly signifying ATEEZ’s rapidly-growing fandom ATINY. The highly cinematic video shows clips of each member breaking free of their individual bonds (chains, rings of fire and other boundaries) before climbing a long, winding staircase to a platform seemingly on top of the world. At the end of the platform, a door with the group’s compass sigil opens to reveal a bright light, perhaps to signify the next step in ATEEZ’s journey.
Co-produced by ATEEZ’s long-time collaborators Eden, Leez, Buddy and Ollounder, “Wonderland” is a wholly unpredictable brass-heavy anthem of victory. Bollywood-reminiscent in some places thanks to the rapid chord progression in its pre-chorus and a war-cry in others courtesy the trumpets and military-style drum rolls, the track might seem like a mess on paper, but works as a final product thanks to the sheer confidence in its execution. The bridge is satisfyingly dramatic with ascending high notes from vocalists Jongho and Wooyoung, before rapper Mingi leads the track into its final, powerhouse refrain with his spitfire verse. The lyrics, written by all four producers as well as leader/main rapper Hongjoong and Mingi, are about marching towards fulfilling ones dreams.
Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action is the 11-track conclusion to ATEEZ’s Treasure EP series which consists Treasure EP.1: All to Zero (October 2018), Treasure EP.2: Zero to One (January 2019) and Treasure EP.3: One to All. Like its predecessors, the LP saw Hongjoong and Mingi heavily involved in both songwriting and production for almost every track with lead producer and singer-songwriter Eden.
Listen to ‘Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action’ below:
