ATEEZ in Chicago
Article and Photo Gallery by Mollie Menuck
K-Pop boy group ATEEZ brought their “In Your Fantasy” tour to Chicago’s Wrigley Field, marking the second-ever K-Pop group to perform at the stadium. The 8-piece has made waves in the K-Pop industry, with their latest comeback “GOLDEN HOUR : PT.3” charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking with over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
“In Your Fantasy” departed in Incheon before arriving in the states with shows all across North America and Asia, and marked the release of their newest album “GOLDEN HOUR : PT.3 ‘IN YOUR FANTASY EDITION,” which featured each member's solo tracks to be performed at the concert.
ATEEZ truly shine at their 6th tour, backed by a new live band that amplifies the members' incredible musicianship. The show opened with the smash-hit “BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILI PEPPERS)” before bringing back an old favorite, “Fireworks (I’m The One),” greeting ATINY (fandom) on the extended stage.
“IN YOUR FANTASY” is truly an ATINY’s fantasy, with long-requested fan-favorite songs like “Blind” and “Shaboom,” which showed off their incredible dance and performance skills.
A highlight of the show was the aforementioned solo stages. Each song showcased ATEEZ's individuality, spanning numerous genres. Yunho, San, and Seonghwa set the tone with sultry pop-funk tracks, while Yeosang, Wooyoung, and Jongho brought the drama with ballads focusing on their performances. Hongjoong and Mingi brought the party with their rap-heavy hype-pop tracks. Hongjoong, the leader of ATEEZ, even improvised a deep-house DJ set at the top of his performance to celebrate Chicago.
Before officially ending the show, the boys came out for an extended encore featuring a medley of throwback songs from their discography, dating back to the “TREASURE” and “ZERO : FEVER” eras and ending on an uplifting note with “Enough,” a track about self-preservation and acceptance. As one final surprise, ATEEZ returned to the stage for one final encore, an explosive performance of “The Real,” with fireworks, confetti, and the ATEEZ radiating joy.
“IN YOUR FANTASY” is an incredible showcase of why ATEEZ has come as far as they have, and continue to outdo themselves. If you missed the Chicago stop, there’s still more chances to see ATEEZ in California, Mexico, and all across Asia.