Being ATINY in a Month and the K-Pop Experience
ATEEZ stands out as one of the most dynamic bands in K-Pop with their stage shows and powerful performances. However, I must admit that at first I only knew some of their songs and didn’t really know the members. After deciding to go to the Cologne concert, I immersed myself in the world of ATEEZ for a month. I memorized the members, their characters, their music and especially the setlist they played on this tour. I literally prepared for the concert and did my homework.The result? I enjoyed the concert more than enough! ☺
At first, I was wondering how they can understand a completely different culture and language, how they can enter that world so fast. But after listening and practicing the setlist for a month while trying to get to know ATEEZ for the concert, I found myself singing along to the Korean songs without realizing it. I experienced more clearly what I realized before: South Korea is the country that markets its culture to the world the best. They create a global experience with their music, visual aesthetics and storytelling. And once you are immersed in this experience, you are drawn in and then you adapt to this culture through TV series, food etc.
K-Pop’s Power in the World: ATEEZ and European Tour
ATEEZ’s 2025 WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT: WILL TO POWER] has been a huge hit all over Europe. Lyon, Milan, Zurich, London (two shows), Manchester, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Cologne, Copenhagen shows have been done so far. Berlin (two shows), Paris and Brussels are next. In total, the band will be performing in 12 different European cities and all the tickets for the concerts have already sold out in a short time…
Each of these performances shows the strength of K-Pop in Europe and that ATEEZ is now firmly established on this continent. The Cologne concert at Lanxess Arena was also a sell-out, with all 16,000 tickets sold out. Fans flocked to the venue from the early hours of the morning and there were even some who lined up the night before because the front of the stage was unnumbered and they would be positioned according to the order in which they entered the venue.
Stage Performances of ATEEZ Members
The band members’ stage presence and vocal performances were among the details that made the concert unforgettable:
- Hongjoong instantly won the audience over with his energy and powerful rap parts, and Hongjoon, who is also the leader of the group, proved to be a “CAPTAIN” with his control over the band members, the stage and the audience.
- Seonghwa was impressive both with his vocals and his charismatic stage presence. With his facial expressions during his aesthetic dance, it was as if he was literally living each beat.
- Yunho was at the forefront especially in his dance performances and his choreographies were flawless.
- San and Wooyoung were the ones who captivated the audience the moment they stepped on stage.
- Yeosang stood out with his stance on the stage, while Jongho’s unique vocals were one of the highlights of the concert. I think that Jongho, who is also the producer of the group, is one of the best voices of the K-Pop industry in recent times.
- Mingi seems to be the color of the group; he attracts attention on stage with his mischievous, slightly maverick and different costumes: He wore his Willy Wonka costume, which I also noticed in the Work video, for a while in the concert and his fans already call him Mingi Wonka… Even though the band is a whole, it seems like a lot of color would be missing without his unique rap, posture and dances… (You might think that my bias is Mingi after reading these praising comments, but… You would be wrong! While I was doing my homework for the Ateez concert, I followed the K-Pop system and chose my bias as Yeosang because of his colorful voice and aesthetically pleasing dances).
ATEEZ presented a different stage layout, costume change, video effects and dynamic choreography for each song. It was as if we were watching a mini music video for each song. Despite such an intense stage production, there was not a single technical glitch during the concert, which was a proof of K-Pop’s organizational success.
We were admiring the band dancing like crazy throughout the concert, displaying their choreography flawlessly and performing live songs without slowing down the tempo even for a moment. And of course, with thousands of people frantically singing along to the songs, it was as if we were passengers on the ship of Ateez, led by the captain and turned into a feast by a crew.
The musical universe ATEEZ created, the storytelling and the fan participation were the elements that took the concert to the next level. The universe that started with the pirate theme has expanded in my opinion with the addition of mafia elements in the “Ice On My Teeth” video. I experienced that the atmosphere that the band creates in their music videos was replicated on stage.
This concept was not limited to the band members; the fans were also a part of this universe. There were many Atiny (the name of AteezFandom) wearing clothes inspired by ATEEZ’s stage costumes and special makeup. Cologne turned into a giant carnival for one night thanks to ATEEZ! Which is actually a very common thing in Cologne for Carnival and Carnival style dressing. That’s why we’re all used to seeing similar images on the streets and in everyday life, even among the working people. But it seems that K-Pop fans are doing it everywhere, going to concerts in this costume. It is very clear that K-Pop fans are literally turning these concerts into a festival!
Ticketing Problem:
While watching the concert, I couldn’t help but compare it with concerts in Turkey. It is a big problem that concert tickets, which sell out so quickly, cannot reach their real audience in Turkey. When we compare the systems in Turkey and abroad, while Turkey serves the black market in big concerts, the existence of mechanisms that protect the music lover in foreign examples and the huge difference between them is immediately noticeable.
At ATEEZ’s concerts in Europe, buying tickets proceeded in a regular and controlled manner within the framework of the rules set by the organization. In Turkey, the ticketing process is often a stressful one.
- While ticket purchases are limited in Europe, the black market is widespread in Turkey due to people who can buy 20 tickets at once.
- While those logging in from different devices are instantly kicked out of the system abroad, ticketing sites in Turkey are still unable to fully block bots.
- While black market and high-priced resales are subject to strict controls in Europe, this control is not adequately ensured in Turkey.
This lack of system makes the concert experience in Turkey stressful from start to finish. However, some solutions from abroad can be taken as an example and implemented. In this way, organizations can be more fair and concert culture can be established on a more solid foundation.
While I went to the concert of a group consisting of K-Pop idols, I can’t not mention our girlband, which has been on the music agenda in Turkey in recent weeks, and its origin story.
I made detailed presentations to TV and production companies for this format inspired by the K-Pop industry, which I have been discussing from time to time in my music articles for about 2 years and which I thought would be especially suitable for Big Brother style systems. However, due to my living in Germany, I could not be involved in the process and these presentations unfortunately remained at the project stage. Fortunately, when I learned that Tolga Akış from the music industry had started such a project, I started to follow Big5 quietly.
Big5 Turkey: A Real Step for the Idol System?
The success of ATEEZ and other K-Pop groups is made possible not only by their music, but also by well-designed education, marketing and organization systems. Big5 Turkey has set out to be one of the projects that follows this model in Turkey.
At the end of the competition led by Tolga Akış, the band “Manifest” was formed. Although the format of the contest offers a structure similar to the idol raising system in K-Pop, the sustainability of this system is not yet clear. Beginnings are always difficult, and as it continues, I believe that our music structure and the musical expectations of the audience will change at the same rate. As in the past, youth programs and shows with musicians as guests will start to reappear. Because even though the project is mainly on social media and YouTube right now, we know that entertainment, chat and show programs have a big share in the global success of K-Pop. In South Korea, idol groups regularly appear on music programs to promote their new songs, and some members even MC on these programs or DJ on radios. Tolga Akış started this process, but social media alone is not enough for a real transformation. Other music labels and the media need to get involved in this process so that the idol system in Turkey is well-established.
I hope that Tolga Akış, who took the biggest responsibility in this process and initiated the project, will turn Big5 Turkey into a long-term idol academy. I observe that not only a debut song for the winning group, but also a planned career management has started to be made. Although Hypers Music knows the importance of this process thanks to its experience, it is very important for the girls in the group to realize that although they are getting attention now, they have a long way to go. The only way for them to overcome this path is to work hard, produce new songs and provide content that will strengthen their fandom. Also, being a band is hard and Turkey is unfortunately a graveyard of broken bands. And we know that in long-lasting bands, one person (the lead singer) is usually at the forefront. Manifest, as a girlband, builds a structure where all members have equal importance. However, considering the possible divisions among the fans, it is critical for the band to remain intact and trust each other. I hope “Hepsi”, which could have been a legend but fell apart at its peak, would be a good lesson for them.
Stage productions and music quality should approach K-Pop standards, both the Hypers team and the girls should work very, very hard! It is not possible to move to the world stages with the understanding that ‘so what if I dance a little and sing a little; if I’m popular, I’ll sell anyway’ that we often see on the stages in Turkey. Because there are not even very good ones out there; there are just excellent ones. I know that to have big goals and global plans, you have to start from the country first, but keeping the standard high will increase the musicality and stage expectations in our country.
Tolga Akış’s hard work on the project is quite obvious.
Tolga Akış’s intense support for Manifest on social media is a very important advantage for the band’s progress in the sector. As long as this support continues, the group can establish itself on a more solid ground. However, for a long-term success, they should be working with a team that knows that they need not only digital support but also a professional system. In this respect, I think the girls are under the roof of a label that is the closest to today’s trends.
As a result, I congratulate this new girlband, whose lessons from K-Pop will of course be taken as long as the financial side is sufficient, for managing to attract attention despite this industry in the first debut of their long journey. It is now up to your determination to carry this start forward, girls! Keep up the fight!
In my article, which I started with the Ateez concert and ended with big5, the K-Pop music industry, which is taken as an example, is a lesson not only in music but also in perfect organization, production and fan culture. If similar projects are to be developed in Turkey, the focus should be not only on talent but also on the strategy and the power of the system behind this work. That’s why I’m looking forward to seeing how new competitions and new bands will shape the process.
Dreams may come true.
If projects like Big5 Turkey are planned correctly, for example, if an academic system can be established with the logic of “internship” like in K-pop… Instead of just forming a group at the end of the competition, this system can be continuously fed by holding new auditions at certain times of the year.
It is not a dream for an idol group from Turkey to make a place for itself on the international stage, it can become a reality with the right steps!
Note to ATINYs:
It was an exciting and special experience for me to get so close to K-Pop and your favorite band ATEEZ in such a short time. If there are any omissions, mistakes or misrepresentations in my observations or comments, I hope you will accept it in good faith. Because maybe I met K-Pop a little late, but now it is very valuable for me to be able to explain this culture, energy and passion on my own platform.
I have done my best to accurately reflect you, the music you love and the spirit of this special fandom. While reading this article, I hope you feel the magic of K-Pop and ATEEZ as I feel it.
Special Thanks
To my daughter Nil… For introducing me to K-Pop.As a music writer, it would probably have limited my vision to write about this music that has influenced so much of the world without knowing about it. But thanks to you, I discovered not only a music genre but also the culture, passion and fandom that comes with it.
The translation of the article written for NouvArt after the Ateez concert and the establishment of Manifest.
Translation by Ufuk Sağın
Link to Original Article:
https://www.nouvart.net/muzikoridor-16-k-poptan-big5-turkiyeye-organizasyon-disiplin-ve-muzik-endustrisi-uzerine/
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