ATEEZ marks 8th anniversary with nostalgic "Ideal Type World Cup" broadcast

ATEEZ celebrated their 8th debut anniversary during a recent YouTube live broadcast where members participated in an "Ideal Type World Cup" to select their peak eras. While HONGJOONG chose the 'BOUNCY' era as his personal favorite, YEOSANG revealed he originally preferred the 'HALAZIA' period.

The group ATEEZ held a time to reminisce about their past with fans to mark their 8th debut anniversary. Recently, ATEEZ conducted a live broadcast on their official YouTube channel to celebrate the milestone, greeting fans while wearing outfits based on an elementary school entrance ceremony concept.

"Cool ex-boyfriend era, comfortable current husband"... ATEEZ's transformation for their 8th anniversary

During the live broadcast, ATEEZ announced they had reached their 8th anniversary. The members appeared in outfits following the elementary school entrance ceremony concept. Regarding the keyword "ex-boyfriend" used in the live title, the members explained it meant they had passed through a period of being "really cool and handsome" like an ex-boyfriend, and have now become "current husbands" who are more comfortable and closer to the fans.

To celebrate the 8th anniversary, the members prepared a cake and sang together. After expressing gratitude while checking congratulatory messages from fans in real time, they moved into a main segment to look back on their past activities. The first segment, titled "That Guy Was Cool," was conducted based on the results of an "Ideal Type World Cup" in which the members participated in advance.

Ideal Type World Cup picking each member's "peak era"; HONGJOONG chooses 'BOUNCY'

The members engaged in a discussion while picking their "peak era"—the time they felt they shone the most—from their various past activities. Leader HONGJOONG deliberated between candidates such as 'Old Now', 'Guerrilla', and 'BOUNCY' before ultimately choosing the 'BOUNCY' era. HONGJOONG mentioned the highlight scene featuring fire in the 'BOUNCY' music video and the "Diamond Step." In the video, HONGJOONG expressed regret when the candidate he chose on-site differed from the number one candidate chosen by fans, asking, "Can't you see what the fans chose?"

WOOYOUNG revealed his personal taste by mentioning an outfit styled like 'Shanks' among the candidates. YEOSANG deliberated between 'Lemon Drop' and 'In Your Fantasy' before ultimately selecting 'In Your Fantasy,' though he revealed that he originally liked the 'HALAZIA' era the most. JONGHO put his appearance from the 'HALAZIA' era forward as a candidate, and the members shared memories of that time by mentioning each other's past outfits and hairstyles.

Diverse interpretations of "peak era" between fans' perspectives and members' memories

The live broadcast proceeded with an intersection of how the members individually perceived themselves and how fans preferred to see them. Looking at each other's past appearances, the members shared comments such as "mysterious visuals." In particular, mentions of YEOSANG having "mysterious visuals" continued. To celebrate their 8th anniversary, ATEEZ spent time communicating with fans while looking back on their activities over the past eight years.

Source: ATEEZ (YouTube)