From L.A. dance studios to festival headliners: Ateez reflects on its full-circle moment

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Set us as preferred When Ateez first arrived in Los Angeles from South Korea in 2018, they were aspiring K-pop idols who were still only learning their craft and unsure what the future had in store for them.From humble beginnings training at Movement Lifestyle and Millennium Dance Complex, Ateez have gone on to headline arenas and stadiums across the city and established themselves as one of the biggest K-pop groups in the world.The eight-member K-pop unit — made up of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — have headlined festivals, accumulated billions of streams and transcended the genre with viral songs and dances such as “Bad” and “Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers).”Marking another milestone in their careers, Ateez headlined their first outdoor festival in L.A.with the inaugural two-day K-pop music festival 82 World at Los Angeles State Historic Park in October.Following their performance, Hongjoong, San, Mingi and Jongho of Ateez sat down with The Times to discuss their comeback with their 15th mini-album, “Golden Hour: Part.6,” out Friday.The excitement about the album was palpable, as San and Jongho couldn’t hold back their dance moves while discussing songs like “Up” and “Drip.” The album sees Ateez experiment with genres, such as heavy trap, while incorporating familiar elements that have made them so popular over the years.How was the performance at 82 World?San: It’d been over a year since our last show in L.A., so it was special, and the fans were full of energy as we hadn’t seen them for so long.How have these big performances, like 82 World or headlining at BMO Stadium, helped you grow as performers?San: I think the most important thing that we’ve gained from these big performances is confidence.

We have been performing on bigger stages and meetin...