There are a number of K-pop groups from the class of 2018-19 that I’ve fallen out with musically. ATEEZ and Stray kids immediately come to mind, with ITZY and TXT also losing some luster from their peak. Taking a look at my year-end countdown from 2019 depicts an alternate universe where these groups’ music ruled my playlists. Some of this shift stems from a personal character flaw: I tend to lose interest in acts once they become monstrously popular. But beyond that, I’d argue most of their music just… hasn’t been as good lately?
No group represents this transition better than ATEEZ. I promise I don’t come to their new music with a vendetta or seek to hold them back from changing and growing. After all, re-creating Wonderland or Wave over and over would eventually grow stale. I just wish their music had grown into something more interesting than Work.
At its core, Work is a fun mid-tempo hip-hop track. The production is crisp and groovy and sounds unlike most of ATEEZ’s title tracks. The rhythmic switch-ups work well and I appreciate less reliance on the jarring vocal effects KQ Entertainment seems to love so much. The group is a bit more reserved here and it’s not a bad look for them.
However, when I zoom out and compare Work to the larger sphere of global music, it’s hard to see what it delivers that’s different from so many other tracks. The hook is catchy given its sheer repetition, but lacks surprise and idiosyncrasy. Similarly, the verses never find killing moments that would help Work stand out. So, we’re left with a decent beat and a solid performance. That’s enough to make the song a worthy addition to ATEEZ’s discography, but not dramatic enough to turn this ship around — at least for me.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
yeah i didnt really like this one, and i also believe kq’s music has taken a nosedive in quality (prolly ever since leez left edenary)
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Meh, it’s nothing special. The song is almost monotonous-ish, and the outro doesn’t seem to hype me up enough. Crazy Form grew a little on me (low-mid 7s as of now), but idk how this one will… *work*. (Still better than Bouncy though and I’ll shade that song till the very end)
A straight 7 for me. I don’t see myself listening to the song much. Still wish for an Answer or Inception-esque track from them in the future.
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kinda feel it’s been worsening since crazy form. We had a good run with Guerilla, Halazia, Bouncy. Consistent albums sonically
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This is disgusting, I’m absolutely FURIOUS. Check out what just came out, Work Pt2 . This is so much disgustingly better its not even in the same GALAXY. Why didn’t this lead their TT with this instead?!
If Work is 4/10 for me, this version is 10/10 no need to even reconsider within the first 10 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXiSKjZ6yHk&pp=ygUOYXRlZXogd29yayBwdDI%3D
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Exactly! This song has been on my morning routine playlist since it dropped! It’s crazy just how good it is.
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…can’t belive this is the same group that released Wonderland and Guriella
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A C+ is very generous on this one, Nick. Ironically for a song titled “Work,” this track is So. Very. Lazy. Repetitive, lackluster songwriting; it’s like EDENary just cashed out after they came up with the awesome hook. Vocals and rap are nothing special either (though I have to admit I was positively impressed by Yunho’s rap verse–surprisingly resonant and gravelly). And despite the hilarious teaser featuring a deadpan, flute-playing Jongho buried up to his neck in the desert…the MV was disappointing. I was hoping for a “The Real” type storyline at least, but the MV was just a visual hodgepodge with no narrative structure and (shudder) no amazing BBTrippin dance break to save the day. Is it even legal for an ATEEZ MV not to have an amazing dance break?? I will say this: bless them for finally getting some lowriders up in the joint; it was practically a crime against humanity that there weren’t any in “Bouncy.”
On Thu, May 30, 2024 at 9:41 PM The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussi
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I second this notion. For a song called “Work”, it is surprisingly lazy.
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Lol I feel like an outsider saying this bc so far the consensus is that the song sucks a little bit? I’ve never been a huge ATEEZ follower so I’m not familiar with their discography, not even with their hits (I don’t know what their most popular songs are).
Yet, I found this song pretty fun and totally my vibe haha. Interestingly enough, I listened to “Wonderland” and it reminded me of that YG-esque production you would expect from BLACKPINK or Stray Kids. I wasn’t a huge fan of the song and I’ve never been fond of tracks with major switch-ups and sections that are too “in your face.” I guess back in 2019, it had the appeal of sounding new and fast forward to now, it sounds dated.
I’m guessing my opinion is impopular, but this song will probably be the start of me listening to some ATEEZ.
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how did they become so allergic to making good music? (I know about the good b-sides but still.) everything post-Answer has just been chop after chop… and that was 4 years ago 😐
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To be honest, I think Work is not that bad (or it’s at least better than a few other most recent ATEEZ title tracks), and well… it works.
Ok, it’s kinda boring and flat-ish, but I guess ATEEZ finally chose a “songs for TikTok, the shows and the shower” market positioning, and they’ve been moving on consistently according to this premise at least since Bouncy.
Anyway, there are two things I personally don’t understand in all this gimmick: Jongho’s useless contribution (he’s my #1 bias vocalist in K-Pop and it’s quite sad hearing him making just a backing high tune here and there) and the didascalic coherence between this concept and the old one. I was expecting something more shifted in a power-dance direction, while we’ve got the same hip-hop assets as Bouncy and Crazy Form.
Maybe we have to wait the next Xikers’ comeback to hopefully get something more refreshing.
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i dont disagree but for live performances i can appreciate that work gives jongho a little more room to breathe and save some energy because carrying a group like that is like running a marathon
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phffff shame what happened to Ateez’s lovely melodies now replaced by Capitalistic Willy saving. Gotta make bank to check my car my product placement. I blame Geand theft auto 5 and hover boards. : (
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I don’t mind it, it’s fun, but even the dance break at the end is missing the usual energy. Since after Halazia they seem to have gone down a hip hop route and I’m no so on board. Even the MV’s have seemed to have gradually gone down hill since then. If they wanted to look for a sound to move forward with why not take inspiration from arguably their 2 most popular B sides in Take Me Home and Cyberpunk? That would have been far better.
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yeah this is awful…
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Let me explain, its just so meh. The chorus lyrics are…cringey.
“Got a furr coat so I make it purr” wtf
“Chasing that dough, wow ride with me” doesnt even sound like hes saying that btw.
I used to love ateez, their songs were so great up to halazia, what happened.
No the lyrics are not why the song sounds bad, the song is just lame, although it has some redeeming qualities. I like the pre-chorus a lot, I also LOVE the flute? beat throughout and yeah thats it lol. The ending was supoosed to be climactic but it just wasnt. I understand not every ateez title track has to go super hard but Deja Vu is right there and did it miles better.
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Lord forbid a group just takes a bit of time from consistently creating heavy hitting pieces to just have a light, fun song now and again.
It’s fun, the mv is fun, and they’ve been killing it. Someone in this comment section said that for them their music has been going downhill since Crazy Form – what do you mean? This is the first release since Crazy Form lol.
Different from normal does not mean bad. It just means different.
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honestly I said before this, “it isn’t going to be my favorite title of theirs, but I’ll probably still listen to it. it’s ateez.” and it’s not really thaaat bad. I think I’m more glad that they have a (somewhat) more chill title to perform here and there so that they aren’t so insanely overworked and falling over from exhaustion of previous dance breaks and focus on vocals. that being said, i personally think it’s just a little space filler. they thought they needed a comeback, they gave one, and hopefully they’ll be back with their regular ateez sound sometime soon. although, i’m not really sure what’s considered an ateez sound when they’ve picked up a little bit of everything. at least we know they’re good at a lot of different things- maybe this just isn’t it for them. they tried!
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I agree with this. I think once they knew they were performing at Coachella, they thought (probably correctly) they had to get an album out soon after to set the hook in all those new American fish they had lured in, so they threw this together. That would explain how incoherent it is, as well as the Kim Kardashian-esque “get your a$$ up and work” vibe. It all feels really opportunistic and not authentic to their lore.
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Meh. It’s just there. Haven’t genuinely liked an Ateez tt since Halazia
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I love Ateez when they go all rock opera. Goodness, I love it.
But this isn’t that.
Bonus points for the most novelty animal in a MV though.
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I dig the video, it’s loopy as hell. But they kind of held back on the crazy in the music, which is a bit disappointing.
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I enjoyed the Chungha “Eenie Meenie” guitar callback in the bridge! And the MV was cool! But other than that I know they can do better 🫤
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LOL, I think i genuinely like every ATEEZ song, so no problems for me agaga ill enjoy this deliciousss album. Ig maybe Deja Vu is the weakest song for me. But this was a perfect time to release an unserious summer bop like Work. They can do smth more substantial later.
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I have not been a great fan of Ateez discography or their “sound”, but have enjoyed them from time to time, mainly given their amazing performances.
I loved the “flute”, reminded me of P1Harmony’s Killin’ It, and the pre-chorus as well, but that’s all it has to it. It is clearly visible they were going for a tik-tok ready American friendly sound, while trying not to stray far away from their regular fare.
And yes, as you said I am all in for artists trying out new sounds but I only wish that it is a process of growth.
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I’m obviously the minority here, but I adore Ateez and Stray Kids….I love most of what they put out. And the dedication and energy in their concerts is crazy. You can be haters…but I’m a 57yo mom and love along with my teen daughter!
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Since when does not caring for a piece of music makes someone a “hater”? That kind of language is so reductive and just divides people into tribes.
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My thoughts are absolutely in line with the ones mentioned here. I used to be a fan and listened a lot in the past but not the new ones anymore. Their new genre, whatever they are trying couldn’t interest me anymore. Tried listening multiple times to find something that can hook me on but sorry, it’s not intended for me. Surprisingly, none of the tracks in recent 2 albums impressed me either
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Okay so I know I’m like, really, really late to the party, but I saw Ateez is having a Japanese comeback in October and thought I might as well say something.
I’ve been a fan of Ateez for about 8 months now, and I’ve listened to every Ateez song at least twice. I do have almost every Ateez song on my playlist, and enjoy the variety that comes with listening to Ateez. In my opinion, Work does provide more variety, especially from the World series, which even though I love to death, I’m glad they’ve changed things up from that.
Does that mean I think Work is the best? No. At least in terms of Ateez. I still enjoy listening to the song. That being said, I felt like the song itself could have been better, or at least a better title have been chosen. Work almost feels a bit too bland, like there isn’t really anything making it stand out that much. Songs like Deja Vu, Eternal Sunshine, and Wave, all of which are a bit more pulled back by Ateez standards, all have something that in my opinion, makes me want to keep listening to it again and again. I feel like Work was trying to do that, but kind of came up a little short.
Overall, I like Work. It’s fun, catchy, and I find myself dancing to it when it comes on. However, as a title, I expected a bit more. I think it would have been better if Work was a b-side, with a difderent song (like Blind for example) being the title instead.
Work Song Rating: 7.5/10
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