While every other act is taking a break for the Lunar New Year, ATEEZ have released the video for follow-up single NASA. I know some listeners loved their title track Adrenaline, but I still find it a punishing listen so I’m eager for something better to wipe the taste out of my mouth. NASA takes a different sonic approach, but unfortunately shares many of the aspects that made its predecessor so unappealing to me.
I’ve come to understand something about my feelings around ATEEZ. I’m really not a fan of the effects their producers slather over their vocals, but I’m able to look past this when the music is stuffed with huge, almost-operatic sounds. When the instrumental becomes more sparse, there’s less to distract from those incessant vocal effects. I find their tone and texture quite ugly and aggressive in a way that strips the fun from the music. Last year, the guys opted for a less effects-heavy sound on title tracks Lemon Drop and In Your Fantasy. With something like NASA, they’ve taken two steps back into the areas I find unpleasant.
It doesn’t help that NASA keeps its melodic range tight and repetitive, hinging on a sing-song structure that hugs the line between singing and rapping. The phrasing in the verses feels lifted from every other song of this genre, while the chorus is pretty much melodic talking until we hit Jongho’s brief moment of drama. There are some nice synth textures here and there (especially towards the end), but overall I’d put this right down with Adrenaline as one of ATEEZ’s least compelling efforts.
| Hooks | 6 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
Grade: D+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
And you mean to tell me that these guys are the same ones who gave us the operatic intensity and drama of Inception, Answer, Wonderland and so on?
7 (7, 7, 7, 7) for me
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what do you think of the title track?https://youtu.be/NzH34rKnJDk?si=oeaOVsQ_ewOQI7mx
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Could be good. We’ll see!
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I am confused. For a song whose chorus hook lyrics say “Shoot for the stars like NASA”, why do the vocals lines sink like a lead balloon?
The last 20 seconds instrumental is super fly. The chorus sounds like a sad version of Got7 “You calling my name”. The rest is low range rap triplets on a big budget, now with extra silver spray paint.
For the kids here – this is the second or third time that this one from Got7 has come to my mind in as many months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQI9oZEY-B0
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Agree 100% of course. I was soooo hopeful that “Lemon Drop” and “In Your Fantasy” were breadcrumbs marking a path back toward the pared-down, melody-forward, swing-for-the-fence, the-80s-are-back vibe that got me into ATEEZ in the first place. Sadly, nope. From this comeback, I can listen to “On the Road”; the rest is somewhere on the spectrum between meh and bleh.
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I’m feeling really down the past few months and it’s like kpop is reflecting my mental health I swear. I’m really begging for one (1) good comeback. Not even something crazy, just one comeback I like enough to want to listen to the next day. Is that so difficult? Where are the songssss
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My taste diverges hard from yours. I don’t like this as much as Adrenaline, but I enjoy it quite a bit. But when it comes to Ateez I usually like what you don’t, starting way back with Guerilla, I think. NASA would probably be a B or maybe C+ from me, while Adrenaline is an A, way up there with Hala Hala and Say My Name (those are A++ songs for me).
I’m Atiny, so of course I experience them differently from a more casual listener. Songs have a cummulative effect, carrying the meaning and joy from previous songs, as well as the personalities of the members. Their success story, going from a scrappy little group to polished and popular success (they just won a number of trophies) is braided in as well. I only became a fan recently and now I can see why fandoms get so defensive. It’s no longer a song; it’s part of an entire universe. I still don’t like Fireworks, though. Guess I just didn’t connect with that chapter of the story.
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