The South Korean boy band, consisting of eight members Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, made their return to Globe Life Field on Saturday, Aug. 16. It was a consecutive return after 2024’s Towards the Light: Will to Power Tour came to Arlington last July. In an earlier interview with the Observer, they anticipated this stop because their fans, called ATINYs, gave them so much energy the last time they were here. “The cheers were so loud and passionate, they really boosted our spirits to keep going strong,” San said.
ATEEZ is known to do it for ATINY, driven by their passion to put on the best performances that fans can be proud of and maintain their identity as a group that delivers raw intensity. Arlington was the last stop on the North American leg of the world tour, wrapping up an extensive promo run for their latest release GOLDEN HOUR: Part.3 ‘In Your Fantasy Edition’ that has “In Your Fantasy” as a lead single.
Before Globe Life Field’s doors opened at 6 p.m., ATINY had already queued up at the entrances, long lines that stretched to the streets as the sun beamed on them. ATEEZ was booked on the same day as the Cowboys had a preseason game against the Ravens. It was two cultures converging Saturday evening: People in Cowboys jerseys heading to AT&T Stadium mixed with K-pop fans dressed in Pen & Pixel-inspired T-shirts dedicated to each member, outfits inspired by their music videos, goth looks, plushies and cute headgear like a sunflower and a lemon. We couldn’t help but notice the number of umbrellas people brought too.
After getting several freebies (fan-made merch of bracelets, stickers and other small tokens) from generous fans passing by, it took about an hour before we got inside. The line for merch was modest, purchasing tour items like jerseys, black tees and posters of their recent Billboard group and individual covers. Once we got to our seats, this is where the ATEEZ craze kicked into high gear. Screams upon screams anytime a video played on stage, either one introducing the members or a music video of theirs, hyping up the In Your Fantasy experience. This would be the theme of the night, the sound level of ATINY’s screams for ATEEZ.
By 8 p.m., a video introduced the members of xikers, a rising force to watch in K-pop. They seized the opportunity of performing on a big stage like Globe Life Field, delivering immersive and energetic performances of “BREATHE” and “ICONIC.” They thanked their company seniors, ATEEZ (both are under KQ Entertainment), for the opening slot, getting fans more excited to see the headliner of the night.
We went into this ATEEZ show hoping to capture the heart and emotion of them as a unit and as solo artists, feeling their energy the moment they hit the stage. Since making their debut in 2018, they’ve dominated the global stage with their storytelling and the theatrical quality of their musical performances. We could’ve listened to plenty of their songs to get up to speed, but there’s a lot of joy in experiencing artists for the first time and walking away as a new fan.
For the next three hours, it was a blitz of singing, dancing and rapping with hypnotic swagger and heart-melting facial expressions. Backed by a band, they opened with “Bouncy (K-Hot Chili Peppers)” and “Fireworks (I’m the One),” sporting modern black and red outfits befitting of the “In Your Fantasy” music video. After their first minutes of choreography, each spoke to the crowd and prepared them for the night ahead. “And just like always, we hope this moment stays in your heart forever,” Yunho said later.
ATINY screamed anytime the camera cut a close-up to them; it was hard to discern which one was more popular than the other. It felt like they were issuing a challenge throughout the night, whose screams could reach a deafening noise before they moved on to the next song. Each performance was exhilarating, never looking exhausted, pulling off all their dance moves.
ATEEZ’s setlist was carefully crafted to show off individual styles of the eight members, each having a solo song to express himself. Their connectedness comes when they rejoin as one, pushing forward something new, but in the ATEEZ way. Their imagery of burning castles and thunder, cages and dream-like sequences of balloons, thorny fruit, chairs, hats and umbrellas are portals into worlds of sin and desire. Truly, ATEEZ is nothing but a fantasy, and for three hours, you get to live in a reality where your fantasies come to life.
By far, our favorite solo was Jongho’s “To Be Your Light.” He has an amazing voice with a wide register. More seductive numbers came from Seonghwa’s “Skin” and Yunho’s “Slide to Me.” Yeosang’s “Legacy,” full of bombast and ascension, with lyrics about not letting pain keep you down and rising above with the sunrise, was beautiful and thrilling, giving us goosebumps.
The party started in the second half. This was also the portion of the concert when they showed different styles of music, not boxing themselves into just their expansive pop genre. They told ATINY to raise their martini glasses and light sticks for everyone to say cheers. As stacks of martini glasses became the visual backdrop, they did the addictive “Lemon Drop” and the reggae-leaning “Shaboom.”
More thirst traps came by ATEEZ in between songs, holding onto a stare and blowing kisses at the camera. Globe Life Field became ravenous as more screams and even barks came. The perfect K-pop aesthetic and air-tight choreography they had been executing all night needed a bit of relief. That’s where Hongjoong’s “NO1” came in, turning Globe Life Field into an electronic club in Seoul. The guys came out showing their party side, and one of them held up a Timberland boot, playfully using it as a phone.
@tdecklund6 CAPTAIN HONGJOONG PART2 ❤️🖤😍 ATEEZ- NO1 #inyourfantasytour #NO1 #atinyfyp #atiny #ateez ♬ original sound - Tracey Ecklund ✌🐢
As we inched closer to “In Your Fantasy” and their encore, the intensity heightened as a Cerberus came on screen for Mingi’s solo for “Autobahn” and “Roar.” Then it was back-to-back hits with “Work” and “Ice on My Teeth,” the latter bringing out a resistance/mafia vibe with cool matching choreo. It was the right buildup for “In Your Fantasy.” Between their resting breaks and banter with the crowd, their energy was still on 100 and filled the stadium loud hysteria.
For their encore, it was a brief pause of darkness after the lights went out. There was a note that was written backward and slowly revealed on screen. “The fantasy we shared still lingers on. Shall we begin the spell that makes us happy? Are you ready to feel it? All I need is your voice.”
You guessed it, more screams.
They came back out in casual attire, wearing custom-made Texas Rangers jerseys and did a medley of their best songs. Realizing that this was the last night of their U.S. tour, they wanted to take a photo to remember the moment. They thanked everyone for coming and individually said their goodbyes, expressing their love, which showed they’re all in for ATINY.
They continued their encore past 11 p.m., a special night for ATINY to see their favorite group for a few more minutes. If ATEEZ can’t make it to Texas next year, ATINY will have these memories and experiences — a Saturday night to connect deeper with ATEEZ and other fans, singing their songs loud under the night sky.
