Music

Review

Ateez at the O2 Arena, 27/1/25

K-pop group Ateez take the roof off London’s O2 on their Towards The Light: Will To Power tour


Eight-member K-Pop boy group Ateez pushed the standard of performance to new heights as they brought not just a concert but an entire production to the O2 Arena. From outfits to choreography, stage design to storylines, no aspect of this concert was left unperfected. Even before they stepped foot on stage, the energy was palpable as fans were dancing and singing along to the pre-show Ateez songs they had playing, once again showing that music does, in fact, transcend language.

Passionate, energetic, ardent. A powerful beginning to an almost three-hour show. The first lyrics from their opening song, Crazy Form, were ‘Get up’ – a clever call to action for the audience to stand up, not that they needed to be told, of course. With vehement yet perfectly executed choreography and powerful vocals, the first section of the concert had the arena vibrating, quite literally, with the energy Ateez brought. Notably, one of the peaks came when Ateez performed rock-inspired song ‘Guerrilla’. It was powerful, fierce, and the moment that a lot of the audience had been waiting for. At the end of the song there is a famous fan-chant wherein the audience unite to scream “Break the wall!” accompanied by an intense, fast-tempo beat. This was one of the highlights of the concert, with the Ateez members pouring everything they had into the choreography as the chant echoed around the arena.

Following a fiery start to the show, there was a small break for the members but never for the audience as they led into their sub-unit performances. With four different units and a variety of genres, each member had the opportunity to further showcasetheir talent with a song they had participated in creating. Moreover, these stages further solidified that not a single member needed to hide behind the others as each one had a vital role in carrying the performances. Take main vocal Jongho for example: during his solo ballad, the entire audience was uncharacteristically quiet as they listened in awe to his angelic voice, only breaking the silence to erupt into cheers and applause once his stage was over.

Whilst watching, it was abundantly clear that no corners had been cut when it came to the production. Throughout the show, there was a storyline that linked into the lore behind Ateez’s music and videos, in turn creating moments of theatre in amongst the ferventchoreography.If you’re not an Ateez fan, hearing that at one point there were two huge inflatable sea-creature tentacles on stage (yes, really!) might be hard to believe, but for ‘Atinys’ this makes perfect sense. As engaged in the story as Ateez were, the crowd were equally invested, with these moments captivating their attention despite being only transitions between one song to another. B. B. Trippin, the back-up dancers, embodied their characters on stage, executing their roles perfectly.

Mixed in with their high-intensity numbers were some fun, upbeat songs, such as ‘Wave’ and ‘Dancing Like Butterfly Wings’, wherein the members would interact with the audience and fool around with each other, letting their personalities and tight bond shine. In response, the audience were dancing and singing along with them, their elation rippling around the arena as the playful nature of the group reflected back on them.

Overall, this was a very carefully constructed and orchestrated performance to a sold-out arena and Ateez are definitely a group who know how to put on a good show. Engaging stages, intricate choreographies and talented, passionate members – what more could you ask for to brighten up a stormy Monday evening?


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