The cozy comfort of a much-awaited Saturday morning was settling in when I tuned in to the Coachella Week 2 "Sahara" stage live broadcast. Having witnessed the absolute grandeur of ATEEZ's Week 1 performance at Coachella, I was mostly expecting a reiteration of the same iconic level for Week 2. However, what we got was something out of this world.

One phrase kept going round and round in my mind as I watched this ATEEZ set at Coachella week 2. This is a ritual of love. Love for music, love for performance, and very distinctly, love for each other. ATEEZ's Coachella week 2 performance was not just one of the best performances at Coachella this year, but it was a glorious invocation of the muses. Having studied literature and art for all my life, I cannot possibly think of a better way to describe the breathless brilliance of this performance.

Getting the obvious out of the way, of course, ATEEZ's confidence, panache, showmanship, vocals, rap, dance, and all other technicalities were much more polished than in week 1. The boys were now more aware of the stage, and having had one go at it, they were definitely more relaxed. In Korean, this state of mind where one recognizes scope or room to expand is called "yeoyu" (여유).

Yeoyu is something you see in a seasoned warrior, and when our Captain walked onto the stage that night with his members, ATEEZ looked nothing short of warrior princes coming for the throne. Every single member stood out in their own unique way, with their versatile talents on full display. The visuals were top-tier, as always, the styling - en pointe, and the vibes - immaculate. The rap came across power-packed and smooth, the vocals were resounding yet delicate when need be, and energy was at an all-time high. These men knew what they were doing, even with the slightest gaze they held out to the audience, and the effortlessness of it all elevated the performance to a whole new level.

This time, it was as if ATEEZ was putting their lives on the line and thankfully, the camera work delivered in picking up the detailed nuances of this performance. Even as I write this, I'm taken back to SeongHwa, sword in hand, screaming into the sky to call forth the last ounce of strength he needed to pour his all into his art. When SeongHwa roared, like lightning sent back to the heavens, the lump in my throat threatened to escape, only to be held back by the realization that I was looking at a spitting image of Sung JinWoo from "Solo Leveling". Now, I need that live-action to happen, and I need SeongHwa to play humanity's greatest hunter.

Embed from Getty Images

The very next thing I remember is a singular black tear running down his cheek as he stared right down at the camera. This moment has gone viral and for good reason, too, as artists flock to SeongHwa, having found their new muse.

However, it wasn't just the aesthetics of it all that left an impression. To me, as an ATINY and a Hallyu Journalist, this tear represented how far ATEEZ had come. The unstilted passion, diligence, hard work, and endless struggle they endured culminated in this one defining moment when they were on top of the world. ATEEZ, who started from nothing, created something, and won everything, were declaring to the world that they were just getting started.

The respect ATEEZ had for the Coachella stage, for the audience, and for everyone who supported them, especially ATINY, is what that tear symbolized to my eye, but like all art, this, too, is up to your interpretation.

Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!

Brace yourselves, K-Pop fans, as the upcoming month of April 2024 is set to be filled with even more exciting debuts and comebacks. Check out the April 2024 K-Pop Comeback/Debut Schedule.

In this post, you can see the artists’ debut, comeback, K-Drama OST, and special Music all in one place!

Which comeback and debut will have you waiting in anticipation?

Let's find out who's making a comeback this April and what songs they're coming back with at a glance!

You can check the list below!

 

April 2024 K-Pop Comeback/Debut Schedule

Apr. 1

- BABYMONSTER

1st Mini Album "BABYMONS7ER"

- TXT

6th Mini Album "minisode 3: TOMORROW"

- QWER

1st Mini Album "MANITO"

- LUCAS

1st Single 'Renegade'

- VVUP

Debut Single 'Locked On'

 

Apr. 2

- Lee MuJin

6th Digital Single '청혼하지 않을 이유를 못 찾았어'

- NOWADAYS

1st Single 'NOWADAYS'

- Bang YeDam x Winter (aespa)

Digital Single ‘Officially Cool’

 

Apr. 3

- I.M (MONSTA X)

Mini Album "Off The Beat"

- KISS OF LIFE

1st Single Album 'Midas Touch'

- Catch The Young

2nd Mini Album "Catch The Young: Fragments of Odyssey"

 

Apr. 4

- DRIPPIN

4th Single Album "Beautiful MAZE"

- ILY

2nd Digital Single 'IMMM'

 

Apr. 5

- (G)I-DLE's Yuqi

Digital single 'Could It Be' (pre-release)

 

Apr. 8

- ONF

8th Mini Album "BEAUTIFUL SHADOW"

- woo!ah!

2nd Digital Single 'Blush'

 

Apr. 9

- EPEX

1st Full Album "YouthChapter1 : YOUTH DAYS"

- NCHIVE

1st Single 'DRIVE'

 

Apr. 11

- ViV

Debut 1st EP "Bomb"

- M (Lee MinWoo)

Single 'Again'

 

Apr. 12

- DKZ

2nd Mini Album "REBOOT"

 

Apr. 15

- BOYNEXTDOOR

2nd Mini Album "HOW?"

- Loossemble

2nd Mini Album "One of a Kind"

 

Apr. 16

- KISUM

'서, 어른'

 

Apr. 17

- ONEWE

3rd Mini Album "Planet Nine: ISOTROPY"

- Lay Zhang (Former EXO's Member)

Single 'PSYCHIC (ver. Korea)'

- UNICODE

Debut Album "Hello world code: J Ep.1"

- Crush

"essential; With Artist" Project Single 'By Your Side'

- BEWAVE

Debut / 1st Mini Album "BE;WAVE"

Apr. 18

- RIIZE

 Prologue Single 'Impossible'

- As One

Single 'Better'

- ONEWE

3rd Mini Album "Planet Nine : ISOTROPY"

Apr. 19

- Park Won

3rd Full Album "my fuxxxxx romance"

 

Apr. 22

- NCT's DoYoung

1st Mini album "YOUTH"

- Kim WooJin

3rd Mini album "I LIKE THE WAY"

 

Apr. 23

- (G)I-DLE's Yuqi

1st Mini album "YUQ1"

- Lee JinHyuk

6th Mini album "NEW QUEST: JUNGLE"

 

Apr. 24

- BE'O

2nd Mini album "Affection"

- LA POEM

Single 'MIRROR'

- ZEROBASEONE

3rd Mini Album Pre-release Song 'SWEAT'

 

Apr. 26

- ZICO

11th Digital Single 'SPOT! (feat. Jennie)

Apr. 28

- Lee Yejoon

'새벽 감송' Project 1 'Late Night'

Apr. 29

- SEVENTEEN

Best album "17 IS RIGHT HERE"

- IVE

2nd EP "IVE SWTICH"

- 82MAJOR

1st Mini Album EP "BEAT by 82"

 

Apr. 30

- The KingDom

- MAMAMOO's Solar

2nd Mini Album "COLOURS"

- Xdinary Heroes

1st Full Album "Troubleshooting"

 

To Be Announced

BTOB's Lee ChangSub

 

Did you finish checking the April 2024 K-Pop Comeback/Debut Schedule? If you are curious about Kpopmap's May 2024 comeback & debut schedule, you can check it out at the link below!