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.

Coachella on X

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.

Coachella on X

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.

K-Pop culture has many facets, making it multi-layered and become much more than idols performing on stage. There's everything from fanchants to iconic dance challenges that contribute to the hype. Then there's also the special goods that fans receive with a purchased album that become special keepsakes and collectibles. Among these items are photocards which the K-Pop community has also learned how to create and produce. For photocard collectors, they look far and wide for their favorite idol's precious photocard. And if you wish to look on Korean forums, they have a special shortened slang word for it.

포카

Poca

Photocard

This stems from the word 포토카드, which takes the first letters of 포토 (photo) and 카드 (card). So the next time you're looking for photocards of your bias, try adding the word 포카 into your search and see what treasures you might find!

The locals have discovered ATEEZ in Coachella, and it is blowing their minds!

In case you missed it, ATEEZ has made history, again, as the first-ever K-Pop idol boy group to perform at Coachella. While they have been on fans' dream Coachella lineup for a while now, nothing could have prepared ATINY, or any festivalgoer, for that matter, for the power-packed performance these boys were going to put up.

From filming their very first music video in the Sahara Desert to owning the "Sahara Stage" at Coachella, ATEEZ has come an incredibly long way and never has it been easy. Yet, when the 8 members of this outstanding boy group took the stage, they shone with a brilliant coalescence of polished confidence that you only see with veteran live performers and the refreshing exhilaration of young blood, creating the most memorable, full-throttle adrenaline rush of a performance you could imagine.

 

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A post shared by ATEEZ(에이티즈) (@ateez_official_)

Delivering in vocals, rap, dance, visuals, and vibe, ATEEZ were at the top of their game on the night of April 12, setting the stage on fire. They were oozing raw energy, intensity, allure, and power, almost as if in a trance, and their set just kept getting better.

ATEEZ's setlist for Coachella 2024 included some of their biggest hits - 'Say My Name', 'HALA HALA', 'Guerrilla (Rock Version)', 'Crazy Form', 'ROCKY', 'The Real', 'ARRIBA', 'DJANGO', 'BOUNCY (K‐HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)', and 'Wonderland (Rock Version)'.

As many ATINY expected, ATEEZ's popularity worldwide has skyrocketed since their Coachella performance as festivalgoers fell in love with the group. So, we pulled thousands of posts from all across the web and analyzed them to determine the overall sentiment of global netizens. Needless to say, the results were correctly predicted by ATINY and ATEEZ is at an all-time high with their career.

Check out what the numbers are saying!

ATEEZ At Coachella 2024

Before we get into our findings, there are three things you need to know about Coachella.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly known as Coachella, is one of the largest and most famous music and arts festivals held annually in Indio, California, United States. Firstly, it is a live festival, and performances by artists are broadcast live all over the world. As it is a live festival, musicians are expected to perform live. ATEEZ performed entirely live at Coachella and their vocals were as stable as their dance was flawless.

Secondly, over the years, artists booked for Coachella have been picked on the basis of demonstrated experience and excellence in performing live. Of course, factors like popularity and following can get you a spot in the lineup, too, but for the most part, performing live is the first and foremost condition with the utmost importance. ATEEZ are dubbed "powerhouse performers" in the K-Pop industry, and they are very well known for creating the most iconic live stages, which is why they're at Coachella and they certainly did not disappoint on one of the world's biggest stages.

Lastly, the Coachella audience can and never will consist entirely of fans of a particular artist. This is to say that during ATEEZ's set, it was not just ATINY in the crowd. Music lovers from all over the world were in front of ATEEZ that evening, and ATEEZ managed to make their music resonate with a crowd that diverse, which is no easy feat.

.@ATEEZofficial hit 'em like Rocky

Tune in to the 2024 Livestream all weekend at https://t.co/j5uIbSOgaa pic.twitter.com/j7gY0zL7Mo

— Coachella (@coachella) April 13, 2024

Unlike concerts, where artists can communicate with their fans who love them and only them, at Coachella, you must connect with what is essentially a microcosm of the world's music-loving population, and you can never let that connection falter or fade away, even for a second. You have to command their attention, hold it, and give them one of the best performances that you can possibly conjure up.

Oftentimes, it is not even just about how good of an artist you are. What makes a Coachella performance memorable is how you make your audience feel. That is where ATEEZ played the ace card. Not only were people swooning over the members' visuals and raving about their talent, but it was the mood that ATEEZ created that sealed the deal, earning them new fans from all over the world.

At Coachella, we truly understood the meaning of "8 Makes 1 Team" because ATEEZ was one that night - an unstoppable force of nature dominating the desert.

Global Sentiment Analysis

Reviews started pouring in soon after ATEEZ's set, and it was clear that ATEEZ had made their impact, and far larger than they probably anticipated. According to Google Trends, interest in ATEEZ over time peaked on April 13, the day after ATEEZ's Coachella performance. This is noteworthy because this was the highest peak in ATEEZ's entire career since their debut and, as such, can be considered the highest point of success the group has ever reached.

Kpopmap

Such a jump in popularity is unprecedented and an ideal outcome of an event as grand as Coachella. It is an outstanding platform, which is why it is the perfect place to promote one's music to a wider audience. The fact that this promotion took effect so quickly and so positively is testimony to ATEEZ's impact.

According to a sentiment analysis we conducted, we saw an overwhelmingly positive response to ATEEZ at Coachella, peaking on April 13.

Kpopmap

ATEEZ's Instagram / Kpopmap

At the time of writing, 90.6% of netizens have a positive reaction to ATEEZ at Coachella, and many are looking for more information about the group from ATINY. From "the one who did the high note" (JongHo) to "the beautiful man" (YeoSang), netizens had various nicknames for the new artists they discovered, showering them with love. In addition, the hashtag #CHELLATEEZ used by fans, currently has a reach of close to 12 million!

Kpopmap

Accordingly, this increase in reach has also translated to a higher Instagram follower count, with ATEEZ gaining 18,155 followers over the weekend and 5,941 new Spotify listeners as of April 13. The group also surpassed 2.17 billion streams on Spotify!

ATEEZ are set to perform at Coachella 2024 again on April 19, and we're expecting a marvelous show once more. With the massive crowd the group pulled last weekend, we're sure it will multiply manifold this weekend.

Are you excited for #CHELLATEEZ 2.0? Tell us on X!