[OSEN=Lim Hye-young] The members of ATEEZ Choi San recently looked back on their rookie days and the journey that brought them global fame.
During their appearance on the JTBC variety show ‘Knowing Bros,’ ATEEZ opened up about the massive success of their ‘BAD’ chest dance, which has captivated fans worldwide. Choi San reflected on the group’s difficult beginnings, sharing, ‘No matter where we went, we were treated like cold rice. Even when we went to music broadcast stations, our stage time was cut short. We didn’t have any backing, school ties, or personal connections.’
Yeosang added, ‘Back then, our company probably didn’t have the budget for computer graphics. They needed to feature a desert, so they just dropped us right into a real desert.’ The members recalled that the weather was so scorching hot their shoe soles melted, and they had to endure shooting conditions surrounded by camel dung and bats.
When Lee Soo-geun asked if they knew ‘BAD’ would become such a massive hit, Seonghwa answered, ‘We thought it would be a mega-hit. Of course, San danced it brilliantly, but we believed the song itself carried incredible power, so we pushed forward with it.’
Choi San also shared how he realizes just how famous they have become now. ‘I recently got into an elevator, and an older gentleman stepped in with his head down. Suddenly, he looked right at me and started doing the chest dance. It was real,’ he laughed. When the cast of ‘Knowing Bros’ found it hard to believe, the ATEEZ members chimed in, ‘Even when we are eating at restaurants, people right next to us start doing it.’
Additionally, Choi San faced humorous accusations about catching ‘celebrity disease.’ Jongho exposed him by saying, ‘At first, during practice, San-hyung would just focus on matching hand positions, saying everyone’s angles looked different. But now, he puts a special, subtle expression into it. He has a specific point. While dancing, he lowers his head and flashes a sly smile. Because the fans go crazy for it, he starts smiling right from the beginning.’
Choi San confessed that the viral choreography required him to pay extra attention to his upper body. ‘I worried a lot about my chest muscles while preparing this. I thought my body definitely had to look bigger, so I actually went through intense bulking,’ he revealed. He added, ‘In the past, I filmed a video with Kim Jong-kook, who took one look at me and said, ‘You have a face built for working out.’ I wondered if consistently working out would help me establish a distinct character.’ Yunho noted, ‘After he started working out, the person completely changed,’ leading to the surprise reveal of his 180-degree different before-and-after photos.
