What Big-Time K-Pop Group ATEEZ Listens To On The Road

Going out? Need a playlist? Then NYLON’s NYLON Nights playlist is here for you. Each month we invite a guest DJ to curate an exclusive playlist that will keep you going from pre- to post-game. For December 2023, K-pop stars ATEEZ share the songs they’re listening to right now.

The end of the year is usually time for winding down, but for K-pop boy band ATEEZ — who released their latest album The World EP.FIN: WILL earlier this month — things have only sped up. After delivering a dominating, technicolor performance at the 2023 MAMA awards (East Asia’s version of the Grammys) in late November, the band’s eight members have been zipping to music-show appearances to daily radio-show gigs to press opportunities and rehearsals for a newly announced world tour kicking off in January. If just reading that feels overwhelming, well, know that they’re already reaping the rewards — on Dec. 11, the album became the group’s first to go No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 chart.

So what does a group like ATEEZ do while they’re on the go? Film plenty of TikToks and take selfies, for sure — but also, listen to a lot of music. And their personal playlists are as sonically distinctive as their new record, spanning Olivia Rodrigo ballads to pop-punk classics to Christmas tunes, and Taylor Swift — selections they’ve all shared with NYLON in an exclusive playlist, below. As member Yeosang says, these are songs that “soothe his heart around the end of the year,” and with their schedule, it seems necessary. Hear their picks below and read on for each member’s commentary.

Hongjoong’s picks: “Logical” by Olivia Rodrigo and “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie

Hongjoong: “Let’s Dance” is a really nice song to listen to before Christmas when you want to raise your spirits.

Mingi’s picks: “Sugar, We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy and “SOS” by Sueco feat. Travis Barker

Mingi: Fall Out Boy is an artist that I really like, so I tend to listen to a lot of their music, but this song in particular lifts my mood.

Jongho’s picks: “Be With You” by ATEEZ and “그 겨울 (In that winter)” by 정승환 (Jung Seung Hwan)

Jongho: “그 겨울 (In that winter)” is a great song to listen to in the winter, and I recommend it because it's a song that’s comforting when you listen to it around the end of the year!

San’s picks: “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons and “Somebody” by D.O.

San: I like [“Somebody”] a lot because it’s easy to listen to and the lyrics are so nice.

Seonghwa’s picks: “exile” by Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver and “Teeth” by 5 Seconds To Summer

Seonghwa: [“Exile”] is a song I listen to when I want to feel a sense of loneliness.

Wooyoung’s picks: “Mercy” by Shawn Mendes and “Time of Our Life” by Day6

Wooyoung: [Shawn Mendes] is an artist I admire and among so many of his hit songs, “Mercy” is my absolute favorite.

Yeosang’s picks: “Turbulence” by ATEEZ and “instagram” by DEAN

Yeosang: “instagram” is a song that really helps soothe my heart around the end of the year.

Yunho’s picks: “Django” by ATEEZ and “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script

Yunho: I’ve loved this song by The Script since I was young, and I still recommend it to people to this day.