With the new year, ATEEZ have established an ambitious project of releasing music videos for the unit tracks on their most recent album. First up is the aggressive MATZ, performed by Hongjoong and Seonghwa.
Apart from one standout b-side, I wasn’t a huge fan of The World Ep.Fin: Will, so these unit tracks will likely end up as mini reviews.
One compliment I’m happy to give ATEEZ is that they stick with their own signature sound. That sound may increasingly veer away from my personal taste and has now been replicated by many others in the industry, but I have to give it to them for crafting a consistent musical world. MATZ exists on the harder edge of this world. This hip-hop track is perched over rugged electronic production that paints the entire thing with a grimy, gritty veneer. I’m not a fan of its heavy-handed vocal effects (also an ATEEZ signature), but I appreciate how strongly MATZ knows what it wants to be. From beginning to end, the song is a blast of energy and combative swagger. I’m sure it’s fun to watch performed live, but I’d have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy the track on its own.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25