After a few years of (musically) diminished returns, ATEEZ climbed back on my radar in 2025 by attempting new sounds that injected a sense of freshness to their formula. Both of last year’s Korean title tracks and their Japanese single made it onto my year-end countdowns, re-igniting my curiosity for where they might take their music next. New track Adrenaline boasts a promising title, but does it fuel actual adrenaline or is this a case of false advertising?
The answer is — frustratingly — a mix of both. As the song opens, its brisk verse seems to promise a call to the dancefloor. The pre-chorus offers a palpable sense of build as the scope grows bigger and bigger. But then, Adrenaline fumbles as its arrangement collapses into a dull, thumping chorus that lacks an exciting or creative hook. For a song seeming to promise a shot of exhilaration, the end result is surprisingly leaden and not very fun. Adrenaline could easily succeed with an instrumental chorus, but the production here is beyond dull, as if the composers took a plug-and-play loop and copy/pasted without adding any personality of their own.
To make matters worse, the vocals on Adrenaline simply sound unpleasant. We all know ATEEZ can sing and shout in compelling ways, but their voices are slathered in so many effects here that the tones come across as needlessly dark and combative. I get that being yelled at pumps up a certain type of listener, but there’s a fine line between wild abandon and irritation. Without the kind of grand melodies that used to fuel their music, this feels like pomp and bluster for pomp and bluster’s sake. It’s all so… empty. We’re being commanded to party but the music itself thwarts that urge at every turn.
Hooks
6
Production
7
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
6.75
Grade: D+
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