ATEEZ's 15th mini album lands at midnight ET on Friday, five days after "BAD" won the Grand Record prize at the Korea Grand Music Awards. San says he's "spending each day like a dream."
ATEEZ is back on Friday, Nov. 13, and the group is riding the biggest year of its career into it.
The eight-member group drops its 15th mini album, GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6, with the title track "UP," at 2 p.m. Korea time. That's midnight ET Friday, or 9 p.m. PT Thursday night.
Five days earlier, on Nov. 8, ATEEZ took home the Grand Record prize at the Korea Grand Music Awards at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, plus Best Music and Best Stage, Soompi reported. That's the payoff from "BAD," the June single that made 2026 the year a lot more people learned ATEEZ's name.
At a comeback press conference covered in a Soompi exclusive on Thursday, Nov. 12, leader Hongjoong said the message is simple. "We're still headed 'UP' although it's been eight years," he said.
When does ATEEZ's UP come out?
Friday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. KST. Here's how that lines up in the U.S.:
Eastern: 12 a.m. Friday
Central: 11 p.m. Thursday
Pacific: 9 p.m. Thursday
GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6 has five songs, including the pre-release single "DRIP" and the title track "UP," per the track list KQ Entertainment released Oct. 26. Maknae Jongho picked "Hollow Victory" as the B-side to watch.
The comeback also marks ATEEZ's eighth anniversary. The group debuted in October 2018.
What did ATEEZ say about BAD?
Mostly that it changed things. "Through the 'BAD' comeback, a lot of people recognized us," Wooyoung said. "So I'm really grateful."
San said people now recognize the group wherever they go, so they don't have to explain who ATEEZ is anymore. "We put our souls into this album," he added.
The GOLDEN HOUR series is now six parts deep, and the members know it. Wooyoung joked that it'd be "okay to move on to the next part." Hongjoong said it's "gone on a little long," but admitted, "I don't want it to end." He said they'll close the series once they have a new message to share.
Yeosang felt some pressure taking a "killing part" dance moment, since San nailed his on "BAD." His pitch for "UP": "everyone has a killing part."
What happens in the UP music video?
There's a boat chase. Yunho rows while being chased, and he shared a behind-the-scenes problem. "There's no chair, so I was just squatting," he said. Leg day, but make it a music video.
Hongjoong pointed to the final scene, where San breaks through a wall and walks out, as the "going up" moment. Wooyoung flagged Seonghwa's dance break at the end.
The shoot also came with a food detour. Yeosang and Yunho found a soy sauce marinated crab (ganjang gejang) spot near the set and dragged the whole group back. They ate it two days straight. Mingi called it "the ganjang gejang of a lifetime."
What awards has ATEEZ won in 2026?
It's been a big shelf year.
Korea Grand Music Awards (Nov. 8): Grand Record, Best Music and Best Stage, per Soompi
The Fact Music Awards (Sept. 19): Artist of the Year and the grand prize, ICON OF THE YEAR, the group's eighth Daesang, Sports Kyunghyang reported
Music shows: "BAD" picked up seven first-place wins from July to September across Music Bank, M Countdown, Show! Music Core and Inkigayo
"BAD" and GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5 came out June 26, and the album hit No. 1 on iTunes album charts in at least 26 regions within a day, Kpop House reported.
Is ATEEZ going on tour?
A tour is planned, but there are no dates or cities yet. Hongjoong said it's been a while since the last tour, and he hopes new fans who haven't seen ATEEZ live will come out.
Seonghwa said the group has year-end awards shows ahead, plus three comebacks' worth of songs from 2026 to perform.
Waiting on tour news? Yunho, San, Seonghwa and Jongho also appear in the drama "Imitation," which streams on Viki.
Wooyoung closed with advice for younger groups from small and mid-sized companies: "Don't rush, and don't give up."
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Soompi (Nov. 12, 2026), the press conference comments, release time and tour plans
Soompi (Oct. 25, 2026), the five-song track list, DRIP and the Imitation drama
Soompi (Nov. 8, 2026), the Korea Grand Music Awards winners
Sports Kyunghyang (Sept. 20, 2026), The Fact Music Awards wins
Sports Kyunghyang (Sept. 23, 2026), the seven music show wins for BAD
Kpop House (June 27, 2026), the GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5 release date and iTunes run
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