ATEEZ’s Hongjoong has spent years helping shape the sound of one of K-pop’s biggest global groups.
Now he’s stepping outside that world.
On September 18, Hongjoong released “ENOuGH,” a new collaboration with American singer-songwriter Bazzi, best known for the Billboard hit “Mine.”
But this isn’t simply another international artist being added to a K-pop track.
The story behind the collaboration started somewhere unexpected:
Coachella.
Hongjoong Went to Coachella—and Came Back Wanting Something Different
ATEEZ made history in 2024 as the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella.
This year, Hongjoong returned to the festival in a completely different role.
He wasn’t performing.
He was watching.
During the trip, he met or connected with artists including Teddy Swims, PinkPantheress, Central Cee and Swae Lee.
Hongjoong told Billboard that the experience gave him new inspiration. After returning to Los Angeles, he booked a studio session and began developing what eventually became “ENOuGH.”
That’s an interesting reversal.
Sometimes performing at a major festival changes an artist.
This time, simply attending one did.
Why Bazzi?
The pairing may seem unexpected if you mainly know Hongjoong through ATEEZ.
But Bazzi wasn’t a random name.
Hongjoong had listened to Bazzi’s music even before entering the K-pop industry, including “Mine” and “Beautiful.”
Bazzi later became part of the new track, bringing his pop and R&B style into a song that sounds noticeably different from the powerful performance music many listeners associate with ATEEZ.
“ENOuGH” is slower and more intimate.
And Hongjoong isn’t only rapping.
The song gives more attention to his vocals and songwriting.
The Title “ENOuGH” Is the Real Story
The most interesting part may actually be the meaning behind the song.
Hongjoong told Billboard that he had spent much of his life looking for something that would make him feel “enough.”
Eventually, he began thinking differently.
Instead of constantly focusing on what was missing, he started recognizing what was already around him. That idea became the foundation of the song.
So while “ENOuGH” can sound like a love song, its message is broader.
It’s also about contentment.
That makes the collaboration feel surprisingly personal for an artist whose public image is often built around intense performances and leadership.
And Hongjoong Has Turned It Into a Space Story
Of course, Hongjoong didn’t stop with the song.
The music video places him inside a science-fiction world in which he leaves Earth and travels through space.
Bazzi represents the first “planet” he visits.
Hongjoong explained that future collaborations could potentially continue this concept, with different collaborators represented through different planets and themes.
That means “ENOuGH” may not be a one-off project at all.
It could be chapter one of a larger Hongjoong collaboration series.
And suddenly the Bazzi collaboration becomes much more interesting.
Hongjoong Is Building an Identity Outside ATEEZ—Without Leaving ATEEZ Behind
Hongjoong has increasingly expanded his individual creative work.
He has been involved in songwriting and production throughout ATEEZ’s career, worked as music director for the independent film Hallucination, and is scheduled to perform his first live DJ festival set under the name NO1 at EDC Korea in October.
But he doesn’t describe these projects as an escape from ATEEZ.
Quite the opposite.
In his Billboard interview, Hongjoong explained that gaining new experiences ultimately feeds back into both his own work and the group.
That may be the most interesting way to look at “ENOuGH.”
It’s not:
Hongjoong versus ATEEZ.
It’s:
What can Hongjoong discover outside ATEEZ and eventually bring back?
Bazzi May Be Only the First Planet
“ENOuGH” works as a collaboration.
But the concept behind it creates a bigger question.
If Bazzi is the first planet in Hongjoong’s imaginary universe…
who will be on the second?
Hongjoong hasn’t announced that yet.
But after working with an American pop artist he listened to before his own debut, the possibilities suddenly feel much wider.
And for ATEEZ fans, that may be the most exciting part.
This might not be one unexpected collaboration.
It might be the beginning of a journey.