Producers Unplugged: Kim Hongjoong

In this new series, I will be researching and publishing articles on music producers in the industry, particularly those who I admire and look up to. My aim is to deepen my knowledge and appreciation for music producers and to hopefully shine a light on the efforts they put into making music either for themselves or for some of your favorite artists :) 

The first producer I want to write about is ATEEZ’s Kim Hongjoong. Personally, I’ve always admired Hongjoong because of the tough journey he endured before making it big in the idol industry. Hongjoong was the first official trainee at KQ Entertainment, and the way he got in was particularly unique. At the time, KQ was an extremely small company with little staff and less advanced facilities. However, Hongjoong still decided to send a demo track of his own self-produced music to the company’s CEO and successfully became the first KQ trainee.

In an interview, Hongjoong mentioned how challenging those times were. KQ wasn’t experienced yet and didn’t know how to order food for the idols among many other things, so they had to eat from a nearby shop almost every day, often ordering the same meal. Despite all the hardships, they managed to make a name for themselves.

Pre-debut, ATEEZ was known as KQ Fellaz, a dance team as well as an idol group. The first song they released was produced by Hongjoong himself. He asked the members to write letters to their family and friends, and these words were used in the song he wrote, which was later released as “From.” I highly suggest watching the mini-series of KQ Fellaz. This series not only explores the beginning of ATEEZ but also marks the beginning of Hongjoong’s journey as a producer.

While writing his lyrics for “From,” Hongjoong teared up, expressing how much the boys meant to him. This deep bond and genuine love for the ATEEZ members and music are reflected clearly in his work. His journey to writing the track wasn’t easy either. As a beginner in music production, he faced numerous challenges, including having all his work stolen during their stay in LA. He had to start over from scratch, re-recording demo vocals in the closet of his bedroom. Despite these setbacks, he recreated his work and continued with production.

Finally, on October 24, 2018, ATEEZ made their debut with the album Treasure EP.1: All To Zero and the title track “Pirate King,” which was also produced and written by Hongjoong among others. To date, Hongjoong, alongside Mingi, continues to write songs for ATEEZ and other artists, such as their juniors Xikers. Currently, Hongjoong stands in 21st place for the most songwriting credits in Korea with 112 songs.

I think I admire Hongjoong for his passion and determination the most. He faced numerous hardships and challenges throughout his career, starting at a young age, yet he managed to make a name for ATEEZ, one of the biggest 4th gen groups that started from almost nothing. His love for music and his members is so clearly reflected in his work, such as in “From.”

Hongjoong once said, “I want for us to provide people with a better understanding of K-pop worldwide. There are people who continue to say that K-pop is so technical and manufactured, but K-pop isn’t just a single genre; each group has a different type of art, and I want to show how we express our art to everyone. When I look into the crowd at concerts, I can see so many people of all ages and backgrounds, yet stereotypes against the artists and the fans still exist.”

As seen on ATEEZ's discography, K-pop isn’t tied to one specific genre. Hongjoong, for example, has mixed rock, EDM, and hip hop into the music he produces, such as in “Guerilla,” “Hala Hala,” and their latest track, “Work.” His efforts to break the stereotypes of K-pop and release diverse genres of music are a true testament to his talents as a music producer which is why I saw it is only right for him to be the first producer I write about in this series. Honestly, it is a dream of mine to one day write and produce songs alongside him.