As much as we look up to the members of ATEEZ, they each have their own role models that they’re inspired by too! It’s no secret that Seonghwa has long been a fan of talented solo artist DPR Ian, and he’s not alone in that admiration — DPR Ian is known for his insightful lyrics and artistry that touches on difficult topics such as his own mental health struggles, and even those ATINYs who aren’t too familiar with his music have likely at least heard of him and his unique and personal style of storytelling through his songs.

Seonghwa has shared his love for DPR Ian numerous times, both in his words and what he’s posted online. When he appeared on Lee Mujin Service recently, for example, he spent several minutes explaining why he looks up to the soloist and his artistry. Seonghwa also covered some of his favorite DPR Ian song, “So Beautiful”.

When the “Don’t Go Insane” challenge was popular, Seonghwa also shared his take on the dance, which gained a lot of attention!

When he was on Lee Mujin Service, Seonghwa got a surprise call from DPR Ian, and the entire interaction between the two of them was incredibly endearing. It’s clear that they both admire each other a lot, and Ian praised Seonghwa just as much as the ATEEZ member expressed his admiration for his senior!

During this conversation, Seonghwa also asked if they could meet up for a meal sometime. Since DPR Ian is based in LA, ATEEZ’s current North American leg of their In Your Fantasy tour was the perfect opportunity for the two to get together in person — and that’s just what happened!

ATEEZ is currently in southern California for the tour, and yesterday, Seonghwa uploaded a post of their meeting. It sounds like the two artists had a great time together with deep and meaningful conversations, and DPR Ian gifted Seonghwa with an album with a kind message written on it.

Here’s what the message said:

To Seonghwa,

Thank you for being who you are! You are such an inspiration to the world and after meeting you, I truly understand your message and the light you hold. Keeping shining for you, for ATEEZ, and the world. We need to see more of what you have to offer!

Ian

We can only imagine just how much this interaction meant to Seonghwa, and the second picture in his post about the meeting seems to sum up his feelings very well!

Will a collaboration come out of this meeting? 👀 We can only hope, because anything created by these two talented men would be beautiful!