ENHYPEN’s Vision For the Future

When asked by fans of new boy band ENHYPEN about their vision for the group’s future, most would likely expect global stardom as an answer. That seems likely considering how quickly the group has gone from debut act to headlining two shows at Tokyo Dome–Japan’s largest music venue–while amassing an impressively varied catalogue.

ENHYPEN was formed through the reality competition I-Land, which pitted 23 male idol trainees from CJ ENM’s BE:LIFT Lab against each other to form their K-pop boy band debut. On this show reminiscent of BTS’ The Comeback Jungle and often likened to The Hunger Games crossed with The Maze Runner, Heeseung, Jake, Sunghoon Sunoo Jay Ni-ki were chosen after an intense 12-episode season; since then they have released 6 EPs, two full albums plus one more full album as well as touring internationally to great reviews while landing high profile TV appearances as part of their journey to become K-pop superstardom.

But despite their incredible success, the guys haven’t forgotten where they came from or the hard work that brought them here; in fact, they remain just as committed as before.

Their approach comes through on their deluxe repackage album Dimension: Answer, which hits stores this week. ENHYPEN explores multiple genres while reflecting upon themselves as rising global stars; lead single “Given-Taken” serves as both an energetic pop song and dark power anthem; alternative hip-hop’s title track delves deeper still; reggae-influenced “Intro: Walk the Line”, while closer “Outro: Cross the Line” brings things full circle in an eerie waltz fashion.

ENHYPEN members hail primarily from South Korea, except Jake and Heeseung who moved with their families to America and Australia respectively as children. Yet their shared experiences on I-Land have created an intimate team with every member taking personal responsibility for its overall success.

That unified approach has also shown in their music, with each member contributing unique touches to new tracks like ‘Fate,’ which begins as spoken words overlaid with instrumental running in the background, before becoming an independent song towards its conclusion.

The same formula is followed on each track, showcasing each musician’s musical talent. For instance, “Take It Easy” boasts a bassline worthy of any rock record and features lyrics that speak to their determination to pursue their goals regardless of any obstacles they might face along their journey.

In a video for their track, Heeseung and co. have laid out their goals for the coming year and a half, noting their desire to develop as artists while growing their fanbase globally. “We’re already doing really great, but we want to do even better!” states Heeseung – and it is clear why.