Enhypen's Dark Blood Took the Internet by Storm
June 16, 2023On May 22nd, Enhypen had their comeback after ten months, a comeback that, as the title may suggest, has sparked quite a controversy online.
This is the group’s fifth comeback after their debut in 2020 with Border: Day One, whose title track Given-Taken has become iconic.
The album, called DARK BLOOD, consists of six songs, Fate, the title track Bite Me, Sacrifice (Eat Me Up), Chaconne, Bills, and Karma.
A bit more about Enhypen:
Enhypen was created through a survival show, I-LAND, and consists of seven members:
#Heeseung
Not only the oldest member of the group but also the one who trained for the longest time, Heeseung is a great vocalist and a talented dancer!
He also has perfect pitch and is working on composing his music, which he will hopefully have the chance to include in one of Enhypen’s future albums.
Despite being very serious about his job, he is also hilarious and likes to ridicule himself to make others laugh!
#Jungwon
Jungwon is the leader of Enhypen, despite being part of the maknae line, a role bestowed upon him through a vote.
He is very mature for his age, an outstanding singer, and a great dancer!
He used to practice Taekwondo until he discovered an interest in dancing. Members and Engenes often compare him to a cat.
#Jay
He grew up in the States but speaks great Korean and great Japanese!
He is often considered the “mom” of the group since he is the one who cooks and cleans more often.
He is also a great dancer and vocalist with a unique vocal color among those in Enhypen who trained the longest.
#Jake
Like Jay, he didn’t grow up in Korea, and members often tease him for how he speaks, as he infamously has a solid Australian accent.
He was among the members who trained the least, and through I-LAND and after the program, he improved his skills a lot, becoming well-versed both in singing and dancing!
Other Enhypen members often praise him for always being positive and kind.
#Sunghoon
Besides being well-known for his looks, Sunghoon, before debuting in Enhypen, was already a famous ice skater, which originated in his nickname, Ice Prince.
Despite being very introverted, he worked as an MC for Music Bank with IVE’s Woonyoung.
He is also very skilled in dancing and singing.
#Sunoo
Among the youngest members of Enhypen and the one who got the least training, Sunoo immediately showed incredible vocal skills and, through I-LAND, also managed to polish his dance skills.
His members often tease him because “he is the cutest when angry,” he is also well-known among fans for being sweet but sassy.
#Ni-Ki
Ni-Ki, born in Japan, is the youngest member of the group. He started dancing at the age of 3 and, still very young, joined SHINee Kids; for all these reasons, he is the group's main dancer.
Through I-LAND, and since Enhypen's debut, his vocal skills have much improved, giving him more confidence in his voice.
Members often complain about his liveliness, but he is also timid.
The Album:
DARK BLOOD is an album with a very nocturnal vampiresque vibe, as the concept suggests. The songs are all very cohesive, except for Karma, the closing track, which surprises the listeners with its pop-rock instrumental.
Overall, if you enjoy songs while driving at night, this new Enhypen album is everything you want and even more!
Here is the concept trailer, which explains part of the story:
Now let’s dive a bit more into each song.
#Fate
Not one of the usual narrated intro that Enhypen used in many of their previous albums but a really addictive opening track, enriched with Heeseung mermaid-like background vocals.
The track introduces the listeners to the themes of this album: love, torment, being cursed.
As the seasons crumble, the green
Love became greed and erased itself
Erase even your selfishness
They trapped me in ruins like the deep sea
Oblivion
Where did that terrible curse come from?
Who inflicted this cruel punishment?
Now I realized
The fate that I devoted my life to
How could I forget?
#BITE ME
A great title track, in my opinion, which perfectly encapsulates the concept of being vampires, by emphasizing their sexiness and capturing the audience's attention with an alluring choreography and a very upbeat rhythm.
The choreography, and more precisely the fact that members perform it with female back-up dancers, is what sparked heated discussions especially among Korean and Chinese fans, who even sent trucks in front of the HYBE building requesting to remove the female dancers.
International fans, on the contrary, showed their support to Enhypen and luckily the company did not make any changes in the choreography, which Ni-Ki also contributed in creating.
It’s you and me in this world
Again, come to me, tie me
If you are goin' to save me
Just come kiss me and bite me (Oh, babe)
It's you and me in this world
In this darkness, light me
If you'll give me a chance
Just come kiss me and bite me
Here is one of Enhypen live performances:
Here is the STUDIO CHOOM version:
#Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)
The music video for this track was released on the 7th of June and it surprised every Engene in a very pleasant way, not only the choreography is very sexy but the video is really entertaining and the performance is amazing!
The song, as one might guess from the title, deals with Enhypen’s sins and their decision to sacrifice themselves for a love who gives them back nothing.
This endless agony and thirst
Punishment that defied fate
My arrogant oblivion and illusion
Swallow the river of Lethe
So dangerous
Full of darkness like a criminal
But here you are
Full of brightness and light
I beg you to kill me (Kill me)
Heal me (Heal me) deeper
My endless fallin' (Fallin') deeper (Deeper)
Oh, take my hand
Here is Enhypen live performance:
#Chaconne
My favorite track on the album together with Bills, Chaconne is a song with a “trappy” R&B vibe whose name “Chaconne” literally comes from a type of Spanish dance style, which was born in the XVII century, that later became a whole music genre.
The song, here, uses the idea of chaconne, a dance, as a metaphor for something sinful that Enhypen cannot stop, they are now trapped in their sins and do not intend to escape.
Dance for me forever
Look at me in the broken mirror
And tune it with the feet
This beautiful moment I don't stop
Woah, again, chaconne now
Dance for mе, like you're drunk and fascinated by mе
I just wanna dance on, can't stop it
This is my world in the dark
Woah, again, chaconne now
#Bills
Bills is an heartbreak song conceptually connected to Enhypen's previous track, Not for Sale, which is, in complete contrast, a song which talks about falling in love with someone.
Not only the lyrics,
Sign on top of bills that are suddenly surging
The right price, I only learned through tears
I don't wanna let you go
Can we turn back, no time
The time piles on top of the love that needs to be repaid
The price of parting keeps getting more and more expensive
I just wanna let it go
Why don't you just let me go, me go?
but also some parts of the choreography refer to Not for Sale:
Here is the Band Live Version of Bills:
#Karma
The last song on tha album and a great way to close it by disrupting everyone's expectations. This song not only has a strong rock component but its lyrics lose the melancholy of the previous tracks to substitute it with a very confident attitude, Enhypen “don’t give a what” about their destiny anymore.
Whatever they call fate
I don't give a what
The karma of blood that connects us
So I don't give a what
Across time and space
Beyond probability
From the day you were tied to your fangs
I don't, don't, don't give a what
Enhypen’s new album managed to show an entirely new facet of the group, not only because of its mature and sexy concept but because, musically, despite maintaining Enhypen’s distinctive style, they experimented with new genres and challenged themselves on a performance level.
As a fan of Enhypen and as a fan of music, this will be their turning point as a group, not only because the album sold very well but because, in my opinion, this comeback helped them mature a lot as artists.