With October well on its way, the change of seasons can trigger the infamous phrase—out with the old, in with the new. While we don’t need to get rid of anything old, there is always room for the new, especially in discovering new music and sounds. As their world tour Manifesto is in full swing, there is no doubt that Enhypen brings a fresh new sound to those not entirely familiar with the genre of K-pop, which has been taking the world by storm in recent years. So, who are they?

A little who, what, when, where...

Enhypen is a seven-member K-pop group consisting of members Yang JungWon, Lee HeeSeung, Park Jay, Sim Jake, Park SungHoon, Kim Sunoo, and Nishimura Niki. The group’s name comes from the word “hyphen”  which conveys the group's message to “connect, discover each other, and grow together.” A promising start for this soon to be K-pop sensation. Formed on the survival show I-land, which aired weekly on Mnet in 2020, these seven young men made the final debut lineup under BE:LIFT Lab, a sub-company of Hybe Corporation. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was talent

Enhypen established themselves with the release of “Fever” during their first comeback. The song blew up on the internet, setting them at center stage for all to see. Not only is the song catchy, but the performance has memorable choreography. The performance highlights the members’ individual skills, such as Sunghoon and Niki’s push and pull dynamic toward the beginning of the stage and the smooth switch between Heesung and Jungwon at the bridge of the song. When the chorus begins, their cohesiveness as a unit becomes apparent as the fluidity of their movement conveys the strong emotions described in the song. It’s hard to say which part of the stage is the most memorable, but it is easy to see how they command attention and gain a larger fanbase through their alluring performances.

All the way up!

As a group, they have accomplished many notable feats. One such accomplishment was earning the most entries on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart the week of Jan. 20, 2022, and debuting at No. 4 on the chart with their song “Blessed-Cursed” Accompanying “Blessed-Cursed” on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart were “Tamed-Dashed” “Go Big or Go Home” “Just A Little Bit” “Upper Side Dreamin and “Blockbuster” making that six songs on the chart. This feat established Enhypen as the only artist in the world with the most entries on this chart. However, the fun doesn’t stop there! On July 4, 2022, the group released their latest album titled Manifesto: Day 1 and title track “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)” which earned them their first number 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. With all of this impressive momentum, there is no doubt that they will continue to soar to new and exciting heights. 

Like ogres and onions, humans also have layers

When everything else is stripped away, they are simply just seven human beings, making themselves heard and leaving a mark on the world through exploration of new sounds and genres. When interviewed by Grammy.com earlier this year, the members made it a point to emphasize how important improving and showing new sides of themselves to fans is to them. Member Heeseung stated that for their newest album, Manifesto: Day 1, they “prepared something very new to show that we have grown this much” The album explores themes of togetherness, love, and change through a range of genres such as Chicago drill, pop and alt rock, and old school hip-hop. According to the members, they themselves helped contribute to the album’s cover designs and Jake helped compose the lyrics for their song “Shout Out” The members' enthusiasm for collaboration is evidence of a burning passion for music that fuels them to forge toward an undeniably bright future.

My $1.98 cuz I don't need your 2 cents (kidding)

The exciting atmosphere surrounding Enhypen has surely grown more tangible with fans, as they embarked on their first world tour. This was the first time that they have been able to interact face to face with their overseas fans. It’s safe to say that the group and their fans have been waiting for this moment with anticipation. Such a meeting can be a profound experience, in which both parties can interact together for one epic concert. K-pop is such a vast genre and it can be difficult to know where to begin. If you’re looking for something new and refreshing, I’d give Enhypen a listen. One day you’ll be casually humming a chorus to their song “Fever” and the next thing you know, you’ll be enjoying their whole discography, or at least that’s how it happened for me. 

Featured Image by BeLiftLab

Sources: Spotify, Instagram, BeLiftLab, Mnet, BeLiftLab, HYBE, Youtube, Billboard, Youtube, Youtube, Youtube, Youtube, Spotify, Youtube, KpopStarz, Spotify, Youtube, Billboard, Grammy.com, Grammy.com, Youtube

Contact Rainna Yarborough with comments at rainna.yarborough@bsu.edu.

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