 |
| The members of K-pop act ENHYPEN pose during a press event at Hwajung Gymnasium at Korea University in northeastern Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Belift Lab |
ENHYPEN drops 4th mini-album 'Dark Blood'
By Dong Sun-hwa
K-pop boy group ENHYPEN has returned as vampires.
In its fourth mini-album, "Dark Blood," the seven members appear as seductive vampires who want their romantic partner to bite them. Leading the EP is the minimal and catchy "Bite Me."
The tune revolves around a boy who happens to forget the girl he loved. However, he later reunites with her and realizes that they are meant to be together. The reason that he wants her to bite him and draw his blood is simple. For them, blood is a medium connecting them and also proof of their fateful relationship.
"'Dark Blood' is about connection and preciousness," member Sunghoon said during a press event in Hwajung Gymnasium at Korea University, northeastern Seoul, Monday. The event took place a few hours ahead of the release of "Dark Blood."
The 20-year-old added, "It is our first time to come up with such a minimal song. It is an unusual experience and a fresh challenge for us."
Ni-ki elaborated, "We spent much time thinking about ways to pull off this kind of concept centering on vampires. I watched The Twilight Saga (2008-2012) ― a series of romance fantasy movies starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson ― and observed its characters prior to recording the tracks in our album and shooting our music video."
"Dark Blood" also has a link to "Dark Moon: The Blood Altar" ― the ENHYPEN-inspired fantasy webcomic series created by K-pop powerhouse HYBE. ENHYPEN is represented by Belift Lab, a joint venture formed by HYBE and Korean entertainment behemoth CJ ENM.
In this digital comic, ENHYPEN members appear as vampires and werewolves, who all fall in love with a girl named Sooha.
"'Dark Moon' and 'Bite Me' share keywords like connection, arrogance, curse and destiny," Heeseung explained.
According to Sunghoon, the seven members have also attempted to express gratitude to their fans through the story of "Dark Blood," which highlights the theme of connection.
"After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been meeting our fans in person," he said. "We have received so much support from them and we could really feel that we are connected to one another. So we want to thank them with this mini-album."
"Dark Blood" has a narrative flow as well. The first track "Fate" features how the boy learns his fate, while the second track "Bite Me" portrays his reunion with his loved one. The third track "Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)" shows his determination to sacrifice himself to protect her. The other tunes ― "Chaconne," "Bills" and "Karma" ― also have their own stories with different themes.
"All of them have different styles, so our fans will be able to discover the ones they like," Heeseung said.
After bursting onto the K-pop scene in 2020, ENHYPEN has achieved numerous accomplishments. Its first full-length album, "DIMENSION: DILEMMA" (2021), sold more than 1.1 million copies and the group embarked on its first-ever world tour in 2022, only about two years after its debut. The members, however, still have big ambitions.
"We want to keep showcasing our growth as artists and raise our profile further," Ni-ki said.
Sunoo added, "We also want to grab a spot on music streaming charts."
![[LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 1] How hiking Jeju's 437km of trails changed my life](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/76a9bfb384714b8d8bb0078962a18259.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/796618f56a44402eabe81fe4530ab988.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
