The group ENHYPEN is returning with intense desire.
The mini 6th album 'DESIRE: UNLEASH,' releasing today (5th) at 1 p.m., expresses a darker and more fatal ENHYPEN-style dark romance, where uncontained desires hidden in deepened love are manifested. The pre-order quantity for this album has exceeded 2.18 million copies, indicating the hot interest towards ENHYPEN.
After showcasing an explosive stage at America's largest music festival 'Coachella' last April, the attention of the world is focused on ENHYPEN's new release. As a 'top tier K-pop group,' ENHYPEN is set to continue their momentum with the mini 6th album and communicated through a Q&A with their agency BELIFT LAB.
Q. What are your thoughts on releasing the mini 6th album 'DESIRE: UNLEASH'?
Jungwon: This is our comeback after 7 months. Through 'Coachella,' we were able to introduce ourselves to many, and I think we were determined to show good appearances to meet those expectations.
Jay: I believe this album is an important moment for ENHYPEN. Since it is an album launched after our performance at 'Coachella,' our goal was to bring that atmosphere well, and we put a lot of thought into the completeness.
Niki: We worked hard to present good songs to the engines (ENGENE, fandom name) who have waited for us. Since we prepared for a long time, I think you can expect a high-quality outcome.
Q. How would you introduce 'DESIRE: UNLEASH'?
Heeseung: It's an album that unpacks every song under the keyword 'desire.' The charm and fun of 'DESIRE: UNLEASH' lie in the different colors each song presents.
Sunghoon: After showing bright tracks for the past few years, it's been a while since we returned with a dark-themed album, and I believe the engines will enjoy it.
Sunwoo: I believe we couldn't have come this far without desire since our debut. It feels like an album that suits ENHYPEN that much, and personally, as someone with great desire, I have a deeper attachment to this album.
Q. What are the highlights of the title track 'Bad Desire (With or Without You)'?
Jake: There are many detailed elements, and the more you listen to it, the more charming the song becomes. When I first heard this song, I imagined a mystical picture and thought, 'This is a song only ENHYPEN can do.'
Sunghoon: The chorus is catchy and sticks in your ears. Heeseung and Jay executed this part well. We focused on dance and expression practice to show the atmosphere of the song well. Please look forward to the strong gaze that expresses desire with static yet powerful dance.
Q. What are your thoughts on participating in the production, songwriting, and guitar playing of 'Helium'?
Jay: 'Helium' is my first self-composed song filled with genres and sounds I like. It holds deeper meaning as it's a song where I can spread the wings of my dreams. You can feel what kind of thoughts and concerns ENHYPEN's Jay has about music through this song.
Q. What is your favorite track from this album?
Heeseung: 'Helium.' While it's good because Jay participated in the song, when I imagined seeing it performed on stage, I thought the energy brought by the song 'Helium' would be great, so I recommend it.
Sunghoon: 'Flashover.' Every syllable of the song has a good melody, and it immediately came to mind. The lyrics of my part, 'You should take this fire with me,' keep ringing in my ears. I remember making efforts to ensure the charm of the song could be well expressed during recording.
Niki: 'Loose.' It's a song that fits my taste, and I also like the emotions in the lyrics. Although it was pre-released, the memories of performing on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in April remain with me, making this song dear to me.
Q. What kind of response do you want to hear from this album?
Jungwon: I hope to hear reactions like 'Wow~ great job' as soon as people see our stage. I think doing the performance well makes it look the coolest. I believe when we do our job well, other elements shine through.
Jake: I want to hear, 'We've brought an album that only ENHYPEN can do.' Since we've returned with a dark-themed song after a while, I believe you can definitely feel our unique color in the concept, performance, and visual aspects.
Sunwoo: I hope to be more widely recognized as a group that performs wonderfully through this album. Especially since I want to carry out this album's activities without regrets, I plan to work hard according to my own pace.
Q. What is the pressure you feel as a 5-year artist?
Jungwon: When I debuted, I felt like the 5-year seniors were like great seniors to me. But now that I'm in that position, it feels like there's not much difference. In fact, I believe the years don't determine your mindset; rather, the experiences gathered so far serve as a foundation, so I will do my best as always.
Heeseung: For me, I felt it the most during 'Coachella.' While discussing and preparing the stage with my members, I felt joy, and it seems that the engines recognize the stage where our efforts were put in. Therefore, I feel an increasing sense of responsibility to be an artist who can enhance our participation with future albums and stages.
Jake: The more albums we release, the more I focus on showing better results than previous works during each comeback. So, I pay attention to every little detail during recording, concept photos, and dance practices.
Q. What have you learned from the 'Coachella' stage?
Jay: 'Coachella' was one of the important dream stages for me. It was quite a tense stage, during which I gained a variety of experiences and built up confidence in performing. Based on this, I want to show a deeper sense of stage mastery in this activity.
Sunwoo: It was an honor just to be able to stand on 'Coachella,' and I appreciate the great reactions we received. Through this stage, I gained confidence to think, 'Now I can believe in myself and perform,' which allowed me to grow mentally.
Niki: It was the stage where I felt the most joy since debuting. The process of discussing opinions and putting them together with the members until late at night was all happiness. The phrase 'Those who enjoy cannot be defeated' resonated with me. I felt that having a mindset and attitude that allows you to enjoy even the tension is important.
Q. A message to the engines who have waited for this album.
Jungwon: We've already met the engines for the sixth mini album. It seems time has passed quickly. We prepared hard to show a mature side, so all you have to do is enjoy it.
Heeseung: This album reflects ENHYPEN's colors deeply, so I hope you will appreciate the charm that is embedded throughout. Since it's an album filled with enjoyable content, please listen to all the tracks.
Jay: From 'Coachella' to mini 6th album, this year is a time dense with important moments for ENHYPEN. Furthermore, my self-composed song is included in the album for the first time. With that, I want to create meaningful activities that will remain in memory for a long time with the engines.
Jake: I will show impressive activities so that the engines do not regret liking ENHYPEN. Since we have completed a high-quality album, all you have to do is trust us and enjoy!
Sunghoon: I'm also looking forward to this activity as the engines have liked every piece of content that has been revealed. Now that we have returned with an ENHYPEN-style concept, I want to build precious memories with the engines this time too.
Sunwoo: I worked really hard to prepare mini 6th album, and I want to meet you all soon. I will carry out activities that you can enjoy without regrets!
Niki: Thank you to the engines who have waited for us. With this comeback, I want to show various charms of ours, and since we have worked hard on this album, I hope you will like it.
[Photo] Provided by BELIFT LAB
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