"Desire. That is something you can never truly shake off." In a set reminiscent of the Cairnes brothers' "Talk Show with the Devil" and Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire," a perilous conversation unfolds between humans and vampires. In a fictional world where mortals and immortals coexist, the eyes of seven vampires blaze brightly in the darkening shadows after the scorching midday sun. "If you want to destroy the one you love, what can you really love? Isn't that a curse?" Humans fear extraordinary beings. Vampires remain unflustered. "It's desire." Repressed longings awaken.
ENHYPEN's time has come. Their sixth mini album, "DARK BLOOD" (hereafter 'Desire'), marks a moment of convergence where the narrative of vampires, borrowed from Shakespearean plays since their debut through the survival program "I-LAND," gains both depth and breadth. The concept film directed by Park Min-soo, who has proven his skills by winning numerous short film awards, the attractive music produced by distinguished producers, and the rapid attention they have garnered in the global market through multiple world tours and Coachella Festival, all lead this group in its peak era toward a shared goal, creating a seamless album.
Desire is the singular theme that runs through ENHYPEN's vampire world. From the blood-sucking handsome boys inspired by Anne Rice’s settings to the super-powered knights vowing eternal loyalty in the popular series "DARK MOON," ENHYPEN, seen as beings that should not exist in this world, has fought endlessly to remain by our side. Boys who could have stayed in reality have crossed the boundaries of K-pop boy groups with the 'BORDER' series and faced the scrutiny of the spotlight and public attention in 'DIMENSION.' While they become aware of their heavy destiny driven by primal instincts in 'DARK BLOOD,' they shine brightly with a will to express their limitless emotions in 'ORANGE BLOOD' and 'ROMANCE: UNTOLD.' Shaken and in distress, ENHYPEN has always longed for something—be it escapism, destruction, or love.
Looking over their careers, "DARK BLOOD" feels like a sanctuary that ENHYPEN naturally should have arrived at. Surely, neither BELIF+ nor the production team, nor the members themselves could have failed to notice the subtle current running through the album. Every aspect was meticulously crafted to complete the narrative. Starting with "Flashover," the album opens boldly. The dreamy future bass beats, vocal samples, and sound drops convey the irresistible allure of sophisticated vampires through sound. "Bad Desire," featuring Canadian producer Cirkut, who participated in songwriting and production for The Weeknd's hit song "Starboy," crowns ENHYPEN's dark fantasy romance. They have successfully transplanted The Weeknd's synthwave and R&B trends into a captivating K-pop boy group. ENHYPEN, a group that has gradually expanded its range of expression to meet various demands, truly captivates when donning a dark concept like in "Bite Me" and "Fatal Trouble." This title track is the most balanced among them.
The subsequent flow feels equally natural. "Outside," completed by sampling a song from the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, expresses a fierce desire to make the other person one of their own kind in a heavy hip-hop genre. Despite being a song that serves as the narrative backbone of the album, it remains enjoyable as a musical piece. The delicate "Loose" intertwines simple bass riffs with high-pitched falsettos, adding interest. Members reveal their hidden fangs in "Bad Desire" and "Outside," racing through the darkened city while drawing in their prey with cool detachment in the human world. ENHYPEN's strengths—rushing rock and synthwave—reach their peak in "Helium." The airy pop "Too Close," reminiscent of TOMORROW X TOGETHER's "Happily Ever After," also stays true to the album’s theme. As it builds toward a pinnacle, the sudden stripping down to just the keyboard reflects the emotions of a strange creature desperately trying to suppress the turmoil within.
The boy groups under HYBE's labels, which emerged after BTS, carry the emotional impact that grows steadily as you immerse yourself in their narratives. In other words, it's the worldview. In recent years, the term "easy listening," which generically referred to mid-20th-century light music, has been indiscriminately used in the music industry to mean "easy to listen to music." This, combined with a growing negative perception of fandom-driven consumption culture, has led to the worldview being blamed for the declining public response to K-pop and poor performance on streaming platform charts. This is a simplistic interpretation. There is no K-pop without narrative. K-pop groups establish their themes during pre-planning and production stages and designate concepts for each album to align with the growth of members who debut in their teenage years, assembling music and performances to tell various stories. The level of integration in this process determines the overall quality of K-pop. Mediocre K-pop results are not due to the worldview but to insufficient communication and constrained decision-making.
In "DARK BLOOD," ENHYPEN has found that balance. Just as TOMORROW X TOGETHER successfully encapsulated the group’s history with their journey from magic to reality in "minisode 3: Tomorrow," ENHYPEN showcases a multi-dimensional K-pop boy group hesitant yet eager to approach their well-honed vampire concept. Both fans who followed them from "I-LAND" and those who came on board through the "DARK MOON" IP could willingly offer their necks for this conceptual music.
Kim Do-hun (Popular Music Critic) / zener1218@gmail.com
<Photo source: BELIFT LAB>
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