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ENHYPEN sings about unconditional love in new album 'ORANGE BLOOD'
K-pop act ENHYPEN poses during a press event at YES24 Live Hall, Gwangjin District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of BELIFT LAB
By Pyo Kyung-min
ENHYPEN drops 5th mini-album 'ORANGE BLOOD'
Is it worth it to make sacrifices for love? The answer is yes, according to K-pop boy band ENHYPEN. The septet, consisting of Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki, sings about a boy who is willing to do anything for his lover in its fifth mini-album, "ORANGE BLOOD."
"We aimed to convey the emotions of a boy, who has realized the impermanence of everything," Jay explained during a press event at YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, Thursday. The event took place one day before the release of "ORANGE BLOOD."
The singer added, "So this boy embraces the philosophy of 'carpe diem' and aspires to love without regret. Orange is the color representing his pledge."
"ORANGE BLOOD" is a sequel to the group's May release, "DARK BLOOD," which sold 1.32 million copies during the first week of its release. Fronted by the title track, "Sweet Venom," the mini-album features six other tunes including, "Mortal," "Still Monster" and "Orange Flower (You Complete Me)."
"ORANGE BLOOD" is available in three versions: Korean, English, and the Bella Poarch version featuring the Filipino-American TikTok star.
"The English rendition is not merely a simple translation of Korean lyrics," Heeseung noted. "I was particularly excited to release it, because it's our first English song that allowed us to convey our emotions more effectively."
Sunwoo, the youngest member of the group, added, "I hope our English version can grab a good spot on the Billboard chart."
K-pop boy band ENHYPEN performs the group's new track, "Sweet Venom," during a press event at YES24 Live Hall, Gwangjin District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of BELIFT LAB
The lead single, "Sweet Venom," seamlessly extends the storyline of "Bite Me," the lead single off "DARK BLOOD" that narrates the members' steadfast commitment to love. In the song, the singers pledge to remain by their loved one's side despite the encroaching poison.
"Sweet Venom" is also the first easy-listening song by ENHYPEN, a group that is mostly known for its dark and powerful tunes.
According to Sunwoo, the highlight of "Sweet Venom" is its addictive melody.
"The moment I first heard it, I thought, 'This must be our title track,'" he recalled. "I could sing along to it right away, and I felt like it would become an instant hit."
Jay contributed to the lyrics of "Sweet Venom," adding a personal touch.
"I had penned lyrics with personal feelings in the past as well, but this time, I took my team into consideration and changed my perspective," he elaborated.
While they were gearing up for their new album, ENHYPEN members were also on their world tour —ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'FATE' — performing in nine cities across the globe. It also marked their first Japanese dome tour.
The group's Japanese member Ni-ki said he was more than thrilled to perform in his homeland.
"Performing at Tokyo Dome is a dream for all artists," he noted. Tokyo Dome is the largest concert hall in Japan, which can accommodate 50,000 spectators.
The singer added, "When I first heard that we would be performing there, I could hardly believe it. It was an opportunity to elevate ourselves to the next level as artists."