Client: Clash
They’ve indulged in a couple of classic tropes – capes and crumbling abodes – during this time but ENHYPEN’s vampirism is a pliable, modern muse, where you’ll more likely see luxury streetwear and suits draping their shoulders as they genre-hop from airy synth-pop (‘Moonstruck’, ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’, ‘Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)’) to moody introspection (‘Still Monster’, ‘Hundred Broken Hearts’, ‘Fatal Trouble’, ‘Lucifer’) and chunky singalongs (‘Scream’, ‘Karma’, ‘Bite Me’).
And ENHYPEN’s appetite to experiment is voracious; take, for example, the drum & bass meets rock riff on this year’s “Paranormal” or the curveball of banjo-y drift phonk (‘Teeth’) to keep things unpredictable. Of the two new tracks on their repackage – ‘Daydream’ and ‘No Doubt’ – the former ventures even further: predominantly a whispered track, their voices rasp and push over a sullen bass beat, the fleeting chorus and ad libs giving space to their falsetto.
HEESEUNG, bundled deep into a bomber jacket and beanie, says that while the “whisper rapping” sounds new, “we hope it’ll strike you as something fun and exciting. And rather than the lyrics being straightforward, we tried to capture a unique vibe through repeated elements and a catchy hook.”
Where ‘Daydream’ presents a darker sense of desire, ‘No Doubt’ is jauntier and more vocally melodic, undercut with longing. JUNGWON, who dances in his seat as they play through the songs, calls the album a “story extension, but the emotions have become much deeper and more multifaceted. You know when you’re not with your lover you might feel insecure and anxious, so ‘No Doubt’ is a song where you realise how big your feelings are for them, moreso when you’re not actually with that person.”
Taylor Glasby 