K-pop boy band ENHYPEN made their comeback on Nov. 17 with the release of their fifth mini-album “Orange Blood.”
“Orange Blood” came about six months after ENHYPEN (엔하이픈) dropped their fourth mini-album “Dark Blood.”
The new album showcased the group’s artistic growth, unveiling a palette of sonic colors distinct from their previous discography.
ENHYPEN at their "Orange Blood" media showcase on Nov. 16 (Belift Lab)
“Orange Blood” unfolds a vibrant chapter wherein the joyful boys wholeheartedly pledge unwavering affection towards “you,” embodying the essence of the “Carpe diem” spirit. It transcends mere musical expression and encapsulates the array of emotions that underpin ENHYPEN’s passionate yearning to forge a profound connection with their fans, Engenes.
The new album also incorporates elements from “Dark Moon: The Blood Altar,” the HYBE original story webtoon created in collaboration with ENHYPEN.
By interweaving the seven members’ personal narratives with that of the album and webtoon, ENHYPEN’s Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki expanded their artistry beyond music, laying the foundation for the next form of entertainment.
“We had a world over the last six months. We also released a single in Japan and we also participated in music festivals overseas. We are so happy to present you with new music, made with our seven voices,” said Ni-ki during ENHYPEN’s media showcase on Nov. 16.
Jungwon said, “We spent our six months very constructively and to really bring in ENHYPEN’s performance to its peak, we have prepared meticulously, paying a lot of attention not only to the choreography but also our facial expressions so I hope you enjoy.”
During the media showcase, ENHYPEN performed for the first time the songs “Sweet Venom” and “Still Monster.”
“Orange Blood” contains seven tracks, including “Mortal,” “Sweet Venom,” “Still Monster,” “Blind,” and “Orange Flower (You Complete Me).”
The lead single “Sweet Venom” is a funk/pop piece that skillfully and rhythmically conveys the boys’ realization that ‘your’ poison is both sweet and invigorating.
The track, presented in three distinct versions – original Korean version, an English version and a collaborative version with pop artist Bella Poarch – highlights the versatility of ENHYPEN’s musical prowess.
Member Jay worked alongside the renowned producer Slow Rabbit to craft the lyrics of the Korean version.
ENHYPEN's Sunghoon (Belift Lab)
ENHYPEN's Ni-ki (Belift Lab)
ENHYPEN's Sunoo (Belift Lab)
Jake described “Sweet Venom” as a track that is “quite a divergence from the songs that we have done so far. It has this new beat and genre.”
Recently, HYBE, the parent company of ENHYPEN, and Korean TV network MBC have reconciled after years of conflict.
With this, ENHYPEN will be appearing on MBC’s TV music program “Music Core.”
“The fans want us to be on a lot of different stages and give them a lot of performances. So we can have a new type of outfit and show them a new performance on ‘Music Core.’ So I’m very eager to be on stage. Our job is to show our fans new stages so I’m very happy about that,” said Jungwon.
ENHYPEN members were also asked the artists they want to do their dance challenge.
Ni-ki had a “Hard” dance challenge with SHINee’s Key.
Sunghoon said, “Since we are part of the HYBE family, we would like our senior artists in HYBE like Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen to do our dance challenge and if it allows, BTS as well.”
“BTS. I know that they are very busy. But if the opportunity allows, I would like to,” said Jake, to which Heeseung replied, “Me too, I would like to film it with them as well.”
“Also we have a lot of colleagues. I’m very close to Jeong-in (or I.N) in Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, &Team Eui Joo [EJ), I’m very close to him as well. This time we want to try it out with a lot of artists,” said Heeseung.
ENHYPEN will be celebrating their third debut anniversary on Nov. 30.
“We are three years from our debut. I feel that we have matured and we have different thoughts because of Engenes. We have a different mindset now with the love of fans. We always want to keep that in mind and become even more mature going forward and show you a lot of great stages and performances,” said Jay.
Following the release of “Orange Blood,” ENHYPEN will mark their global presence in the US as well, gearing up to partake in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23.
ENHYPEN's Jungwon (Belift Lab)
ENHYPEN's Heeseung (Belift Lab) 
ENHYPEN's Jay (Belift Lab) 
ENHYPEN's Jake (Belift Lab)