Enhypen embraces sweet romance with 2nd studio album

K-pop boy group Enhypen embraced a new musical direction, unveiling a bright and romantic song from its upcoming album “Romance: Untold,” which captures the heartfelt confessions of a young boy.

Set for release on Friday at 1 p.m., the second full-length album from the group follows its fifth EP, “Orange Blood,” released last November.

“We’ve released many dark songs in the past, so it feels unfamiliar and nerve-wracking to return with a bright and sweet song as our main track,” member Niki said during a media showcase in Seoul on Thursday. “However, we will approach our future activities with confidence.”

The K-pop septet has been known for its dark, powerful and charismatic music across four album series — “Border,” “Dimension,” “Manifesto” and “Blood.”

“Romance: Untold” marks the beginning of a new series, with a shift toward romantic and uplifting themes.

Explaining the shift in its music, the band emphasized that narrative has always been pivotal in shaping its concepts.

“This time, we chose that concept because the narrative that we wanted to tell was closer to romance and something bright,” Jungwon said.

He added the band will likely continue to undergo changes depending on future narratives.

The album, “Romance: Untold,” narrates the story of a boy devoted to a girl who has profoundly impacted him, making him a better person.

“It’s a metaphor for the relationship between Engenes and Enhypen, who grow through the recognition and love from fans,” Sunghoon added, using the name of the group’s fandom.

The album features 10 tracks, with the final one — a multi-language version of the fan song “Highway 1009″ — available exclusively on the physical album.

Fronting the album is “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” a romantic pop-genre song expressing the boy’s desire to do anything for the girl if she agrees.

“The melody caught my ear immediately, and I thought its catchy parts will likely appeal to fans,” said Sunoo.

The upcoming album also highlights the members’ artistic development, with all participating in songwriting, composing and producing.

“Highway 1009,” the fan-dedicated track produced by Heeseung, holds special significance as it includes lyrics by all members.

“It’s particularly meaningful as it’s our first self-composed track involving all seven members,” emphasized Jake.

Sunghoon recalled the process of working on the song, saying, “I wrote the lyrics only thinking about Engene. I wrote it imagining myself driving down an endless road with Engene. I was able to write lyrics that I was usually too embarrassed to write.”

Since its debut in November 2020, Enhypen has rapidly ascended in the music industry, achieving million-seller status with its first studio album just one year after the debut and doubling that with the latest EP, “Orange Blood.”

Preorders for the band’s upcoming studio album have already passed 2.2 million copies, signaling another double million-seller.

Despite these achievements, the members remain modest about their aspirations.

“I would be happy if many people recognize our music as distinctively Enhypen and enjoy it,” Jungwon said.