ENHYPEN are fresh off the release of their first studio album, Dimension: Dilemma. Following the release of the album — which arrived via their label, BeLift Lab, on Oct. 12 — the K-pop group sat down with Billboard News to discuss the inspirations for the record and their dedicated fanbase, the ENGENEs.
The conversation kicked off with host Tetris Kelly asking the K-pop stars about the music video for Dimension: Dilemma’s lead single “Tamed-Dashed,” which racked up 14 million views on YouTube within a week of its release.
According to member Jay, the rugby and American football-themed video “illustrates the story of boys who discover themselves after questioning their identity in the midst of a dilemma.” He added, “I think the scenes we shot in the school and beach setting did a perfect job of reflecting the youthful and refreshing vibes that we wanted to portray. We have a fond memory of hanging out on the beach together after shooting the video…so we’re happy to see that ENGENEs seem to be enjoying it as much as we had fun filming it.”
ENHYPEN’s second mini album, Border: Carnival, charted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 the week of May 19, and though the record achieved chart success in the United States, the K-pop stars wanted to take their artistry to the next level with Dimension: Dilemma.
“We were determined to show growth through our first album, so we worked even harder to reach perfection in every aspect of the album preparation process, including recording, choreography practice, concept photoshoots, etc,” Sunoo explained. “We’re reaching the one year anniversary of our debut and we feel proud and thankful to see ENGENEs acknowledging how we’ve matured in our mindset and skills as artists.”
Dimension: Dilemma serves as a continuation of ENHYPEN’s story as a group, and seeks to provide listeners with an intimate look at how they have grown in the first year of them being K-pop stars.
“Since our debut, we have been expressing our experiences as artists and honest emotions through our music. ENHYPEN’s authentic story of growth is the biggest inspiration for our music. Continuing from the ‘BORDER’ series, ‘DIMENSION: DILEMMA’ is an extension of our story,” Jungwon explained. “We realize that our post-debut world is even more complex and multidimensional than we expected, and find ourselves in a dilemma while facing a variety of desires between being an artist, as well as an individual. However, this album contains our determination to move forward to find the answers.”
In light of their recent wins, ENHYPEN acknowledges that they have been able to reach where they are currently with the help of their devoted fans: “If it weren’t for them, ENHYPEN wouldn’t be here right now. That’s why we feel even more affectionate and grateful towards our ENGENEs, and we do our best to express that love through our activities.”
See the full interview above.