Enhypen

Enhypen (Enhaipun; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a former joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, through the 2020 survival competition show I-Land. The group is composed of seven members: Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki. They debuted on November 30, 2020, with the extended play (EP) Border: Day One.
Name
The name Enhypen was introduced during the live broadcast of the final episode of I-Land. Etymologically, the group derives their name from the hyphen symbol, representing "Connection, Discovery, & Growth". Similar to how a hyphen connects different words to create new meanings, Enhypen aims "to come together to connect, discover and grow together to form a new act".
Career
Pre-debut activities and formation through I-Land
In March 2019, Belift Lab (Belift) was co-founded by South Korean entertainment agencies CJ E&M and Hybe Corporation, with plans to create a new band in 2020. Auditions commenced the same month in Seoul, the United States, Taiwan, and Japan, among others locations, seeking male trainees born between 1997 and 2008. On May 8, 2020, television channel Mnet announced the survival competition series I-Land as part of the joint venture between the two entertainment companies that "follows the process of next generation K-pop artists being born". Enhypen was formed through the show, which featured 23 male trainees, some of whom were originally auditioned for Belift, while others transferred from Big Hit Music to Belift. The show aired weekly on Mnet from June 26 to September 18, 2020, and internationally on Hybe Labels' YouTube channel. The series was split into two parts, with the top twelve contestants from the first part advancing to the second. On the last episode of the show, seven members were selected out of the nine final contestants, with six chosen by global rankings and one by the producer's choice. The final lineup of Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki was announced on the live television broadcast of the finale.
2020–2021: debut with Border: Day One, second extended play, first Japanese single and Dimension: Dilemma
On October 22, 2020, a trailer titled "Choose-Chosen" was posted to Enhypen's YouTube channel, announcing the group's debut in November 2020. A second trailer titled "Dusk-Dawn" was released three days later, followed by a pair of concept mood boards on October 27. On October 28, Belift announced that Enhypen would release their debut extended play (EP) Border: Day One on November 30. Ahead of their debut, the group accumulated over one million followers on social media platforms TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and V Live. On November 4, Border: Day One was announced to have amassed over 150,000 pre-orders within two days, surpassing 300,000 copies by November 21. The EP and lead single "Given-Taken" were released on November 30, accompanied by a live showcase. On December 4, Enhypen officially made their live debut on KBS' Music Bank, performing "Given-Taken". Border: Day One charted at number 39 on the Japanese Oricon 2020 Yearly Album Chart and at number two on the South Korean Gaon Album Chart, having sold 318,528 copies in one day domestically and becoming the highest-selling album by a K-pop group that debuted in 2020. Within two weeks of their debut, the band won Next Leader Award at the 2020 Fact Music Awards.
In February 2021, Border: Day One received a platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), the group's first certification in the country. On March 25, 2021, Belift announced that Enhypen would make their comeback at the end of April. A trailer titled "Intro: The Invitation" was released on April 5, announcing their second extended play, Border: Carnival. The EP was released in conjunction with lead single "Drunk-Dazed". On April 8, it was announced that EP pre-orders had surpassed 370,000 copies in three days. By the day before release, pre-orders surpassed 450,000 copies.
On May 4, 2021, Enhypen received their first-ever music show win on SBS MTV's The Show with "Drunk-Dazed", followed by wins on Show Champion and Music Bank. Border: Carnival debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, the group's first chart-topper in Japan, with over 83,000 copies sold. On May 25, Border: Carnival debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also debuted at numbers nine, four, four, and six on the Billboard World Albums, Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, and Tastemaker Albums charts, respectively. In addition, Enhypen made their first appearance, at number 18, on the Billboard Artist 100 chart; "Drunk-Dazed" entered at number three on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
On July 6, 2021, Enhypen made their Japanese debut with the single . Its track list included "Forget Me Not", which served as the opening theme for the anime Re-Main, and the Japanese versions of "Given-Taken" and "Let Me In (20 Cube)". On July 29, Enhypen collaborated with the computer-animated television series Tayo the Little Bus to remake the theme song "Hey Tayo" and released a new song titled "Billy Poco".
On August 25, 2021, Belift confirmed that Enhypen would release new music at the end of September. On September 2, however, plans were postponed when Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, and Jungwon tested positive for COVID-19; on September 5, Ni-ki also tested positive. On September 16, Belift announced the members had recovered and that their first studio album, Dimension: Dilemma, would be released on October 12, with a trailer titled "Intro: Whiteout" released on September 17. On September 23, it was announced that album pre-orders had surpassed 600,000 copies in six days. By October 7, pre-orders surpassed 910,000 copies. Following the release of Dimension: Dilemma on October 12, the album placed first on the Oricon Album Chart in Japan and Gaon Album Chart in Korea.
On October 19, 2021, Enhypen received their fourth music show win on SBS MTV's The Show with "Tamed-Dashed", followed by wins on Show Champion and Music Bank. On October 25, Dimension: Dilemma debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, surpassing their previous peak with Border: Carnival. In addition, Enhypen also entered Billboard Artist 100 at number 12. As of November 2021, Dimension: Dilemma sold over 1.1 million copies on the Gaon charts, making it the group's first-ever million-selling album, and was certified as such by KMCA in December.
On December 9, 2021, Belift confirmed that Enhypen would release Dimension: Answer, a repackaged version of Dimension: Dilemma, on January 10, 2022. On December 20, the label also confirmed that in February, Enhypen would release the original Japanese song "Always" as the theme for the NTV drama Muchaburi! I will be the president, which would air beginning on January 12, 2022.
2022: Dimension: Answer, second Japanese single, Manifesto: Day 1 and first Japanese studio album
On January 8, 2022, media outlets revealed that pre-orders for Dimension: Answer surpassed 630,000 copies. On January 19, Enhypen received their seventh music show win on MBC M's Show Champion with "Blessed-Cursed", followed by a win on Music Bank on the January 21. The track became the group's first song to peak at number one on the Gaon Download Chart, while the album peaked at number one on both the Gaon Album Chart and Oricon Albums Chart, making it Enhypen's third consecutive album to top the Japanese charts. It was announced on January 20 that the group set a record for the most entries of on Billboard's Hot Trending Songs Weekly, with six songs. Enhypen also earned their third top 20 entry on the Billboard 200, with Dimension: Answer charting at number 13, and their third consecutive number one on the Billboard World Albums chart. On January 16, the first of a new fictional webtoon series about the group was released, titled Dark Moon: The Blood Altar.
On February 11, Belift announced that member Sunoo tested positive for COVID-19. On February 15, Belift announced Sunoo had fully recovered and ended quarantine, resuming activities on February 16. Enhypen's Japanese digital single "Always" was released on February 22, 2022. It was included on the track list of Enhypen's second Japanese single , which was made available for pre-order beginning on February 22. The single was released on May 3 and also featured Japanese versions of "Tamed-Dashed" and "Drunk-Dazed". "Tamed-Dashed" became the group's first number one song on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, with 386,142 units sold in the first week. The single became Enhypen's first Japanese release to exceed 300,000 copies sold according to Oricon, making Enhypen the fifth K-pop act to achieve this within one week of release.
On June 14, Belift announced that Enhypen would be releasing their third extended play, Manifesto: Day 1, on July 4, with a trailer titled "Walk the Line" released on the same day. The EP became their second million-selling album and made them the fastest K-pop group to achieve two such albums. On July 12, the group received their ninth music show win on SBS MTV's The Show with "Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)", followed by wins on Show Champion and Music Bank.
In July 2022, it was announced that Enhypen would be embarking on their first world tour, Manifesto, starting in September 2022 in Seoul and ending in Japan in November. It was also confirmed that on August 12, they would release the original song "I Need The Light (구해줘)" as the theme for the Playlist and Naver NOW drama Mimicus, which would air beginning on July 22. On July 21, Belift announced that member Jay tested positive for COVID-19; the same day, the label confirmed that member Jake also tested positive. On July 22, Belift confirmed that member Heeseung also tested positive for COVID-19. On July 27, Belift announced Jay and Jake had fully recovered and ended quarantine, resuming their activities on the same day. On July 28, the label confirmed Heeseung also fully recovered and ended quarantine, resuming his activities on the same day.
On August 12, Esquire Korea officially announced that Enhypen would be on the cover of its September 2022 issue. On August 15, Belift announced that member Sunoo was would not participate in the last fan signing event on the same day due to health issues. Two days later on August 17, it was announced Sunoo would not be able to fly to Los Angeles for the group's performance at KCON. On August 18, Major League Baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Enhypen would throw out the ceremonial first pitch at their game against Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on August 19. On August 24, Belift announced that member Sunoo had recovered and would resume his activities on the same day. On August 27, the teaser for "One in a Billion", from the official soundtrack for the webtoon Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, was released; the song premiered on September 3, and the music video and digital single were officially released on September 6.
On October 18, was announced that Enhypen's first world tour would be extended through January and February 2023 with concerts in Philippines and Thailand. On October 26, Enhypen's first Japanese studio album Sadame was released through Universal Music Japan with nine tracks: the original Japanese songs "Always" and "Forget Me Not", the Japanese versions of "Blessed-Cursed" and "Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)", and the Japanese version "Polaroid Love" as a CD-only bonus track. Sadame also contained the original Japanese song "Make the Change", which was selected as the theme song for the second season of the Tokai TV and Fuji TV Japanese drama Saikou no Obahan Nakajima Haruko, which began airing on October 8. The song was digitally pre-released on October 12.
On November 16, was announced that two shows in Japan were added to Enhypen's world tour at Kyocera Dome in Osaka. On November 28, the song "Zero Moment"—performed by members Heeseung, Jay and Jake—was released as a part of the theme songs for the ENA and Genie TV Korean drama Summer Strike, which began airing in November 21.
2023–present: Dark Blood, third Japanese single and Orange Blood
On January 21 and 22, 2023, Enhypen held their first two-day sold out dome concert at Kyocera Dome as part of the Manifesto World Tour, making them the fastest and first fourth generation K-pop act to hold a concert at the venue. They also became the first K-pop group to sell out three consecutive shows at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines from February 3 to 5, doing so on their first world tour.
On April 14, Belift confirmed that Enhypen would be releasing their fourth extended play in May. The name of the EP, Dark Blood, and its May 22 release date were unveiled alongside the official logo trailer on April 23, with pre-orders opening the following day. On May 23, South Korea's Hanteo Chart announced that Dark Blood sold over 1.1 million copies on its first day alone, surpassing the sales of Enhypen's previous EP. Despite the two-week shipment delay in the US, it became the group's fifth top-10 entry on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart and their first ever top-five Billboard 200 entry.
On May 30, it was announced that Enhypen would be embarking on their second world tour, Fate, starting in Seoul at KSPO Dome on July 29 and 30, followed by two shows each at Kyocera Dome in Japan on September 2 and 3 and Tokyo Dome on September 13 and 14, becoming the first fourth-generation K-pop boy group to hold a solo concert at the stadium. The tour continued in United States in October in Los Angeles, Glendale, Houston, Dallas, Newark, and Chicago, with additional dates to be announced later. On June 1, the group received their twelfth music show win on Mnet's M Countdown, their first-ever win on the show, followed the next day by another win on Music Bank. In late June, video game series Pokémon announced a collaboration with Enhypen through the Pokémon Music Collective project with a new song titled "One and Only", who was released on July 12.
On July 2, it was announced that Enhypen would release their third Japanese single , with pre-orders opening on the same day. The single, which includes the Japanese versions of "Bite Me" and "Bills" and the original Japanese songs "結 (You)" and "Blossom", was released on September 5, with a showcase in Japan on September 7.
On October 15, Belift announced that Enhypen would be releasing their fifth extended play, Orange Blood, on November 17, with a logo teaser released the same day and pre-orders opening the following day.
Members
Heeseung
Jay
Jake
Sunghoon
Sunoo
Jungwon — leader
Ni-ki
Endorsements
In June 2021, Enhypen collaborated with a football-inspired lifestyle brand GOALSTUDIO on limited edition recovery slippers called En-Grab-Ity Balance, sold on Weverse Shop. In the same month, the group was announced as the first global ambassadors of the French fashion brand Ami Paris. In October, Enhypen was announced as the new global models of Abib, a new Korean skincare brand.
In March 2022, Enhypen was appointed by Japanese footwear company ABC-Mart to be the face of its Nike Air Max promotions that year, including special benefits such as AR experiences and original stickers to those who purchase the INTRLK and EXCEE shoes via its online store. The group later modelled the Nike Oneonta Sandal and Air Rift for summer promotions, and endorsed Nike Manoa Leather Boots in the winter. In May, Enhypen was chosen as the 2022 Coke summer campaign artist for its "Coke x Music. Engrave the Magic of Summer" message, covering British rock band Queen's "A Kind of Magic" from their 1986 album of the same name on June 8 through Coke Studio. This was followed by their "Coca-Cola Zero x Enhypen" campaign in August. In early October, Enhypen was revealed as the face of BYS Cosmetics Philippines' "You Play You" campaign. They were selected as the new ambassador for Kolon Sports in the same month and modelled its 2022 Fall/Winter Collection and 2023 Spring/Summer Trekking Look Collection.
In May 2023, Enhypen was chosen by the Seoul Design Foundation and Seoul Metropolitan Government as the DDP Public Relations Ambassador and opened Seoul Fashion Week as the Airbnb host. In June, Enhypen was announced as new brand ambassadors of the Italian luxury fashion house Prada. In July, Enhypen became global ambassadors of the Filipino clothing and lifestyle brand Bench. In August, the group teamed up with Indonesian food and beverage brand Nabati to promote their Goguma-flavored snacks. On September, Enhypen's Dark Moon: The Blood Altar collaborated with Lotte World Magic Island on a festival running from September 1 to October 22; visitors received character photocards and limited packages, as well as chance to experience a party room, merch pop-up store, photo zone, and limited Decelis Academy rental uniforms. That same month, Enhypen was named as ambassadors for Seoul Fashion Week 2023, where they made their first appearance at the Prada Mode event. On 30 October, Enhypen was named the first-ever global ambassador of Korean skincare brand Dr. Jart+, debuting their parnertship in a new campaign called "Supercharged repair, Cicapair", known for utilizing centella asiatica extract, or tiger grass, for soothing and improving damaged skin.
Discography
Korean albums
Dimension: Dilemma (2021)
Japanese albums
Sadame (2022)
Filmography
Film
Television
Online shows
Radio
Concerts and tours
Manifesto World Tour (2022–23)
Fate World Tour (2023–24)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Enhypen
2020 establishments in South Korea
K-pop music groups
Musical groups established in 2020
Musical groups from Seoul
South Korean boy bands
South Korean dance music groups
South Korean pop music groups
Hybe Corporation artists
Singing talent show winners
MAMA Award winners
Melon Music Award winners
Japanese-language singers of South Korea