ENHYPEN - [DARK BLOOD] (Weverse Albums ver.)

ENHYPEN releases fourth mini-album ‘DARK BLOOD’! A community of destiny connected by ‘BLOOD’... The start of the ‘BLOOD’ series containing our connection and preciousness! ‘DARK BLOOD’... A dark fantasy of seven boys prepared to sacrifice themselves for a precious existence! “Proof that you are mine” title track ‘Bite Me’... The awakening of a boy reunited with his partner of destiny! ENHYPEN will release their fourth mini-album ‘DARK BLOOD’ on May 22. ENHYPEN (Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Ni-ki) has grown alongside a special album narrative supported by their generation, from the ‘BORDER’ series, which tells the story of boys entering a new world; the ‘DIMENSION’ series, where they encountered a complex and contradictory world; to ‘MANIFESTO’, where they realized their calling and set out to find the path first for their generation who would be connected in the future. With their first full-length album ‘DIMENSION : DILEMMA’ released in October 2021, ENHYPEN recorded cumulative sales of 1.13 million copies on the Gaon Monthly Album Chart (as of October 2021). Subsequently, with their third mini-album ‘MANIFESTO : DAY 1’ released in July 2022, they recorded sales of over 1.13 million copies (first-week sales of 1.24 million copies) on the second day of release according to Hanteo Chart, becoming the first K-pop group to place two albums in the ‘million-seller’ ranks in the shortest period since debut. Embarking on their first world tour with the ‘ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR’ in 2022, ENHYPEN met ENGENE worldwide through a total of 22 performances across 12 cities. In particular, the additional Japanese performances held at the Kyocera Dome Osaka sold out 80,000 seats over two shows, setting a milestone as the fastest 4th generation K-pop group to enter a dome. Having built a solid global fandom in just over two years since debut with an album narrative containing messages representing their generation and remarkable achievements, they now unfold a new story with ‘DARK BLOOD’. A partner of destiny reunited with a boy who was rushing forward... A desperate heart toward a precious you. Meeting ENGENE in person for the first time after the endemic... Singing about preciousness and gratitude through a fantasy. Having debuted in November 2020 during the pandemic, ENHYPEN began to face ENGENE directly as the COVID-19 endemic (the transition of an infectious disease into an endemic) arrived. While ENHYPEN believed they were bonded by communicating with ENGENE online anytime, anywhere, seeing the fans' support vividly with their own eyes allowed them to feel a deeper sense of solidarity beyond what they felt online, and they came to acutely realize their gratitude toward their precious fans. ‘DARK BLOOD’ is an album that contains ENHYPEN's desire to be more closely connected with their fans. The ‘BLOOD’ series, presented by ENHYPEN following the ‘BORDER’, ‘DIMENSION’, and ‘MANIFESTO’ series, applies a fantasy-like story based on the premise of “what if we forgot each other,” using blood (BLOOD) as the medium. The blood connecting the boy and you is destiny itself and that which allows me to exist, serving as a token proving our fateful relationship. “Bite me”—a boy who offers his neck to gain the power to protect you. Having become an eternal being, the boy falls into the arrogance of believing this power originated from himself. The boy, who was too busy rushing forward and was punished by forgetting one another, falls into severe loneliness. Then, by discovering the mark of destiny engraved on his neck, the boy becomes aware of your existence again and prepares to sacrifice himself for you, his partner in a community of destiny connected by blood. The combination of K-pop and story IP... ENHYPEN, presenting the ‘K-pop Roadmap’ for next entertainment! #Pride #Curse #Fate… ‘DARK BLOOD’ continues the narrative thread of the webtoon/web novel ‘DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon’ ‘DARK BLOOD’ shares a narrative thread with ‘DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon,’ a HYBE original story created in collaboration with ENHYPEN, as well as the album's overall narrative. ‘DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon’ is an urban fantasy teen romance depicting the love and final battle between vampire and werewolf boys over one girl; it is an epic saga of a girl and seven vampire boys entwined by a grand destiny. ‘DARK BLOOD’ and ‘DARK MOON: The Altar of the Moon’ both speak of pride, curses, and fate, and share the common motif of the act of ‘biting.’ ENHYPEN uses this story as a metaphor to convey their feelings of gratitude toward their fans following the pandemic, presenting a new paradigm that combines K-pop with story IP. By connecting different industries beyond just music, they aim to suggest a new path for next-generation entertainment and draw a new milestone as a ‘K-pop roadmap.’ “Bite me once again”—the title track ‘Bite Me,’ realizing a destiny connected by blood. A fantasy show unfolded by ENHYPEN… the pinnacle of alluring dark sexiness! The title track ‘Bite Me’ is a song that expresses the feelings of a boy who reunites with a long-forgotten partner of destiny, realizes that they are fated to be connected by blood, and hopes for the other to bite him again as a token of that bond. Direct lyrics such as “Just come kiss me and bite me,” “Leave it on my neck,” and “Proof that I'm yours” intensely convey the boy's emotions. Through ‘Bite Me,’ ENHYPEN showcases a mood different from their previous songs. ‘Bite Me’ is a minimal and addictive pop genre, providing a richer sound enhanced by ENHYPEN's alluring vocals. ENHYPEN's alluring and dark visual points, containing a unique concept, are also melted into the performance of ‘Bite Me.’ The ‘Bite Me’ performance expresses the image of boys thirsting for blood through dance to highlight their dark sexy charm, and the high-quality choreography composition is impressive, as if watching a well-crafted fantasy work. Member Ni-ki directly participated in the choreography production, exerting his performance capabilities to create a dance that more deeply reflects ENHYPEN's color. Using the song title ‘Bite Me’ as a motif, movements reminiscent of the act of being bitten on the neck are used as key elements of the performance. The highlights include the ‘Bite Me dance,’ where they wrap their hand around their neck after touching it twice with a finger to evoke the image of biting, and the ‘Come here dance,’ which describes the nuance of asking to be bitten in a simple yet hip mood by clapping and extending a hand to gesture ‘come here’ twice with a finger. The music video for the title track ‘Bite Me’ provides high visual satisfaction through sensible cinematography and disciplined group dancing. It is characterized by combining the grand atmosphere of classical styles with modern sensibilities to simultaneously capture ENHYPEN's classic yet sophisticated image. The contrast between the luxurious costumes with elaborate pearl decorations reminiscent of artisan-made haute couture and the urban, clean black suit attire exudes opposing charms. Furthermore, their striking looks and performance, along with the undeniable aura of a more mature ENHYPEN, serve as another point of interest that draws viewers into the music video. In particular, this music video was produced with a focus on implementing superior visual beauty through an upgraded scale. Produced by Director Song Min-gyu, who is gaining attention in the advertising industry for his dense visuals and unique storytelling style, the music video was filmed entirely on location in Poland. Utilizing a castle reminiscent of an ancient temple and a mysterious dome as the main sets, while capturing the vastness of nature, it provides visual pleasure through its overwhelming scale. A boy's story organically connected to the unique theme of each song! 'DARK BLOOD' will be imprinted on listeners as a fateful album through its high level of completion and addictive music. 'DARK BLOOD' features songs that each have a unique theme based on the story of a boy's arrogance, curse, realization, and sacrifice after forgetting you. The album includes a total of six tracks: the first track 'Fate,' which dramatically captures the narrative of a boy who realizes and awakens to his destiny; the title track 'Bite Me,' which expresses the hope of reuniting with a destined partner and leaving a mark once again; 'Sacrifice (Eat Me Up),' where he regrets his oblivion and prepares for sacrifice; 'Chaconne,' where he falls into corruption, intoxicated by dancing alone in arrogance; 'Bills,' which sings of the pain of parting due to lost love; and the final track 'Karma,' which urges the listener not to forget that they are a destiny connected by blood since their previous lives. Each song is organically linked to the boy's story, allowing listeners to further empathize with the message embedded in 'DARK BLOOD.' 'DARK BLOOD' blends various genres and moods, including a grand atmosphere, sophisticated darkness, and funkiness. The combination of ENHYPEN's original storyline and highly addictive songs has resulted in an album with an unrivaled concept. Filled with high-quality music, 'DARK BLOOD' is expected to come across as a fateful album to many listeners.