ENHYPEN Returns Unshaken for First Comeback as Six: "The Best Album of Our Career"

ENHYPEN is stepping into a new chapter with confidence. On Aug. 20, the group held a press conference at the Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan district, Seoul, to mark the release of its eighth EP, "THE SIN : BLISS." It is the group's first album as a six-member lineup.

"I can confidently say this is the best album of ENHYPEN's career," said Jay.

The EP is the second installment in the group's "THE SIN" series, which draws on the theme of sin. It picks up the story of lovers who break a taboo and choose to flee, following their journey to its conclusion. The release comes seven months after the group's last album. Jay said the members prepared the project between world tour dates and other commitments. "I'm confident this album will reward the fans who have been waiting," he said.

Title track "Bloody Paradise" is a Brazilian funk song that frames a couple's high-stakes chase as a kind of paradise, with the two focused only on each other. Sunghoon said the track felt different from anything the group had done before. "I already listen to Brazilian funk on my own, so it felt fresh and fun," he said. He compared it to "eating tteokbokki at a nice restaurant," drawing laughs from the room. Jake added that the genre was new territory. "It's my first time trying it, so it felt different. I thought this could be a chance to show a new side of us."

The album arrives in the middle of the group's ongoing world tour, "Blood Sage" (Beulleodeu Saga), which began in May. On Aug. 8 and 9, ENHYPEN performed in Busan and previewed the new songs live. On the second night, fans sang along to the unreleased material. "Even though the song wasn't out yet, so many ENGENEs sang along," Jake said, referring to the group's fandom. "It gave us so much energy going into the comeback."

The Busan shows carried extra weight. Since March, ENHYPEN has been promoting as a six-member group, made up of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki, following the departure of Heeseung (Evan). It is the group's first album since the lineup change, but leader Jungwon said the mindset has stayed the same. "It's always been the same for me. In any situation, the stage and performance come first," he said. "We started the tour with the Seoul concert in May, then went through North and South America and Busan, and we got so much energy from ENGENEs. We could feel that the fans felt the same way we did, and that carried us through the comeback prep."

He added, "Instead of thinking about how many members we are, I focused on how to make the result better."

The group kept moving through the sudden reshuffle without missing a beat. "Right after the change, we had a show in Australia," Jungwon said. "Fans were going to judge us by what they saw on stage, so we thought about how to be as professional as possible and put on a good show. After that, we stayed busy working on the album."

August is a crowded month in K-pop, with BIGBANG, Stray Kids and NCT 127 all releasing music. Jungwon said the timing feels like an honor. "I work in K-pop, but I'm also a huge K-pop fan. It's an honor to be active in the same month as those senior artists, and I think it'll be a fun month for K-pop fans. We'll do our best."

Asked what sets ENHYPEN apart, Jungwon pointed to the group's storytelling. "We have a lot of things fans can get into, like the 'Dark Moon' universe. That's our strength. This album is a continuation of the concept from the last one. If you listen from track one, it feels like watching a musical."

ENHYPEN debuted in November 2020 and is now in its sixth year, an age at which contract renewals typically draw industry attention. On that topic, Jungwon kept it brief. "Nothing has been discussed in detail yet. We'll work to make sure there's a good result."

ENHYPEN's eighth EP, "THE SIN : BLISS," drops Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. KST.