ENHYPEN Embraces The Vampire Vibes In Special Album MEMORABILIA

In case you didn’t know – ENHYPEN has some of the most intricate lore we’ve ever come across. The story-telling is so rich that it’s mouth-watering, which explains how the webtoon based on them, DARK MOON, has over 180 million views. Yes, you read that number right. To celebrate how amazing this achievement is (and also just to spoil ENGENE with some more bangers) ENHYPEN has released a special album alongside their storyline, called MEMORABILIA!

The six-track EP is stunning! MEMORABILIA is filled to the brim with ENHYPEN’s story, as well as their unique sound. Every song is filled with references to DARK MOON and vampire lore, and we’re living (eternally, and far away from garlic) for every second of it! So here are our thoughts on every MEMORABILIA track!

Revamped Tracks

The ENGENE here at THP still cannot believe our luck – we have been huge fans of ‘One In A Billion’ and ‘CRIMINAL LOVE’ since we first heard them, and we have the receipts to prove it. These two tracks were both pre-existing OSTs for DARK MOON but we’re so happy to see them receive even more love as part of MEMORABILIA.

Speaking very (very) broadly, ENHYPEN songs tend to fit into two groups. The first is anarchic post-pop-rock with a lot of electric guitar (think ‘FUTURE PERFECT,’ the early title tracks, etc.). The second is sultry and often heavy on the vampire innuendo (think ‘Sacrifice (Eat Me Up),’ ‘FEVER,’ etc.). We absolutely love that we get one of each to start off MEMORABILIA, an album that showcases what makes ENHYPEN unique!

‘Fatal Trouble’

MEMORABILIA‘s title track is ‘Fatal Trouble,’ and we’d like to put emphasis on the fatal! ‘Fatal Trouble’ is a pop-rock ballad that is so 2000s it hurts. The angst, which within the context of DARK MOON centers around Selen and Sooha, is off the charts. Along with the relentless production, the anxiety that the boys in the story feel is exemplified with lyrics transforming from “I don’t know you,” to “I know I know you.”

The desperation in the lyricism and in ENHYPEN’s vocal delivery is delectable, honestly. Whether you’re into the webtoon or not, you’ll love the anguish in this one. ‘Fatal Trouble’ is a huge win for Jay falsetto lovers (us)!

‘Teeth’

As if this album didn’t feel like enough of a treat, we also got ENHYPEN’s first unit tracks! First up is ‘Teeth’ by Heeseung, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Niki. This song is so much fun that it rivals even ‘Go Big Or Go Home’ on our party playlists. With a title like ‘Teeth,’ you’ll be unsurprised to hear that ENHYPEN really lean into the vampire vibes on this one. With lyrics like “Sink my teeth in ya,” and “You make me so thirsty, feel the bite between my jaw, so tasty,” it’s not subtle!

Remember how the beat changes in ‘Bite Me’ felt like a heartbeat slowing down? Well, you haven’t heard anything yet! ‘Teeth’ slows down so drastically that it feels like your energy has been drained, only to speed up so fast that it’s like a shot of adrenaline. The way ENHYPEN uses the production to emphasize the vampiric storyline is so clever, and the call-and-response in the pre-chorus is delicious!

‘Lucifer’

Well, we’re sure ENGENE are feeling totally normal and chill about this one, right? Equal parts sultry and angsty, ‘Lucifer’ features the 02z, AKA Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon. This song is so old-school K-Pop, especially the chorus, and we are living for every undead second of it! The suffering in the story-telling is so potent here, with lyrics like, “Red-stained tears,” and “So pray for me and I’ll burn for you.”

‘Scream’

“Scream ’cause we wanna go faster,” no actually, we’re screaming because of how good this song is. Something about it feels like ENHYPEN’s older title tracks like ‘GIVEN-TAKEN,’ and we love that this pace and energy is back. Perhaps it’s because it has the same kind of drive behind it – “Fate blocks me, I just lightly push it aside.“ There’s a determination here that we just love to see, and the way the instrumental cuts out for the pre-chorus is beyond satisfying.

What Else Has ENHYPEN Been Up To?

So that’s MEMORABILIA, but there’s plenty more that ENHYPEN has been up to recently! They just wrapped up the U.S. leg of their encore tour, FATE PLUS. With iconic tracks like ‘Drunk-Dazed,’ ‘Chaconne,’ and so many more on the setlist, we’re so glad so many more ENGENE got to see ENHYPEN IRL. And with how elaborate the stages were, we’re already thinking about what a ‘Fatal Trouble’ performance might look like… Perhaps we’ll see it on the Japanese leg of FATE PLUS?

Our highlight of the FATE tour (and probably one of ENHYPEN’s highlights, too), has to be Jay’s hometown show! It was his first time in Seattle in eight years, and ENHYPEN’s first performance in the city! Cue our tears…

As well as celebrating on stage in Seattle, Jay, Heeseung, and Niki got to throw first pitch at a Mariners game! Jay was literally named after a former Seattle Mariner, Jay Buhner, so imagine what a moment that would have been for him?! Buhner surprised ENHYPEN’s Jay with a message on the scoreboard, and the members got to meet Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki, too! We’re lowkey not sure who we’re more jealous of at this point.

ENHYPEN stay busy! With the Japanese leg of FATE PLUS up next and a rumored summer comeback, there’s a lot to celebrate. But for now, has ENHYPEN’s MEMORABILIA blown you away as much as it has us? We wanna hear from you over on Twitter @TheHoneyPOP! And you can find us on Instagram and Facebook!

Head this way for more ENHYPEN! And over here for more K-Pop!

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