Monstrous rookie group, ENHYPEN, made up of Sunoo, Heesung, Jungwon, Jake, Sunghoon, Ni-ki, and Jay, recently released their long awaited first full album, DIMENSION: DILEMMA. After the colossal success of ENHYPEN’s first two singles, “Given Taken” and “Drunk- Dazed,” fans all over the globe awaited on the edge of their seats for the group’s next move. ENHYPEN emerges as one of the most exciting and conceptually unique groups of this generation by exhibiting their abilities to create mind bending and multidimensional art.
The album’s concept aims to prove that the object of our desire will always come at the cost of sacrifice. This theme defines not only the album’s essence, but the group’s present and future. Gaining massive success so early in their careers can in some ways be seen as a double edged sword by forcing the stress of the limelight upon the young rookies. In addition, ENHYPEN arrives face-to-face with the pressures of constantly wanting to outdo and reinvent their previous releases.
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ENHYPEN kicks off the album with the performative, poetry slam type introduction “Intro: Whiteout.” Narrated by member Jake, the narration uses cryptic lyrics to illustrate the entry into a world with cold water, bright sun, piercing light, and an island that unveils treasure only to those willing to sacrifice something precious in return. The mentioning of an island seemingly pays homage to I-Land, the survival reality show that pitted contestants against each other for spots in the group’s final lineup. Mentioning brooding hardships with lyrics such as “In order to get the treasure / we’ve either got to get through a brooding monster / or a swirling tornado,” the track suggests that in order to achieve their dreams they need to overcome a number of emotionally scarring circumstances.
Screenshot from ENHYPEN’s “Tamed-Dashed” music video. Screenshot from ENHYPEN’s “Tamed-Dashed” music video.
Up next, the exhilarating, synth heavy title track “Tamed-Dashed” comes in hot with high energy and intensity. Each of the members had the chance to showcase their individual abilities to demonstrate their unity and bond as one. Accompanied by a lively music video, the members partake in activities that high school boys would participate in. Playing rugby, frolicking along the beach in the sunlight, and hanging out around school, the almost too perfect setup creates an uneasy feeling as if an unknown darkness awaits the blissfully ignorant teens. The track embodies a very youthful essence supported by a solid bassline to display the intensity of the album’s message in an easy to consume way.
“Upper Side Dreamin” follows with a light, charming chorus and vocal loops to cushion the fear of losing everything they worked for. Following the pursuit of easy listening, “Just A Little Bit” offers a timely vibe switch in the discography. The implementation of this acoustic guitar heavy ballad allows for each of the member’s vocal abilities to shine. The incorporation of a mellow melody acts as a brief moment of calmness before deciding their next move.
After a break from the madness, ENHYPEN revs up to build the intensity yet again with another EDM heavy track “Go Big or Go Home.” Focusing on the group’s lower register, the looping of an electronic rhythm reminisces retro house music. With lyrics such as “A world like a game where there’s only victory or lose / I’m going right, right now,” the group sets up the track as a domino about to fall, showing that the need for a colossal move approaches.
“Blockbuster” follows as potentially the best B-side track on the album. Fellow HYBE artist Yeonjun, from TOMORROW X TOGETHER, accompanies on the track to complement the more rap heavy ensemble. Yeonjun and member Jay create chaos by going back and forth with aggressive verses supported by a high energy rhythm. Shouting out “I do whatever I want, and I survive until the end, Like a blockbuster” the group expresses the desire to act everyday as the main character of their own movie. Although dominating the track with their strong vocals and harmonizations, the song saves room for the other members to add to their charm to create a full body sound.
Throwing it back to the early 2000s with heavy guitar and an alt-rock sound, “Attention, Please!” expresses desperation for both popularity and love. Lyrically the lines “Popularity, love, I wanna have them all;” “Attention, please! Everyone pays attention to me;” and “look at me who’s the popular kid” represent this narrative. Like all songs full of teenage angst, “Attention, Please!” expresses self awareness when admitting the group stands at a point where they will either have a massive breakthrough or lose everything they have worked so hard for. With an explosive chorus and copious guitar riffs, ENHYPEN does not let up the energy to announce their youthful, rebellious tone.
The ending track “Interlude: Question” rounds out the album with another narration by Jake. Embodying the evaluation of the group’s next move and who they are and want to be, the title being “interlude” instead of “outro” represents the next chapter in their story. The chord progression of the melody leaves fans feeling unresolved as if being left on a cliffhanger.
From introduction to interlude, the album displays the boys’ progression through blissful ignorance while enjoying their present success to the self realization that uncertainty and big time decisions lie ahead of them. From a musical standpoint the discography becomes increasingly more serious as it goes on, suggesting that the time for youthful fun may be coming to an end as the need to face the future creeps in. What lies ahead for ENHYPEN remains an unknown thriller that begs to be unveiled.
Stream the album on all major platforms and check out the music video for “Tamed-Dashed,” below!