ENHYPEN review of “Romance: Untold”: All 8 songs ranked

With a mix of breakbeat and punk rock influences, “Paranormal” is by no means a bad song on an album where every track sounds like it could have held its own as a lead single. Instead, this cut doesn’t offer the same level of development and evolution as the other Romance: Untold Tracks that have seen ENHYPEN play around with rock and punk influences for years – though the added electronic and drum break elements freshen up the genre for them.

An immediate realization from Romance: Untold is exactly like Cool the sound of the ENHYPEN boys on this record. While the band shared that they wanted to “show more of our ‘friend’ side” on this LP, they seem to be the kind of partners with a daily surprise or unexpected delight. From Jungwon starting with the first line, “Let’s sugar talk!”, to Heeseung’s breathy “You can bite me, you complete me” lyrics and then all seven boys coming together in the laid-back chorus, it reminds us that these are not the kids we saw fighting for their dreams on the LP. I-Land in 2020 and have matured into top-class gentlemen.

A beautiful fan song dedicated to ENHYPEN’s enthusiastic ENGENEs, “Highway 1009” not only has all seven members co-writing it, but eldest member Heeseung also serves as the main producer. ENHA’s “boyfriend sides” are turned up to 11 on this track – lines like “Can you stay with me a little longer?” and “I’ve told you a million times/ With you, everything will be OK” are repeated – and the delicate, acoustic instrumentation only adds to the warmth.

But the track is also a personal love letter specifically for ENGENEs, with some clever wordplay (“Cause I’ll be there be your engine now”) and the theme of walking down the path of “Highway 1009” (1009 being an angel number), making it a very special addition to ENHYPEN’s most beautiful tracks like “Orange Flower (You Complete Me),” which the septet performed along with “Highway 1009” at a showcase for the new album.

Until “Hundred Broken Hearts” runs on track no. 4 Romance: Untoldthe “Boyfriend Side” vibes are established, and this cut delivers one of the most romantic moods on the record. Over icy, ’80s-inspired synths, ENHYPEN promises “A hundred broken hearts, a hundred broken hearts/ It’s not our destiny.” With lyrics co-written by band leader Jungwon, “Hundred Broken Hearts” delivers a declaration that this love is different, a promise of protection, and a commitment to forgo cliches of love songs and novels. powerlessness.

Despite the rather short track list for a complete album, Romance: Untold is still very satisfying as it feels so fresh compared to previous ENHYPEN records. The laid-back funk and surf-pop sounds in “Royalty” are perfect for a mid-July release, marking a summery new soundscape for the group to shine in. “Royalty” is another track that sounds like it could easily be heard on top 40 radio stations this summer, reminding the listener of ENHYPEN’s true global pop promise.

While Cirkut has produced Billboard Hot 100-topping hits for The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Pitbull, Sam Smith and Kim Petras, the super-pop producer also collaborated with ENHYPEN last year to produce “Bite Me,” the first single from the group’s first top-five album on the Billboard 200. Dark bloodWhile the dizzying dance-pop of “Brought the Heat Back” is not the representative single for Romance: Untold (though it was probably a contender), this latest collaboration from Cirkut and ENHYPEN is even more creative and experimental than “Bite Me,” and sounds like it could be an unexpected Top 40 radio hit for the summer if ENHYPEN (or another rock-pop-leaning band like the Jonas Brothers or even Joe Jonas’ DNCE project) wanted to go that route.

“Brought the Heat Back” is a truly satisfying experimental pop experience, and we hope it will lead to more Cirkut work for ENHYPEN, as both this and “Bite Me” show that the hitmaker is clearly having a lot of fun with the freedom that K-pop productions can offer.

When visiting Billboard NewsJungwon noted that “our songs so far have shown strong and dark sides” and that Romance: Untold allows for a more tender and romantic side. But if ENHYPEN wanted to release one final single with a darker concept, “Moonstuck” would have been an excellent choice. With a mix of eerie synths, gorgeous harp plucking, and an emphasis on the members’ falsetto voices, the song also feels like a mature version of ENHYPEN’s very excellent 2020 debut single “Given-Taken,” and marks a full-circle musical moment for the group.

It may not be as refreshing as some of the other Romance: Untold Compared to the boy band’s entire discography, “Moonstruck” opens the LP as a reminder of what ENHYPEN does best, while the rest of the LP is open to new sonic adventures and experimentation.

A big topic around the triumphs in Romance: Untold is how much ENHYPEN push themselves as artists throughout the LP. From a fan song written by all seven members to some of the most innovative tracks in their discography, the album’s first single, “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” not only pushes the group in new and exciting musical directions, but also offers an opportunity to make a positive impact in society at large.

While the album shows a more romantic side of ENHYPEN, they also do so in the most respectful way possible. As the title suggests, “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” is an anthem about consent, where ENHYPEN want to show their love to their partner, but only give X’s and O’s (kisses and hugs) with permission. Even as the guys beg for the OK of the flawed electro-pop production, ENHYPEN make sure their partner is comfortable: Sunghoon opens the second verse by asking, “Can I kiss you? Can I hug you?” and Jake follows with, “Would you kiss me? Would you hug me?”

South Korea and America are two of ENHYPEN’s biggest markets and the home countries of most of its members. Both countries also struggle with heated political and social conditions in which toxic masculinity all too often breaks out unchecked because respect for women is downplayed. With the futuristic “XO”, ENHYPEN has not only set an example of respect for its male fellow human beings, but also of what other women and men can and should expect in their relationships.

“XO” also gets bonus points that put it at No. 1 on this list because there is also an additional English version on the album, with one of the song’s original producers, JVKE – famous for his Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit “Golden Hour” – on vocals. This choice gives the new version a natural fit and sound (especially for JVKE, who is so obviously focused on becoming ENHYPEN’s eighth member), rather than adding an additional artist that might feel arbitrary or go against the band’s original beliefs.