ENHYPEN – BORDER: CARNIVAL (UP Version)
‘4th generation hot icon’ ENHYPEN releases second mini album ‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’!
‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’ reveals ENHYPEN’s honest feelings about the world they faced for the first time after debut
‘Drunk-Dazed’, the title track, 7 members get carried away by the colorful carnival!
‘4th Generation Hot Icon’ ENHYPEN’s comeback after 5 months!
ENHYPEN, who emerged as a ‘fourth-generation hot icon’ upon their official debut in November 2020, is back with a new album after five months. As a “global fan-made group” chosen by K-pop fans around the world, the group has been making waves from the start. Their first album, “BORDER : DAY ONE,” became the highest-selling album (by single record) of the group’s debut last year, and they won four rookie trophies within two months of their debut, proving that they were the “Best Newcomers of 2020. With their second mini album “BORDER : CARNIVAL” released on April 26, they are expected to connect with fans around the world once again.
‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’, ENHYPEN faces the world like a colorful carnival
ENHYPEN released their first album ‘BORDER : DAY ONE’ to express the complex emotions they felt before their debut, which was a starting point and a borderline. Their second mini-album ‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’ contains their honest feelings about the different world they faced after their debut.
ENHYPEN was invited into a completely new world after their debut. The space they entered was full of colorfulness, and it felt like watching a colorful carnival. Everything I experienced here was “the first time,” and it was full of things that couldn’t be explained by the rules I knew. ENHYPEN is a chaotic, upside-down, boundary-breaking, unfamiliar environment that is both exciting and confusing, but the bewilderment of the unfamiliar is short-lived. The seven members soon find themselves immersed in a festive atmosphere, drawn to the stares and cheers of the crowd, and gradually moving toward the center of the carnival. ENHYPEN’s new album ‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’ captures the emotions they experienced after their debut.
Sophisticated visuals in three concepts: ‘UP,’ ‘HYPE,’ and ‘DOWN’
ENHYPEN visualized the emotions that blossomed when they first encountered the carnival-like world with three conceptual images. ‘UP’ represents the moment when you are invited to enter a dazzling carnival, and ‘HYPE’ shows you gradually becoming intoxicated as you party in your own way. And ‘DOWN’ depicts the chaos that comes from a world where ups and downs change and boundaries are broken.
These feelings are also reflected in the music. The first track ‘Intro : The Invitation’, which is an invitation to a new world, the title track ‘Drunk-Dazed’, which sings about the feelings after entering a colorful environment like a carnival, and ‘Outro : The Wormhole’, which makes you wonder what ENHYPEN’s next story will be, are organically connected to complete a story.
Intoxication and confusion! Title track ‘Drunk-Dazed’
If the debut song “Given-Taken” was about whether the opportunity to debut was given to the members or taken from them, the title track of the mini second album, “Drunk-Dazed,” is an honest reflection on the world they experienced after their debut. ENHYPEN likens this strange and colorful place to a carnival.
“Drunk-Dazed” features a rocking sound that evokes the colorfulness and energy of a carnival. As the song progresses, the dark mood gradually deepens, and ENHYPEN’s feelings of confusion, euphoria, and dazedness culminate. The metaphorical lyrics and the mesmerizing voices of the members perfectly embody the song’s theme.
ENHYPEN’s choreography also makes the most of the song’s mood, foreshadowing a high-level performance. The members’ facial expressions will be combined with movements that express the dazed mood of becoming increasingly engrossed in a new world, and the exquisite control of intensity and weakness will give the entire performance a sophisticated and powerful feel.
The music video is also impressive as it visually embodies the image of a boy getting carried away by a colorful carnival. It utilizes colorful camerawork and various directorial techniques to create a hazy, chaotic atmosphere. In particular, the military scene, which gives a glimpse of ENHYPEN’s performance skills, and Sunghoon’s solo dance in the red rain are the killing points of the music video. The visuals are more refined than their debut album ‘BORDER : DAY ONE’ and the sophisticated dance lines are enough to catch the viewer’s attention.
ENHYPEN tells the story of their time
ENHYPEN shares their sincere feelings through the title track and stimulates the empathy of the current generation through their songs. They present a time for people to think about and grow together through songs that penetrate the emotions of the times. The third track of ‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’, ‘FEVER’, tells the story of a boy who is waiting for someone to recognize him, and the next track, ‘Not For Sale’, represents the feelings of those who want to find warmth in a thoroughly calculating world. “Mixed Up” is about a man who suddenly finds himself in the spotlight online in an age where contactlessness has become the norm. The lyrics are based on real-life situations that could happen around us and resonate with us.
ENHYPEN is the DNA of HYBE Labels, the label that has made BTS, Tomorrow By Together, and many other artists successful. During the album teasing period, they have been releasing high-quality content such as introductory videos, concept mood boards, and concept photos to raise expectations for the new album. The content, which was satisfactory in both quantity and quality, attracted the attention of K-pop fans around the world, and ENHYPEN demonstrated the topicality of a ‘fourth generation hot icon’. With a strong global fanbase that was solidified before their debut, the production know-how of Hybrid Labels, including producers Wonderkid and Bang Si Hyuk (“hitman” bang), and ENHYPEN’s ability to turn every stage into a legend, the group is poised to take another leap forward.
TRACK LIST
Intro : The Invitation
This track marks the beginning of the mini 2nd album ‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’. It creates the feeling of opening the curtain of a new world with psychedelic sounds while utilizing the rocking mood of the entire album. It emphasizes the connection between the two albums through the composition that continues the outro of its predecessor ‘BORDER : DAY ONE’. It expresses ENHYPEN’s entrance into a new world beyond the boundaries of their debut, and the ecstatic feeling of being in paradise.
Drunk-Dazed
The title track of the album is a pop rock song with a rocking 808 bass. Wonderkid and producer Bang Si-hyuk (“hitman” bang), who have been with ENHYPEN since its formation, worked on the song. The lyrics express ENHYPEN’s sincere feelings about the unfamiliarity and chaos they experienced after their debut. They compared the world they were experiencing for the first time to a chaotic carnival where rules were broken and upside down, and drew a picture of boys who were drunk and dazed. As the members’ emotions fluctuate, the song’s darkness and energy escalate.
FEVER
A modern pop R&B song. Sensual lyrics such as “My body is burning for you, my heart is thirsty for you” and a concise song structure give it a unique feel. The boy who is waiting for someone to recognize him is compared to a vampire who has a lower body temperature than humans. He sings about his longing for the other person, saying that the fever started because of you, but you are also the one who will heal it.
Not For Sale
This is a pop song that many people can relate to. The song reflects the worldview of today’s teenagers that everything should be paid for. A boy who believes that you have to give a 1 to get a 1 appears in front of his eyes. The movie captures the emotional changes he goes through when he meets someone who wants to give him everything without anything in return. We can feel the hearts of people who want to find warmth in a cold world.
별안간 (Mixed Up)
This song is a mix of hip-hop and rock sounds, with a strong sense of momentum and energy. The unique synthesizer sound and electric guitar combine to create a dark and powerful track. It’s hard to meet people face to face these days. A boy vows to live his life quietly, but his resolve is shattered when he becomes the center of attention. Nevertheless, he says he will accept this as his fate. In 2021, when contactlessness has become a way of life, the online world, which has become deeply embedded in our lives, resonates with many people.
Outro : The Wormhole
‘BORDER : CARNIVAL’ ends with a bang, a track that closes the door on the ‘BORDER’ series and serves as a bridge to the next album. It is an ambient piece of music that uses synthesizers to represent the sounds of nature, such as seagulls and waves. It suggests the end of a carnival where you can’t distinguish between reality and unreality, and being sucked through a wormhole into a completely different time and space.
[Album Specifications]
– 1 CD
– Photobook: 190 X 190 (mm) / UP ver. : 104p. / HYPE ver. 112p / DOWN ver. 100p / 1 copy of each version
– Lyric Book : 100 X 140 (mm) / 16p / 1 copy of each version
– Photocard : 54 X 86 (mm) / 2 randomly selected from 15 types of each version
– Lenticular Card : 54 X 86 (mm) / 1 random from 7 versions each
– Carnival Ticket : 150 X 70 (mm) / 1 of each version
– Autograph Sticker : 75 X 75 (mm) / 1 of each version
– Poster : 760 X 520 (mm) / 1 of each version / Ground insert
– Limited edition Polaroid: 1 random insert out of 450 total (*Not included as standard in all products)
