Music

ENHYPEN, a group formed through a Korean survival competition show in 2020, headlined its first offline concert in September 2022 before mounting a world tour with record-breaking speed. Its performance at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, came less than three years after its Korean debut and 18 months after its Japanese debut, marking the shortest time it has taken for any K-pop boy group to reach such scale.
The group’s 2024 album, Romance: Untold, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In April, it took the stage at Coachella — one of the largest music festivals in the world. But ENHYPEN isn’t stopping there. Billboard Korea sat down with the seven-member group to find out what’s next.

Last year was a memorable one for ENHYPEN in many ways, especially since you reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with Romance: Untold.

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JUNGWON: We spent a lot of time touring overseas last year, meeting ENGENEs [ENHYPEN fans] from all over the world during our Fate Plus tour and kicking off a new one called Walk the Line. 2024 was a year full of touring, and our schedule was incredibly busy. We learned and accomplished so much — especially by visiting places we hadn’t been to before, like Japan. We’ve grown in many ways, from stage performances to music video direction and interpreting songs more deeply. Never satisfied, ENHYPEN continues to evolve and dream of eternity.

Speaking of Japan, it must have been especially meaningful for NI-KI, since it’s his home country.

NI-KI: We give our best at every concert, but performing in my home country definitely puts me in a different mind-set. Since I’m the only member who speaks fluent Japanese, I feel a stronger desire to make the atmosphere feel more natural — to connect with the crowd, respond to them in the moment and help everyone enjoy the experience even more.

Your group became the fastest K-pop boy band to perform at the Tokyo Dome, performing there less than three years after debuting.

JAKE: We’ve had the honor of achieving a lot of firsts, and that’s all thanks to the incredible love and support we’ve received from our fans — we’re truly grateful. Of course, there’s pressure that comes with it, but it’s the kind of pressure that pushes us in a good way. Our goal isn’t just to be the first — it’s to keep growing and reaching even greater heights.

What does being “high up” mean to you?

JUNGWON: No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Everyone laughs.)

JAKE: It was really cool to see the Billboard sign above our photo today. At our company, the trainees print out the Billboard Hot 100 every week and post it in the lounge so they can watch how trends change. It’s kind of surreal because I went through that process myself not too long ago.

ENHYPEN recently headed to California to take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

JUNGWON: Maybe it’s just me, but it really feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been working toward. We’ve all contributed so much — not just to the performance, but to the entire production and rehearsal process. We had a lot of discussions about the setup and the elements involved in each part of the show. I think this performance holds a piece of ENHYPEN’s history.

I’ve heard there was a mobile gaming craze within the team at one point. Who’s the one driving that trend?

SUNGHOON: It kind of depends on the category. For example, when it comes to buzzwords, HEESEUNG usually takes the lead. But when it comes to mobile games, that’s definitely JUNGWON.

JAKE: When we’re on tour, we have a lot of downtime, so we end up playing a lot of mobile games, cracking jokes and things like that. JUNGWON will usually recommend a game, and then we all get into it.

JUNGWON: Because I like nerdy stuff. (Laughs.)

So who’s the least fashionable?

Everyone: SUNOO? (Everyone laughs.)

SUNOO: I guess I just don’t put that much thought into fashion. I usually focus on other things, like gaming, so I tend to keep it simple.

NI-KI is best-known for his group Shiny Kids, and he performed with Taemin at the 2024 MBC Music Awards, which were recorded Dec. 31 and aired Jan. 30.

NI-KI: My parents were more excited than I was. They kept calling and messaging me. They were actually my introduction to K-pop, so it felt kind of surreal to be onstage in front of SHINee fans and ENGENEs.

I read somewhere that JAY, JAKE and JUNGWON don’t really have anything in common — aside from their names all starting with the letter “J.”

JAKE: He’s different in pretty much every way — what he eats, what he wears — he’s basically my polar opposite. He’s incredibly conscientious when he’s focused and incredibly lazy when he’s not. He definitely has his ups and downs. One day, he’ll be completely immobile, barely eat and stay really quiet. Then the next day, he’ll be super active: going out at dawn, staying out for three hours and coming back in like nothing happened.

JAY: He’s like most people; he’ll suggest something, then not do it. He’ll be like, “Want to play a game after work?” and then go to sleep first. (Laughs.)

JAKE: I just don’t find it easy to do things spontaneously. I’m more of a “set in stone” kind of guy.

JUNGWON: Jay’s the opposite. He has tons of hobbies and endless curiosity. He dabbles in all sorts of things. Right now, he’s studying French and playing guitar. He’ll get really into something for a while, then stop and later come back to it. But to be honest, I don’t think I fully know his personality. He’s very different when he’s working and when he’s not.

We can’t talk about ramen without mentioning HEESEUNG. Do you have any new recipes you’d like to share with ENGENEs?

HEESEUNG: I made seafood ramen the other day, and I highly recommend it. I used oyster sauce, chili oil, sesame oil and chili powder. It turned out really flavorful.

HEESEUNG, you’re known as one of ENHYPEN’s most dedicated members. Do you have anything new in store for ENGENEs?

HEESEUNG: Whenever we create a good song, we’re always eager to share it with ENGENEs, and we’ll continue making more. There are so many things we want to try. Each of us works on music individually — whether that’s collaborating with a producer we’re close to or creating tracks on our own, like Jay does with his guitar. Of course, there’s the process of producing a song, but for us, it’s also about giving each other feedback and discussing direction. We’re working on making our musical communication more three-dimensional and diverse.

SUNOO, you mentioned 2023 as a turning point and 2024 as a year of growth and experience. What do you think 2025 will look like?

SUNOO: When you’ve put in the preparation and hard work, I think it’s time to make an impact. There’s still a lot I want to improve, but in 2025, I hope to show a version of myself that’s even more ready.

You’ve become almost synonymous with hard work. By the time of your last tour, you must have gained a lot of experience. What keeps you going?

SUNGHOON: It’s a job where you’re constantly being seen by others. I’m not a perfectionist by nature, but I always want to present the best version of myself in the moment. So when I’m filming, I sometimes ask to reshoot because I’m not satisfied with how it turned out — even if it means the other members have to redo it, too, which makes me feel a bit sorry. Still, I think I’ve grown little by little, just doing a bit of everything every day over the past four years. It’s the small efforts I’ve built up, day by day, that have brought me to where I am now.

You’ve mentioned that ENHYPEN albums and music videos have a clear story and concept. How involved are you in shaping them?

JUNGWON: Those elements are mostly decided by the company, while we focus more on the music and performances. We often talk about this during award shows and year-end concerts, but the truth is, there are so many people working behind the scenes, often getting even less sleep than we do. It’s our job to bring their concepts to life and execute them as best as we can.

Are you working on something new with them?

SUNGHOON: All the time. There’s always a lot going on.

JUNGWON mentioned earlier that your goal is to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. If that day comes, what do you think the members would be talking about?

JAKE: When I imagine that moment, I just hope we get to celebrate and have a chill party with the guys.

SUNGHOON: I think we’d definitely talk about the past. We’d probably start from the beginning and go all the way back — like, even 10 years ago. I’m pretty sure some of us would cry.

JUNGWON: SUNOO might be crying, and HEESEUNG.

When do you think you’ll hit No. 1?

Heeseung: Soon. (Laughs.)