ENHYPEN make their return finally with second full album Romance Untold and title song XO (Only If You Say Yes).
ENHYPEN are back, baby. They’ve given us some new music already this year but it’s so exciting to know we have a new album coming our way today. ENHYPEN have been an absolute constant on my playlist, making sure to provide us with quality tracks every single year since debut and I feel like they’ve created a path for themselves music-wise because I can definitely say that whichever style they opt for, they do it well. From more dramatic, atmospheric tracks to those upbeat summer ones, ENHYPEN have definitely experimented with their music successfully. Let’s see what XO sounds like and what kind of style we can expect from this new album – onto the review we go!
XO definitely has a summer atmosphere to it but a very specific kind – late summer night kind of energy. It’s more laid-back compared to most of ENHYPEN’s titles so far and it’s definitely something new for the group. I was caught off guard by the unique vocal alteration they’re using for the chorus because I didn’t expect it but it somehow really works? The verses of XO are more on the low-key, almost r&b side of things which I’m absolutely here for and I think this style really suits everyone’s vocals. The pre-chorus is a snippet of the actual chorus which I thought was cute and fun – giving you a glimpse into the main hook which is catchy and definitely an earworm. I’m not sure if everyone’s going to like the alternated vocals in the chorus but I’m in a good mood and think it’s fun! This is the most romantic we’ve seen ENHYPEN for their titles and it definitely feels like a new era and concept for them. The styling is also stunning, especially during the darker scenes, and I love the blurred effect the music video has – really makes it feel more dreamy and magical. ENHYPEN love their fantasy concepts and they never miss with them. A fun, cute and catchy song all in all. I really enjoy it.
A new ENHYPEN album is always a reason for excitement because they always have so many great b-sides hiding in plain sight. I personally thought Moonstruck was just going to be an intro and got so pleasantly surprised to hear it’s a full song because it’s so pretty! It’s the kind of eerie, dreamy style I’ve grown to love from ENHYPEN and it suits them so much. It’s definitely a contender for my favourite song from the new album. Moonstruck is the ENHYPEN I love the most – that mysterious, melodically dramatic one. However, there are so many great songs on here – some more upbeat ones like Brought The Heat and Paranormal, some true pop ones like Royalty, and some more laid-back ones such as the one I’ve already mentioned earlier. I really enjoy the album as a whole and I think ENHYPEN always showcase their talents best through their b-sides. If they plan on giving a b-side a music video, I definitely vote for the incredibly fun, energetic, and summery Brought The Heat – I could easily picture them performing this!
ENHYPEN always give us exactly what we need.