ENHYPEN

Enhypen is a seven-member boy band that debuted in November 2020 as the winning group of cable channel Mnet’s audition program “I-LAND” (2020) produced in collaboration with HYBE, then Big Hit Entertainment, and Belift Lab — a company co-founded by Mnet’s operator CJ ENM and Big Hit Entertainment.

“I-LAND” counted votes from fans in and outside of Korea, as opposed to the common practice by most audition programs of only considering Korean votes, giving the band the nickname “Global fan-made band” even before its debut.

The band debuted with EP ″Border: Day One,″ released in November 2020, and has been venturing through the chaos of growing up, especially the contradicting emotions unique to adolescent adults as seen in the titles of its lead tracks — “Given-Taken” (2020), “Drunk-Dazed” (2021), “Tamed-Dashed” (2021) and “Blessed-Cursed” (2022).

The band sold 379,992 copies of its debut EP and then shot straight up to become a million-seller with its first full-length album, “Dimension: Dilemma,” which sold over 1.2 million copies since its release in October 2021.

Is Enhypen under BigHit Music?

Enhypen is managed by Belift Lab, a company co-founded by HYBE and CJ ENM. The band was put together through an audition program, “I-LAND,” in 2020. Belift is 51.48 percent owned by CJ ENM and 47.52 by HYBE, which runs BigHit Music, and 1 percent by chief executive Kim Tae-ho. (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/11/30/entertainment/kpop/Enhypen-Belift-Lab-BTS/20201130185300522.html) (2022.09.09)

Is Enhypen a permanent group?

The group is permanent. Contrary to other project bands that were put together through CJ ENM’s audition programs, such as Wanna One and IZ*ONE, Enhypen is here to stay, and so will the second band to come from the second season of “I-LAND.” (2022.09.09)

Is Enhypen a fourth-generation K-pop group?

Fourth-generation K-pop groups are usually defined as those who debuted after 2019, so yes. The generational division is neither official nor concrete, but critics and fans say that groups debuting around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic fall into this category. (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/10/22/entertainment/television/enhypen-belift-debut/20201022173909928.html) (2022.09.09)

Is Enhypen not popular in Korea?

It’s not that they’re not popular in Korea — they’re just really popular overseas. The boy band garnered 1 million followers on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter even before they debuted because they aired on Korea’s biggest music channel.

The band was also heavily promoted in overseas markets, especially in Asia, which also turned out well. They made it to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 charts in 2022. (2022.09.09)