Sometimes looking for answers will result in more questions, more dilemmas, or even the realization that what you thought was a blessing is actually a curse. ENHYPEN comes back with a repackage of their first studio album, giving a true blessing (and definitely no curse) to ENGENEs with DIMENSION : ANSWER.

Tracklist

1. “Intro : Whiteout”

2. “Tamed-Dashed”*

3. “Upper Side Dreamin’”

4. “Just a Little Bit”

5. “Go Big or Go Home”*

6. “Blockbuster” feat. Yeonjun of TXT (Tomorrow X Together)*

7. “Attention, please!”*

8. “Interlude : Question”

9. “Blessed-Cursed”*

10. “Polaroid Love”*

11. “Outro : Day 2”

*Author’s Favorite Picks

DIMENSION : ANSWER, ENHYPEN’s First Repackage Album

The seven-member boy group released their first studio album DIMENSION : DILEMMA last October, revealing ENHYPEN’s realization that the world is a bit more complex than they anticipated and causing the dilemma mentioned in the title.

According to Belift Lab’s official description, in DIMENSION : ANSWER, Heesung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and NIKI, “begin to cast doubts on the society manifested by competition that constantly tells them to wake up, face reality, and follow the norm. Through the lenses of social media, they come to recognize how messy the world is and refuse to accept what is labeled as the ‘correct answer’—showing determination to focus on the present and find the answers while living life on their own terms. Accepting what was given to them and being tamed by the rules of society was easy and seemed like a ‘blessing’. Now that they‘ve realized the ways of the world, this all rather feels like a ‘curse.’”

DIMENSION : ANSWER includes three new tracks: the title song “Blessed-Cursed,” the long-awaited “Polaroid Love,” and matching the original intro “Outro : Day 2,” completing a now 11-track full album.

Without a doubt, “Attention, please!” is still my favorite song from the album. I just know that it’s going to be one of those songs that will come with me for the next few years, kind of similar to EXO’s “Growl.”. That being said, there are absolutely no skips on DIMENSION : ANSWER; it’s a work of art as it is. Very strong, especially coming from a rookie group that has barely been around for a year.

“Blessed-Cursed” as a Title Song

Even though the new album’s title hints at an answer to the previously introduced dilemma, or the curse newly brought into the picture, ENHYPEN rather admits to not having a full-on solution in the new title track “Blessed-Cursed,” which shows their courage to still do something instead of accepting the way things are: “I don't know answers / I just go my own way.”

It is a catchy and weird mix of rock and hip-hop, with a quite intense sound throughout without an actual real climax in the song. I was hoping for even more rock from them, which is probably why the intro, pre-chorus, and chorus are my favorite parts. “Blessed-Cursed” works perfectly well as it is with rearranging some currently trending sounds with elements that remind me of music from 10-20 years ago. I feel like this is something new and different for ENHYPEN.

“Blessed-Cursed” as a Music Video

It seems like that by now ENHYPEN has completely left behind their previous vampire narrative, unless they are time-traveling vampires, which would explain jumping back to the New Year’s of 2000, when none of the members were born yet. Another theory that might work, since vampires don’t really age, is that they actually have been 20-22 year olds since 2000 and HYBE has just been hiding them from us until I-LAND. You decide.

But jokes aside, this late ‘90s, early ‘00s nostalgia is present throughout the music video that brings back entire backgrounds, camera angles, and even outfits inspired by this aesthetic. The modern twist on colors and the styling of the tracksuits are fire. I’m just wondering why boys never looked this hot and cool when I was their age, but whatever.

“Polaroid Love” and “Outro: Day 2”

The second new song on the repackage album is a totally different sound from the title track, and ENHYPEN pulls off both concepts immaculately. “Polaroid Love” is not completely new to ENGENEs, since the group performed it during their anniversary event, EN-CONNECT : COMPANION last November. “Polaroid Love” is just a whole vibe. It’s an easygoing, cheerful song with lovey-dovey R&B and pop grooves.

As he opened the album with the English “Intro : Whiteout,” Jake also closes DIMENSION : ANSWER with the completely English “Outro: Day 2” with some heavy lyrics about not letting “someone else write” his own life. He continues to ask questions rather than answers on how to live your life — which honestly is what life is probably all about.

I can’t wait to see what this path that the members are paving for themselves outside of our society’s current norms will look like in the future.