As the “Y2K” trend continues to grow, let's look back on ENHYPEN’s year-old title track “Blessed-Cursed” that embodies Y2K fashion while searching for an answer about their future. The seven member group released their first repackaged album DIMENSION: ANSWER on January 10, 2022 following their first studio album DIMENSION: DILEMMA, released just three months before. ENHYPEN’s concepts seem to vary from emo-like vampires to rugby playing school boys, but in “Blessed-Cursed” we get to see them from a Y2K point of view.

The title track embodies who ENHYPEN is as a whole; they want to find an answer on how to live their future without the hold of a certain industry and their past. Throughout the song, you get to hear the boys pleading for their chance to have a choice. Eldest member Heeseung sings, “Do I get blessed? Or do I get cursed? I just want to know.” The song plays with the idea of being a part of The Matrix with a lyric that brings up the topic of taking a blue pill that keeps someone blessed with ignorance of what reality really holds. With this song, we get a chance to not only appreciate the boys' vocals but also tap into what rap styles they can bring into their music. With the upbeat pop punk sound, which is quite different from their first two mini-albums, and a mixture of hip-hop, the boys find a way to express their desire for a chance to choose their own destiny. 

The Music Video 

The music video helps visualize the Y2K theme with the sets and outfits, but the main visual is the opening where the seven members are seen cheering to a new year, 2000. The color scheme of the music video seems to be blue and red, which also plays into the theme of what we can speculate as The Matrix’s red pill and blue pill. We see the members express themselves through their solo shots where they are placed in their own rooms and later join together again, dancing in fully blue outfits in a fully blued-out room. It’s a slightly edgy side of ENHYPEN while they sing and rap about wanting to choose who they are and what they represent. At the end of the music video, the members are seen dancing in red button ups and black slacks; the styling of the music video is surrounding a red and blue scheme, continuing to connect to the red and blue pill theory. Colorful videos aren't new to ENHYPEN, but solo shots and close ups are, and it's exciting for the viewers to feel different emotions that are shared from all seven boys. 

Since the release of “Blessed-Cursed” and DIMENSION: ANSWER, Enhypen released their third mini-album alongside Japanese releases. They wrapped up their U.S. leg of the MANIFESTO World Tour and are awaiting their concerts in Japan, Bangkok, and Manila. While the boys finish touring their fans, Engenes await what's next for the seven boys.

Edited by Rashelle B.