Imposing yet gentle, bloodthirsty yet enticing, the boy band Enhypen returns as heroic vampires risking everything for one woman in their new full-length album “Romance: Untold.” The group has crafted a complete “concept cinema” experience for this album, which they presented to their fans on Saturday, ahead of the album’s release on July 12.

The event, held at the Megabox Coex branch in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, featured a 12-minute short film, also titled "Romance: Untold," directed by Lee Chung-hyun, who was behind films "Bargain" (2015), "The Call" (2020) and "Ballerina" (2023).

Enhypen, along with the director, invited 1,500 members from the band's fan club, Engene, to the event, offering them an exclusive viewing of the film before its release on YouTube at midnight the same day.


"This album rollout involves us trying many new things, so I am very excited about the album," said group member Jake. "I think it will show a new side of Enhypen. This felt very different from other music videos. The approach, camera angles and compositions were all unique challenges, but the results were very satisfying."

Enhypen’s music has always been associated with the fantastical narrative of the members being vampires. The short film "Romance: Untold" features a story where the seven members escape from a society determined to eliminate vampires but they risk their lives by returning to rescue their human friend Chloe.

"The concept cinema and our second full album delve deeply into the theme of love," said Heeseung. Heeseung confirmed it's about chasing someone despite being from different races, transcending space and time.

"It's a bit deeper than love. It is dedication," said Jay about the band's relationship with Chloe. Chloe is a character representing Engene, always by Enhypen's side.

The short film saw a distinct focus on the members sharing extensive dialogue, which was never done before in an Enhypen music video. The dialogue is displayed at the beginning of the film, where the members decide to go back into the fray for their beloved Chloe.

"The dialogue was a first for us, and the members found it challenging, but we learned a lot from an acting coach before filming," said Sunghoon. "We were on a U.S. tour, so we practiced a lot while exchanging feedback. There were many moments where we needed to immerse ourselves, and since we are performers, it seems we did quite well."

"It was so funny at times," added Sunghoon. "I couldn’t stop laughing, even when looking at Jay, but we made a promise to not laugh, and finished the shoot."

All seven members also provided narration, explaining their past stories with Chloe throughout the short film.

"I thought they performed very well, and the emotions were all captured," said director Lee. "It's a pity I couldn’t include all the narration because they did so well."

The film's highlight was the action scene, which featured the members engaging in a gunfight against state authorities and the police. Following a spectacular crash resulting from the police machine-gunning the car the members were in, the vampires quickly recovered from their wounds, busting out of the ruins for some action.

"Since there was a gunfight and action scenes, I practiced a lot in front of mirrors,” said Sunoo. “It was a new challenge. I think our performance spectrum will broaden after this. It was a spectacle.”

Many cheers and exclamations were heard from the audience when the scene was screened. Distinct shouts of awe could be heard when Ni-Ki leaped out of the car into the night, high in the sky with the moon in the background.

"The combat scenes were so much like real shootouts and it was my first time using wires," said Ni-Ki. "It was difficult, controlling my body. I used a gun and it was hard, but the director was patient with us."

"It was pretty cool when I just fell out of the door, woke up, kicked the car away and engaged in combat,” said Sunoo, when asked about his favorite scene. “I didn’t use a stuntman when I fell from the door. It was scary but I pulled it off, maybe it’s because of the experience I've accumulated from my performance activities.”

Director Lee expressed great satisfaction with the performance of the members, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to direct a short film for Enhypen.

"It was new for me too, but it was fun because it seemed like the first time an artist worldwide had done something like this,” said Lee. “It was a new challenge. It really became cinema just by the seven of them standing there. I wanted to do something like this. Just [the group] walking with guns becomes a genre of its own, and it was so fun and nice.”

The explosive fan reaction matched the fervor seen at the Megabox theater before the start of the event. Some fans were already gathering at the venue as early as 10 a.m. and the outside of the theater was completely packed by 12 p.m., when the members were expected to appear for a preliminary photo shoot.

Fans clamored to take pictures of the boy band, with some even crying that they could not make it into the theater. Many people showed up despite the rainy weather on the day of the premiere.

"I came all the way from Suwon, Gyeonggi, in a taxi through the rain," said 23-year-old fan Kim Ji-yoon. "I wish the event could have been better organized, but it’s all worth it in the end."

"Thank you for coming so far despite the rain,” said Jungwon, wrapping up the premiere. “I have seen the finished product, and I think it is our best. The jacket image came out well too. I hope Engene will enjoy it. Please go home safely and take care of yourselves.”

Boy band Enhypen will release its second studio album, “Romance: Untold,” on July 12 at 1 p.m. "Romance: Untold" is Enhypen's first full-length album in about two years and nine months, since the release of “Dimension: Dilemma” (2021).


Enhypen is set to perform at Japan's “Rock In Japan Festival 2024," at Soga Sports Park in Chiba Prefecture on Aug. 10.


To find out more about Enhypen, visit Celeb Confirmed!


BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]