Enhypen on ice skating in Manila, loving dried mangoes, preferring denim fashion and wearing earrings
To say that K-pop idol group Enhypen is popular in the Philippines is an understatement. The boyband became the first K-pop group to sell out three consecutive shows at the Mall of Asia Arena in 2023. At their Fate concert tour in February of this year, they filled the New Clark City Stadium (which is quite a trek) in a fun concert complete with fireworks and Ferris wheel, that culminated their world tour.
Jake, one of the Enhypen members, remarked in a one-on-one interview, “We are always surprised because we speak, perform, and sing in Korean. It’s so cool to see that people who don’t speak Korean can relate and enjoy our music and performances. We do not take this for granted, and it is really surprising.”
Another member, Sunoo, considers this concert his fondest memory of the Philippines. “We were the first to perform in that grand stadium, and there were a lot of people. I felt very grateful and honored.”
“Whenever we come here, we feel this great energy from our fans,” adds Jake.
Sunoo adds that they get their energy as well from the fans. In fact, they were looking forward to their person-to-person fan meet organized by Bench called “A Sweet Experience: Bench Fun Meet with Enhypen.”
K-pop moves fast. It seems like every few months a wave of idol groups debut, and to be honest, I can’t seem to keep up. But there are a handful who have made an impact. Enhypen is one of those groups. You could say that they had a meteoric rise, having only debuted in 2020 (pandemic times), and have already established a large and loyal fandom. Enhypen has already sold out stadiums and have numerous Billboard chart-topping songs. I learned that their name Enhypen was inspired by the hyphen symbol, which symbolizes “connection,” as well as “discovery and growth.” Their fandom, on the other hand, are called Engenes, relaying the message that they (the fans) are engines (pronounced the same way), that lets Enhypen “grow and keep going."
Bench, who has always had their finger on the pulse of the youth, the cool, and the trendy, has signed Enhypen to be their latest global brand ambassadors. Enhypen is composed of seven talented young men, namely: Sunghoon, Heeseung, Sunoo, Jungwon, Jay, Jake, and Ni-Ki. They were presented to the media by Bench in a press con.
K-pop idols nowadays are selected by top international fashion brands to represent them. Enhypen is one of those groups that are in demand in the fashion world. I asked what makes Bench special to them. Sunghoon states “Bench is a Philippine national brand, and we are so very proud to be working with the clothing brand. We are so happy.” In fact, he mentioned he really liked the jackets they wore to their group pictorial.
Ben Chan talks about working with Enhypen: “Our last shoot with Enhypen happened one cold day in a big garden setting in Seoul. Their youthful energy and camaraderie filled the whole space as they posed, danced, and played together! It was such a treat to see them work so professionally yet enjoy the moment.”
Speaking of fashion, I ventured to ask what is one fashion piece or accessory that describes each one of them best. Jake says he likes chain necklaces “because I feel it wraps together or completes the whole outfit.” Sunghoon prefers jackets because when he dances, “it gives him form.” Ni-Ki believes denim fashion gives him a lot of confidence. Sunoo chose a beanie because wearing one gives him confidence as well. Jungwon said that summer in Korea is coming, and since he will be wearing short-sleeved shirts, a bracelet is a good fashion statement. Jay mentioned a bracelet accessory as well. Heeseung, on the other hand, says that wearing earrings “makes me more fashionable.” Many of the members prefer streetwear but are open to try different styles and looks. By the way, according to them, the fashionista in the group is Ni-Ki.
A little-known fact is that Sunghoon was once a competitive ice skater and even recently visited a venue where he once competed in Manila. Asked what other places in the country he wanted to see, he immediately answered Cebu and Boracay. “I want to jet ski there.” As for Filipino food, Heeseung likes dried mangoes. He even ate some before the press con. Heeseung also uttered some Pinoy phrases like “Kumusta ka,” “Mahal kita,” and “pogi.”
To know them better, I asked if there was a song that best represents them, what would it be, and why? Jay said, “Bite Me because Enhypen is a group that expresses a lot of conceptual images. And from the title itself, Bite Me envisions and expresses the vampire concept, and it really best represents Enhypen.”
Random question: What is your ultimate comfort food? For Jake, Ni-Ki, and Heeseung, it’s steak. I don’t blame them. Have you tried Korean Hanwoo beef? Sunghoon drinks a coffee latte, while Sunoo likes ice cream. Jungwon says it’s jelly for him, and Jay’s comfort food is grilled corn.
What positive message and advice can Enhypen give to those in their generation? Sunghoon says, “As part of this young generation, our group gives the best in what we do. Hopefully, they see us as an example, so they can also work hard for their dreams. “