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The already-beloved rookie group ENHYPEN, formed via competition show I-LAND, have made their official debut with the release of new mini-album BORDER : DAY ONE, and a cinematic music video for title track “Given-Taken."
Picking up the thread presented in their “Choose-Chosen” concept trailer and drawing on the notion of dichotomies, the music video for “Given-Taken” presents us with a version of the seven-member act (made up of Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki) that we haven’t yet met.
In the video, fans follow the polished and powerful septet from dusk until dawn as they make their way through various Victorian-esque mansion settings and open fields, while singing about grappling with fate. Kicking off with lo-fi hip-hop vibes and moving on to a pop-powered dynamic bridge and chorus, "Given-Taken” lends itself perfectly to some energetic and smooth choreo, which the group executes in between horror-inspired narrative shots.
“Wake up in day one / First day morning / Lights shining / Eyes of the sun / That light burned me / That light blinded me / But I go now, follow my dreams,” the lyrics go. “I was wandering in the woods of questions / I followed the light in the dark.”
According to a release by BELIFT Lab, this track “expresses the mixed emotions of the septet now standing at the cusp of a new beginning as ENHYPEN after a long journey towards survival. Having achieved the dream of debut through I-LAND, where they were chosen by global fan votes, the track conveys the boys’ doubts about whether their debut was ‘given’ or they have ‘taken’ the opportunity on their own. The song also brings forth their ambitions to overcome these uncertainties and step foot into the new world.”
"Thousands of doubts behind me / More thousands of mistrust behind me / But I go now, follow my dreams / Drive through the question for life / Between giving and taking / It’s time for my proving,” another verse reads. The video ends on a subtle high note when Jungwon offers a glimpse of his fangs, referring back to the concept photos we've seen for the project and hinting at the vampiric transformation that has already begun.
“BORDER : DAY ONE captures the uncertainties and complex emotions of the seven members standing at the border between two contrasting worlds, conveying their story of finally taking the first steps over the border to face the new world ahead of them,” BELIFT stated in a press release. Alongside “Given-Taken,” the 6-track mini-album also features “Intro : Walk the Line,” “Let Me In (20 CUBE),” “10 Months,” “Flicker,” and “Outro : Cross the Line.”
Aside from the album and video release, the group also held its first-ever press conference on November 30, where they discussed everything from their leader selection process to their relationship with Engenes and also performed “Let Me In (20 CUBE)” and “Given-Taken." The septet also had their first comeback show, streamed via the Mnet K-POP and Big Hit Labels’ Youtube channels, later in the day, which you can rewatch in full below.
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