For the 10th anniversary of Spotify’s K-Pop ON! (온) playlist, the BELIFT LAB boy group ENHYPEN recently unveiled their rendition of BTS’s “I Need U.” Their cover is markedly different from the original’s electronic synth sound. Instead, it’s an acoustic, almost serene take on the song, masterfully arranged by HYBE Labels’ chairman Bang Si-hyuk. This is notable because Bang PD had never granted any artist permission to release covers of BTS’s songs before. Therefore, ENHYPEN’s cover marks a first—and the significance of this milestone isn’t lost on the boys themselves. How can it be, when the song itself means a lot to them?
In an interview released soon after the cover dropped, Heeseung, the group’s eldest member, shared his personal connection to the song. “I was much younger when I listened to this song for the first time, as you can imagine. My older brother would put this song on while he was preparing to go to school. I sort of woke up to this song every morning, so I grew up to be fond of it.”
“We decided to remake ‘I Need U’ for three reasons,” added ENHYPEN’s leader Jungwon. “It was meaningful because it marked the beginning of BTS sunbaenim’s The Most Beautiful Moment in Life series. We used to listen to it all the time. Some of us even performed this song on I-LAND. This was also the very first time HYBE chairman Bang PD-nim approved the recording and release of a cover. He even participated in the process. It was an honor for us to have him on board.”
ENHYPEN covers “I NEED U” by BTS | K-Pop ON! First Crush
ENHYPEN has learned a lot
ENHYPEN’s rendition of ‘I Need U’ is more mellow and incorporates elements of afrobeats. Sunghoon said this stylistic change is an opportunity for ENGENEs to see a new side of the septet. “Since this is a song that everybody knows and loves, I really want people to focus on what kind of spin we put on it.”
Jake revealed how they decided which member would sing which part. “What we usually do when we record is we go in one by one, sing the whole song, and the producer sort of chooses what lines would fit each member. When I went in to sing the whole thing, I was told that the second verse is going to be Ni-Ki’s so I didn’t get to sing that part.”
ENHYPEN tell us more about their cover of “I NEED U” by BTS | K-Pop ON! First Crush
This cover also presented a challenge for Sunoo, who sings a high-pitched note in the bridge. “I was concerned about it, but practiced a lot. Our own rendition is obviously meant to be different from the original, so I tried really hard to put my own style into it as well,” he shared.
ENHYPEN says they’ve learned a lot since coming together on the survival show I-LAND nearly four years ago. “We’ve done a lot of performances and we’ve become more professional. With this particular cover, we’ll be able to showcase how much we’ve grown,” declares Sunghoon. Their take on ‘I Need U’ is now available for streaming on Spotify‘s K-Pop ON! (온) playlist. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: ENHYPEN’s spin on the BTS classic is quite refreshing. Source: X/@kchartsmaster.