ENHYPEN continues to build anticipation for its forthcoming album ORANGE BLOOD. The septet shared the album’s tracklist on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday, November 5.
The set will contain a total of five new tracks—“Mortal,” “Sweet Venom,” “Still Monster,” “Far,” and “Orange Flower (You Complete Me).” The release will also include an English version of “Sweet Venom” and a digital-only remix of “Sweet Venom” feat. Bella Poarch, known for her single “Build a B***h.”
In addition to the tracklist’s release, track mood samplers with members Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki were shared to YouTube on Monday, November 6. The videos feature instrumental versions of the songs on ORANGE BLOOD and the guys posing amid hazy, bright lighting in matching white outfits.
ENHYPEN will present a new musical color
In ORANGE BLOOD, the basic narrative of ENHYPEN‘s albums is combined with the emotions the members felt during their activities, as well as elements from the webtoon DARK MOON: Altar of the Moon. According to the South Korean entertainment press, ENHYPEN is expected to lead the way to a new path in “next entertainment” with this album, which comes with different content, not just songs.
The title track “Sweet Venom” is a continuation of DARK BLOOD’s title track “Bite Me.” It tells the story of wanting to stay by our lover’s side even if poison spreads through your body. Jay, who plays guitar, co-wrote the lyrics. What’s more, the English version isn’t just a simple translation of the Korean lyrics. Its lyrics are entirely new.
Some talented producers also worked on ORANGE BLOOD. Hitmaker Slow Rabbit, who created representative songs for BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, participated in “Sweet Venom.” Pdogg, an award-winning musician, participated in ‘Still Monster.’ They are collaborating with ENHYPEN to help the group present a new musical color.
@enhypen Swee wee weet Venom preview🧡 #JAY #SUNGHOON #SUNOO #NI_KI #ORANGEBLOOD
The Bella Poarch controversy
However, the Bella Poarch collab has been met with backlash from fans. Many are claiming that she is racist and Zionist. First, a couple of years ago, Bella received backlash for a tattoo of hers. She got a tattoo of Japan’s Rising Sun flag with a heart replacing the sun at the center. The Rising Sun is offensive to Koreans as it’s associated with Japanese imperialism. Bella apologized, writing, “At that time, I didn’t know the history. But when I found out, I immediately had it covered and scheduled for removal. I am ashamed of myself for not doing my research. I sincerely apologize.” She has also since professed her love for Korea on many occasions.
The most common criticism against Bella is that she is allegedly Zionist. Once, she was asked, “Do you love Israel?” on one of her videos on TikTok. The resurfaced screenshot shows that she replied, ‘Yes.’ However, Bella has been silent regarding the Israel-Palestine war, so many netizens are calling for a boycott of her version of “Sweet Venom.” But some fans also came to Bella’s defense, citing apologies and her history of traumas and abuse.
Backlash notwithstanding, ENGENEs will have more to look forward to leading up to ORANGE BLOOD’s arrival. The album preview and music video teasers will roll out between November 11-16, concluding with the video and album release on November 17 and a special showcase, EN-CONNECT Night, on November 18. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: Not everyone is happy with ENHYPEN’s new collab. Source: X/@BELIFTLAB.
