Wikipedia

Dark Blood (EP)

Dark Blood is the fourth extended play (EP) by South Korean boy group Enhypen. It was released on May 22, 2023, through Belift Lab. The album consists of six tracks, including the lead single "Bite Me". The theme of the EP is heavily influenced by the group's fantasy webtoon series Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, which features vampire characters based off the seven group members.

Dark Blood
Digital cover
EP by
Enhypen
ReleasedMay 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
Genre
Length18:13
Label
Producer
  • Wonderkid
  • Cirkut
  • Jason Evigan
  • Theo & The Climb
  • Tido Nguyen
  • Waveshower
Enhypen chronology
Sadame
(2022) 		Dark Blood
(2023) 		Orange Blood
(2023)
Singles from Dark Blood
  1. "Bite Me"
    Released: May 22, 2023

Background and release edit

On April 24, 2023, Belift Lab announced that Enhypen would be releasing their fourth extended play, Dark Blood, on May 22.[3] This comes ten months after their the release of their third EP, Manifesto: Day 1 and three months after the wrap-up of their first international tour.[4][5] The track list was later revealed on May 16 and an album preview was released on May 18.[3][6] On the day of the release, the group held a media showcase for the album in Seoul.[7]

Described by group member Heeseung as having an "unconventional" sound, the album has a vampire theme, in line with their webtoon series, Dark Moon: The Blood Altar.[4][8] Referencing the series, group member Jake commented that "with many connections between the webtoon and our album, paying attention to these aspects will definitely make the listening experience more fun".[2]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
NME     [1]

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Neil Z. Yeung from AllMusic gave the album 3.5 out of five stars, writing that Enhypen "slow it down, boost the low end, and amplify the menace".[9] Tássia Assis from NME gave the album four out of five stars, writing that "musically, this might be Enhypen's most cohesive work so far."[1] Paste ranked it number 13 in their list of The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2023, calling it a "hypnotic, story-driven effort that sinks its teeth in with exactly the kind of addictive refrain that the group's become best known for". They named "Bite Me" the "glittery centerpiece, a monstrous mix of teen vampire lore and late nineties/early noughties boy-band appeal."[10]

Commercial performance edit

On South Korea's Hanteo Chart, Dark Blood sold more than 1.1 million copies on its first day alone, surpassing the sales of their previous EP.[7][11] Despite the two-week shipment delay in the US, Dark Blood became Enhypen's fifth top 10 entry on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart,[12] and their first ever top five entry on the Billboard 200.[13]

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)'s Global Music Report for 2023, Dark Blood was the sixteenth best-selling album worldwide, having sold 1.7 million units.[A][14]

Track listing edit

Dark Blood track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fate"
  • "Hitman" Bang
  • BreadBeat
  • Cashcow
  • Hybe
  • Jacob Aaron (The Hub)
  • Kyler Niko
  • Noerio (The Hub)
  • The Hub 88
  • Wonderkid
  • Shin Kung
Wonderkid2:31
2."Bite Me"
  • Cirkut
  • Jason Evigan
2:37
3."Sacrifice (Eat Me Up)"
  • "Hitman" Bang
  • Alexander Karlsson
  • Andy Love
  • Deeno (Snnny)
  • Hero (Snnny)
  • Josh McClelland
  • Matt Thomson
  • Max Lynedoch Graham
  • Ryan Lawrie
  • Wonderkid
  • Yejune Synn (Snnny)
  • Kim Jae-won (Jam Factory)
  • Jeon Ji-eun
  • Jo Yoon-kyung
Wonderkid3:22
4."Chaconne"
  • "Hitman" Bang
  • January 8
  • Aaron Theodore Berton
  • Elsa Curren
  • Matthew Robert Crawford
  • Tony Ferrari
  • Theo & The Climb
3:33
5."Bills"
  • "Hitman" Bang
  • Rum (Mumw)
  • Ryan Curtis
  • Sophie Hintze
  • Tido Nguyen
  • Y0ung(MUMW)
  • Kim Su-ji (Lalala Studio)
  • Shin Kung
  • Tido Nguyen
2:55
6."Karma"
  • "Hitman" Bang
  • January 8
  • Andy Love
  • Waveshower
Waveshower3:12
Total length:18:13

Accolades edit

Awards and nominations for "Dark Blood"
Award ceremony Year Category Result Ref.
Golden Disc Awards 2024 Album Bonsang Won [15]
Music program awards
Song Program Date Ref.
"Bite Me" M Countdown June 1, 2023 [16]
Music Bank June 2, 2023 [17]

Charts edit

Certifications and sales edit

Certifications for Dark Blood
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[49] Gold 100,000^
South Korea (KMCA)[50] Million 1,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide (IFPI) — 1,700,000[14]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes edit

  1. ^ The IFPI Global Albums chart ranks, in order, the albums that generated the most money globally across streaming, download, and physical record sales (combined) in a calendar year. The Global Album Sales Chart measures global unit sales across all physical formats, as well as full album downloads.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Assis, Tássia (May 24, 2023). "ENHYPEN – 'Dark Blood' review: the first droplet of a deeper, denser era". NME.
  2. ^ a b Benjamin, Jeff (June 7, 2023). "ENHYPEN Break Down 'Fantasy-Like' New Mini Album 'Dark Blood': Exclusive". Billboard.
  3. ^ a b Bowenbank, Starr (April 24, 2023). "ENHYPEN's 4th Mini Album 'DARK BLOOD' Is Coming Soon: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Ji-won, Choi (May 22, 2023). "Enhypen returns with 'Dark Blood'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  5. ^ "ENHYPEN Know There Are "Ups and Downs" to Being K-Pop Stars". Teen Vogue. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "엔하이픈, 새 앨범 하이라이트 음원공개...중독성 있는 'Bite Me'로 색다른 변신 예고". SportsW (in Korean). May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "ENHYPEN returns with album 'Dark Blood'; sells 1.1 million copies in 6 hours". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Major, Michael. "ENHYPEN Return With 4th Mini Album 'Dark Blood'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Enhypen - Dark Blood Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Opie, David (December 21, 2023). "The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2023". Paste. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "한터차트 4.0". www.hanteochart.com (in Korean). Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  12. ^ "Enhypen Lands Fifth Top 10 on Album Sales Chart With 'Dark Blood'". Retrieved June 16, 2023 – via Billboard News.
  13. ^ "K-pop boy band ENHYPEN debuts in top 5 on Billboard 200 chart" (in Korean). Retrieved June 16, 2023 – via Manila Bulletin.
  14. ^ a b "Taylor Swift, Seventeen and Morgan Wallen top IFPI Global Album Charts" (Press release). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. March 28, 2024. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  15. ^ "Golden Disc Awards 2024 Full Winners List: Jung Kook, NewJeans, Stray Kids, SEVENTEEN Take Home Trophies". outlookindia. January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  16. ^ "엔하이픈, 'Bite Me'로 컴백 첫 1위.."엔진 위해 만든 앨범"". Osen (in Korean). June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  17. ^ "[뮤직뱅크] 엔하이픈, 빠져드는 1위 소감! "엔진 너무 사랑한다" ♪Bite Me". KBS Media (in Korean). June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "Top Albums (Week 23, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  24. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) Week: 22/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  25. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  26. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Enhypen – Dark Blood". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  27. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-06-05" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  28. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2023-06-05" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  29. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of May 31, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  30. ^ "2023 22-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  31. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 2 June 2023–08.06.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  32. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Enhypen – Dark Blood". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  33. ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 21, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  34. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Enhypen – Dark Blood". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  35. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 22". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  36. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Enhypen – Dark Blood". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  37. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  38. ^ "Enhypen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  39. ^ "Enhypen Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  40. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-05" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  41. ^ "Circle Album Chart – May 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2023" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  43. ^ "2023: La dynamique de la production et de la consommation musicales en France" (in French). SNEP. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  44. ^ "Album Top 100 - digitális és fizikai értékesítés alapján - 2023" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  45. ^ 年間 アルバムランキング 2023年度 [Annual Album Ranking 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. p. 4. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  46. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums Year-End 2023". Billboard Japan. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  47. ^ "Album Chart 2023". Circle Chart. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  48. ^ "World Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  49. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved June 9, 2023. Select 2023年5月 on the drop-down menu
  50. ^ "South Korean album certifications – Enhypen – Dark Blood" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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