A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.
ENHYPEN’s second full album is a mellow affair and — at only twenty-five minutes — quite a short one as well. The group mainly works within airy, subdued grooves. It’s a decent match for their vocal color, but the music doesn’t do much to inspire me. Because of this, it’s no surprise that my buried treasure is also the album’s most energetic track.
Brought The Heat Back may be a red herring when compared to the songs around it, but it’s a welcome jolt of disco dance intensity as the album swerves into its second half. Before even hearing it, my eyes were drawn to producer Cirkut — an American pop creator who has dabbled in K-pop with BTS’s Jungkook and ENHYPEN themselves. It’s interesting to hear an idol group tackle a slick, global dance sound.
Brought The Heat Back is relatively simple, hinging on a repeated “yeah yeah yeah” hook that blurs the lines between verse and chorus. I’m most charmed by the instrumental — mainly the cool electronic flourish that follows each chorus. It sounds like something that could have been on the last Weeknd album and would be a very cool approach to hear ENHYPEN tackle further. They’ve never really promoted this style of dance song as a title track. What better time to do it than summer?
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
9
RATING
8.5