After concluding their FATE Tour last year, it wasn’t long before ENHYPEN made their timely return to the U.S. The K-pop heartthrobs are back with their encore FATE PLUS World Tour featuring new special segments and heightened engagement with fans. The tour began with three sold-out shows in Seoul and made its way over to five cities in the U.S., bringing the finale to New York.
It was a warm, sunny Friday as thousands of ENHYPEN fans, known as ENGENES, made their way over to UBS Arena in Belmont, New York. To build up excitement for the show, the venue staff specially prepared fun activities for attendees ranging from friendship bracelet making to chalk art. Several fans were also seen distributing handmade freebies.
The venue was packed from top to bottom for a sold-out show. A burst of flames erupted from the stage as members Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki made their grand appearance in prince-like attire. They opened up with an electrifying performance of “Drunk-Dazed” before transitioning into a unified dance break that led to “Blockbuster.”
The members briefly greeted the crowd and shared their thoughts for the final show. “ENGENES and ENHYPEN let’s enjoy the show together with no regrets,” said Sunghoon. Despite having a translator, they prepared speeches in English for their American audience. Leader Jungwon gave a cheeky wink before the group proceeded with their next ensemble of performances.
Attendees got to witness the incredible stage production that elevated the experience. From confetti showers to pyro bursts, the spectacle was truly dazzling. The graphics projected on the LED display complimented the performances. For instance, there was a blue beating heart during “Let Me In (20 CUBE)” and “Flicker” which transitioned to red for “FEVER” before finally turning to black for “Still Monster.”
The first third of the set featured back-to-back performances of high-energy songs such as “Blessed-Cursed,” “Attention, please!,” and “ParadoXXX Invasion.” The group never missed a beat with their in-synced choreography, only stopping for quick outfit changes. During “Tamed-Dashed,” Heeseung punted a football into the crowd which a lucky fan caught as a gift.
Heeseung remarked that he unfortunately only had one football to give out but to make up for it, he did a cute arm heart with Jake. Sunoo led an energy chant while he goaded the crowd to wave their lightsticks. Amidst an ocean of gleaming lightsticks, the members spotted a fan wearing a light-up outfit showing off some dance moves.
Jungwon, Heeseung, and Ni-ki remained on stage while the rest of the members prepared for their next performance. The trio regrettably told the audience that it was the last stop of the tour but they had more special stages coming up. In an unexpected turn of events, they sang an acapella version of their Japanese track “Blossom,” a touching moment for Japanese member Ni-ki.
The lights illuminated the stage as Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, and Sunoo sat on bleachers surrounded by flowers. Their honey-like vocals in “TFW (That Feeling When)” created a dreamy atmosphere as several ENGENES in the general admission pit formed a congo line.
One of the highlights from that night was when six giant Pikachu mascots joined ENHYPEN for “One and Only,” a collaboration song with Pokémon. Seeing those cute Pikachus dancing and interacting with the members was quite amusing. More surprises awaited as Sunghoon and Sunoo prepared a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” while Jungwon and Ni-ki covered Stephanie Poetri’s “I Love You 3000.” After a brief dance battle segment, they continued with “Go Big or Go Home” accompanied by vibrant fan chants.
A VCR showed the members submerged in water with seeping blood complementing their dark, vampire concept. The spotlight was on Ni-Ki as he demonstrated an alluring dance solo before the rest of the members joined him for the hypnotizing track “Chaconne.” They were dressed in dashing red and black suits this time for their next set of performances. “Bite Me” was arguably one of their most hyped-up songs as a downpour of red confetti that looked like rose petals created a breathtaking scenery.
The boys were back out for their encore stage which consisted of “Sweet Venom” and “Orange Flower (You Complete Me).” Bits of yellow and orange confetti lingered in the air as it was time for their final ment. Each member expressed their sincere thoughts and shared that they will be working on a comeback. “Are you ready to go f*cking crazy?!” Jake exclaimed before they wrapped it up with another performance of “Go Big or Go Home.” Several fans were seen throwing plushies on stage as the members exited.
“Just as the name of this tour is called ‘FATE’, I truly feel that the day when we were able to meet was fate.” – Jungwon
Time always goes by fast when you’re at an ENHYPEN concert. As Jake mentioned in one of their ments, ENGENES and ENHYPEN are always connected; The bond shared is like an unbreakable rope. There is no doubt that this group has dedicated fans as many from around the world have traveled to see them. Don’t forget to support ENHYPEN’s upcoming album MEMORABILIA out on May 13!
Quotations have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Words by Angela Leung
Photos by BELIFT LAB
