Enhypen grows up as its music grows bold

The K-pop group sheds the 'boy band' label while on its Walk the Line tour.

- BY LAURA SIRIKUL

RODIN ECKENROTH Getty Images for YouTube Music ENHYPEN MEMBERS Jungwon, clockwise from top left, Ni-ki, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Heeseung celebrating five years as a global K-pop band.

Imagine if almost every moment in your life was documented: the good, the bad, the funny, the embarrassing and even the most heartbreaking.

K-pop superstar group Enhypen doesn't need to imagine it. It has been a part of its members' lives since they were teenagers, when they participated in the Korean competition series "I-Land" in 2020.

Premiering at the height of BTS mania, in which BTS made an appearance, the series was a joint venture between multinational entertainment companies CJ Entertainment and Hybe. It was a global success, with worldwide online viewership of over 20 million across 12 episodes, and participation from over 178 countries in the vote casting.

Every part of the contestants’ lives was documented as they lived and trained at the compound, with every fan-favorite moment turned into fan edits and memes. Even after the series concluded, it didn't take long for the group to debut and return to the public eye. Within two months, Enhypen — comprising Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki — released its first EP, "Border: Day One."

Since then, their meteoric rise has been nonstop: They've released 11 albums (five of which have placed in the Billboard 200 Top 10), performed at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and accomplished two world tours. The group is currently on its third international jaunt, the Walk the Line world tour, and performed Saturday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.