The world of K-pop is notorious for borrowing from several other genres of pop music to make a sleek, stylized final product, and anytime it leans into anything remotely nu metal, I can hear the explosions of the heads of purists off in the distance.
And I'd be lying if I said I didn't absolutely revel in it.
So imagine my delight when the alternate versions of ENHYPEN's new song "Knife," each featured on the respective members' own versions of their new mini album The Sin: Vanish, dropped. As luck would have it the version attributed to Jungwon was a nu-themed rocking iteration. It's somewhere between early Linkin Park and the cinematic alt-rock of modern acts like The Anix. Granted, the original album version of the song is a pulsating track in its own right, but hearing this version's drop-tuned chugging guitars and reverberating snares is a joy.
In the voice note for his version, Jungwon talks about the conception and idea behind it:
"Hello ENGENE, this is Jungwon. We are finally back with our new album, and I'm really happy to hear it with you. For this version, we wanted to make a strong and powerful track that we could perform onstage with a high energy. We had concerts in mind from the beginning, so we wanted a more intense version. I personally played the drum patterns on a MIDI keyboard and I also took part in choosing the song structure, sounds, and chords. I hope you can feel our energy when you listen to it. Thank you for always being by our side. Love you, ENGENE!"
The Sin: Vanish is available now via Belift Lab, a division of HYBE.
Check out Jungwon's version of "Knife" below:
