It’s that time of year again when we all reflect on the past 12 months in our own way. For our part, Weverse Magazine will be taking a look back at how different artists and their tireless staff spent 2022 with fans. We’ll be publishing articles for three weeks as the members of the staffs behind BTS, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, fromis_9 and LE SSERAFIM select their favorite music, videos, performances and other MOMENTs from working with the artists they support. This week we take a look at some of the performances these six groups have put on. For this fourth part, we talk to Kim Seong Kwan, ENHYPEN’s performance director, to tell us all about “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC).”

Why “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)” is ENHYPEN’s best performance the year

Kim Seong Kwan (BELIFT LAB performance directing team): This was their first time doing a song in this genre, but I think the performance still captured ENHYPEN’s vibe well. There was a lot to consider right from the planning stages since drill is a lesser-known genre. Each of ENHYPEN’s performances feature dance moves that complement the fundamental ideas behind the songs. We make sure the highlight moves are related to the title, and for this song we came up with a move embodying the “mic” as in the subtitle “Pass the MIC.” We thought it was good timing and the genre provided a good opportunity for the boys to show off a whole new side of themselves. JAKE and SUNOO come out between the other members and do cool gestures with their hands in the pre-chorus, while the hook focuses on the album’s message and the nuances of the song. We wanted the dance they do in the chorus to say, This is what ENHYPEN’s all about! But it’s so strenuous that it must be a “killing” part for the members, literally (laughs) but it’s the highlight of the whole performance. For me, the most memorable performance they did of “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)” was their first performance of it on M Countdown. I think it was their best in terms of the quality of the performance. And I have to give credit to the outfits they wore. The choice to use “gakuran” only added to the effect. I think the song, dance and outfits really came together well.

Practice makes “Future Perfect”

Kim Seong Kwan: We planned for this to be a high-difficulty performance right from the start. There were some challenges trying to finish the choreography for the performance. “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)” is so vigorous that you’re out of breath after just one go. And it’s full of parts that take a lot of skill. Everyone worked really hard. It was almost too much for the members when they first started to learn it, but they all put in a lot of effort and that made for a great group performance. It wasn’t even that long after they’d done “Blessed-Cursed” but their ability to perform had already gone way up. I was really touched by how involved the members were in the creation process and it made me realize how much they’ve grown. A lot of the moves JUNGWON and HEESEUNG do were influenced by their ideas especially. JUNGWON is the leader, so he always takes charge during practice. I think the fact that the members were so involved means their individuality really shines here and that it led to a performance that’s different from their past performances. I’m proud that they developed so much as a result of working on this performance. This experience made me really confident that we can keep making good performances even if any problems come up.

Seven members, seven different styles

Kim Seong Kwan: There’s something uniquely charming about each of the ENHYPEN members’ performance styles. JUNGWON is like a blank sheet of paper that can take on any color. He’s a textbook case of a good performer no matter what kind of song he’s working on. HEESEUNG is well-balanced; he can sing and dance equally well and fits in with ENHYPEN’s dark image. JAY really shines when he does something intense or heavy. I think that’s his strength. JAKE can nail explosive moments and that’s why he’s super good at nailing the killer parts. SUNGHOON picks things up quickly. He stands out because he nails the gestures or highlight moves in his part on any stage. SUNOO you could call zestful. He stands out most when the group’s doing a lighthearted performance. It adds something special to the group’s performances and that image even shines through when the group’s doing something darker. NI-KI is basically a dance genius. I think he’s good at being the pillar of ENHYPEN’s performances. Even as the director, when I see how good he is, my jaw drops. I can always count on him for a good performance.

ENHYPEN on stage is growing

Kim Seong Kwan: ENHYPEN’s choreography is really difficult and involves a lot of moving around on stage. The whole thing’s pretty intense. It’s their strong suit, so we can’t stop. (laughs) They’ve just got to keep practicing hard. And still they’re amazing. (laughs) I got the feeling that the people at ENHYPEN’s most recent concerts were there to witness the group’s energy. That’s why we thought the most important thing for this tour was to convey the overflowing youthful energy the ENHYPEN members have to the audience. And that’s why, even when they were practicing, I kept telling them, “The fans don’t come just for skills—they come to see your big, youthful energy.” That’s their strength, and that’s what ENHYPEN does best. They practiced so much so that their movements and every little detail on stage would all be perfectly in sync. I can feel that they improved a lot with each performance as they got more used to the stage. They figured out how to get their energy across and, as they gained more and more experience after their first concert in Seoul, figured out how to communicate better from the stage. I think the group’s still growing even now. They can still get even better, and they will. (laughs)

The beginning of a journey

Kim Seong Kwan: The ENHYPEN members really didn’t have a chance before to perform in person in front of their fans because of the pandemic. I think they picked up a lot of momentum in their year getting up in front of fans and audiences and quickly grew as they experienced what it’s like to put on a show on stage. I think every single one of them has gone up to a new level not only in their dancing but in their facial expressions, attitude and nuance. And I think the reason they keep improving is that, despite their busy schedule, they never stop putting in the effort. They always try to do their best. I can’t say for sure what kind of performances ENHYPEN will be putting on next (laughs) but I have a lot of fun working with them. It’s great getting to see their performances evolve each time they put out a new album and watching their performances improve every time they put on another concert. And this is just the beginning. I think ENHYPEN will be even more robust in the future.