(Note: This article was written before the release of Dimension: Dilemma, Enhypen’s newest album.)

Though many of my friends have been K-pop fans for years — BTS, Exo, Twice, you name it — I myself have managed to avoid this musical wave that swept millions the world over. But when some of them started gushing about Enhypen, a new K-pop group that debuted less than a year ago, it caught my attention. Most of Enhypen’s seven members — Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki — are practically the same age as I am. Their music had the potential to speak to the experience of my generation. With their first full-length album, Dimension: Dilemma, set to release this month, I decided to listen to all of Enhypen’s songs so far and compile a list of the five I enjoyed most — as a beginner to their music, and to K-pop as a whole.

“10 Months”

Though not one of Enhypen’s most popular, “10 Months” embodies romantic feelings of youth. With a subtly catchy beat, the song radiates comfort, doing away with the flashy, often loud rhythms that characterize “bigger” K-pop songs. At first, I thought the song was about the typical teenage puppy love, but the lyrics actually reflect unrequited love and wanting to be taken seriously in spite of youth. With such deeper connotations and frustrations wrapped in a light-hearted, comforting tune, “10 Months” eases the listener into Enhypen’s potential.

“Drunk-Dazed”

Meanwhile, “Drunk-Dazed” is perhaps Enhypen’s biggest hit, opening at No. 3 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart earlier this year. As the lead single in their second EP, Border: Carnival, “Drunk-Dazed” wastes no time pumping up the adrenaline in its rhythm, drawing the listener into an addictive beat. There’s also a lingering “spooky” vibe, a quality that is sure to get anybody into a hypnotic daze. As if that wasn’t enough, the music video turns up the spooky factor to eleven. Expect to hear this song in everybody’s Halloween playlist.

“Flicker”

This song was originally written for I-Land, the reality show that resulted in the formation of Enhypen, as a “chemistry test” (no, not the KAIST kind) to demonstrate the contestants’ rapport with audiences. A short song with a slower beat, the repetitive nature of “Flicker” lends itself easily to looping itself over and over in your head, genetically engineered to be a modern pop earworm. Perhaps that’s why it’s the only song from I-Land that was adopted into Enhypen’s discography.

“Hey Tayo”

Possibly Enhypen’s best song ever. Okay, I’m kidding, but when I found out that the group had partnered with the children’s show Tayo the Little Bus to remake its theme song, I knew I had to put it on the list. A more upbeat and energetic version — likely to suit the shorter attention spans of today’s kids — Enhypen’s “Hey Tayo” enables the group to embrace their less serious side through pure, childish fun (and perhaps some embarrassment). They even added a rap verse! For the kids, of course.

“Fever”

No single song can embody Enhypen’s full range: they do well with softer songs like “10 Months” and “Not For Sale”, but they also excel with more mature concepts, like with “Drunk-Dazed”. “Fever” is another song that showcases the group’s maturity, portraying a burning, almost seductive passion that is equal parts desirable and destructive. True to its title, the song builds itself up like a fever, captivating the listener slowly in its beat while allowing the members’ vocals to shine, too.

For a group as new and young as Enhypen, they have certainly presented a versatility in their as-yet short discography. Some may disagree — and I certainly defer to those who know more about the group or K-pop in general — but I believe these five songs best embody that range and show how much potential they have yet to fulfill. As their fans gradually discover what the group has to offer, Enhypen is also just getting started in finding their own voice and musical identity — and in many respects, they’re off to a good start. And with my first venture into this whole new world of K-pop, it seems I, too, am off to a good start.