Notes on K-pop Interview: HYBE / BELIFT LAB on Enhypen's 'THE SIN: VANISH' & 'VampireNow News'
ENHYPEN released their new THE SIN: VANISH album today, January 16, in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese versions. A 23-minute long, 11-track album released in not only Korean but English, Japanese, and Chinese, it leans heavily into the immersive narrative surrounding ENHYPEN since day one: vampire romance.
Already told through the DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR webtoon, now an anime, and other albums, plus tie-ins like the recent Blood Pack game, THE SIN : VANISH is a hybrid album that blends ENHYPEN's musicality and storytelling. Each language variant is has its own primary reporting narrator to present realism – Park Jeong-min in Korean, Kenjiro Tsuda in Japanese, and Lars Huang in Chinese version, as per Forbes – as well as other conversational tracks, almost like audiobook or podcasts setting the stage for the story about to unfold through ENHYPEN's music.
"The album is structured like a “mystery show for the ears,” consisting of six tracks, narration, and a skit. A third-person narrator guides the story, allowing listeners to immerse themselves as if they are citizens of the vampire world tuning into the show."
Prior to the album's release, ENHYPEN's team at BELIFT LAB, a HYBE subsidiary, launched the immersive Vampire Now news site and social media accounts. Mimicking real-life newsmaking, this piqued my interest given that I am a sucker for all things attempting transmedia storytelling in a unique way.
If you're unfamiliar, transmedia storytelling means many things nowadays, but is generally considered to have been coined as a term by the scholar Henry Jenkins, and encaptures all things cross-platform, enhanced storytelling, particularly around pop culture entities. Transmedia storytelling in K-pop is a bit of an obsession for me personally: I have written about it consistently over the years, and some the earliest Notes on K-pop posts, such as I like K-pop storytelling, actually or The designer K-pop idol is alive and well, explored facets of transmedia.
"What mattered most was not tricking the audience, but borrowing the language and rhythms of the real world to make this fictional world feel more convincing."
With a range of faux news articles and content, some of which was released in-tandem with actual Korean media outlets, the narrative immersion of THE SIN : VANISH expands on the lore of ENHYPEN in a way that feels refreshing and engaging. As a journalist, my initial reaction was that it feels a bit risky to release literally fictive news in an era when the idea of "fake news" is already rampant. As a fan of transmedia, it feels obvious and like one of the highest-level examples I've ever seen, and certainly in recent years, to the point when even the music video for lead track "Knife" begins with a news story. Obviously, this is not misinformation but an intriguing fictive version of infotainment, and it works extraordinarily well for worldbuilding.
Ahead of the album's release, the team working on promoting ENHYPEN's release with Vampire Now in all its fictive, vampiric glory and I discussed the conceptualization and carrythrough of it all.
This is a bit of an atypical interview for Notes on K-pop, in that it's one entirely conducted over email. It's also conducted with "BELIFT LAB" or "HYBE/BELIFT LAB", rather than individuals. I did spend some time thinking about whether or not I would allow this once BELIFT's team and I discussed a few different formats and this was what we could come together on. I allowed this break in stylistic norms as it ultimately felt like an additional level of depth to explore, about how a major K-pop company relays its own story, so I hope readers enjoy the following interview and the discrepancy in style, and consider it a further aspect of exploring what it means to be using narratives.
THE SIN: VANISH and "KNIFE" are out now.
Tamar Herman: Thank you so much for taking time to discuss the rollout of ENHYPEN's latest album. Can you introduce the concept behind ENHYPEN's THE SIN : VANISH for readers who may not be familiar?
[HYBE / BELIFT LAB] To sum up the concept of this album in one phrase, it’s about “vampire lovers on the run.” The story follows a pair of lovers who are pursued by an enforcement group protecting vampire society after their forbidden desire—to turn a human into a vampire—is discovered. In that sense, the album can be seen as an extension of the vampire romance narrative that ENHYPEN has been developing across multiple releases.
More specifically, this album explores what comes after the “forbidden desire” mentioned in our previous mini album, DESIRE : UNLEASH *. While it’s rooted in the unique setting of vampire society and its taboos, the story is also a universal romance at its core. Because they love each other so deeply, the lovers choose to stay together despite everything, which makes it comparable to a Romeo-and-Juliet–style love story that many people can relate to.
What changed between the past few albums and THE SIN : VANISH that ENHYPEN and their team decided to lean so heavily into this degree of transmedia storytelling for this particular album?
[BELIFT LAB] ENHYPEN has consistently built a strong identity through a distinct concept and immersive storytelling, and with our seventh mini album, THE SIN : VANISH, that narrative reaches its highest level of intensity so far. While it carries forward the story we’ve been developing over time, this album also introduces a newly designed fictional storyline created specifically for this release, allowing listeners to experience an unprecedented level of immersion. In the story, a vampire makes a dangerous and forbidden plan to turn the one they love into the same kind of being. When this plan is discovered by the vampire enforcement group, it triggers a crisis that leads to the lovers’ decision to go on the run together—the central plot that sits at the heart of the album.
This fantasy setting mirrors the reality of being an artist—driven by the love of fans while simultaneously carrying anxiety about sustaining that love. That duality, where fantasy can also be reflected in reality, is what makes the story particularly compelling. THE SIN : VANISH is the result of deeply considering how to express these unstable emotions—between vampire and lover, artist and fan—in a way that feels truest to ENHYPEN.
To ensure that this layered narrative could be delivered clearly not only to our fandom but also to a broader audience, we decided to fully embrace transmedia storytelling. Beyond the music itself, we incorporated narration, visually immersive films, and promotions using virtual platforms. Through this approach, listeners can experience the dual narratives of vampire and lover, artist and fan, with greater depth and layers.
What is the inspiration for ENHYPEN’s deep dive Vampire promotions?
[HYBE / BELIFT LAB] One of ENHYPEN’s greatest strengths is that they don’t just express a concept—they bring it to life across the album, visuals, stage performances, and promotions, creating a fully realized world. With this album, we wanted to build on that accumulated strength and showcase storytelling that only ENHYPEN could deliver, taking it to a deeper level. Since their debut, ENHYPEN has explored their identity as those caught between worlds through the vampire narrative, continuously portraying how they connect with the world and those around them. Over time, this narrative, together with the way fans interpret and engage with it, has become a core part of the group’s heritage. The desire to highlight and further enliven that heritage was what started this project.
Because fans actively enjoy and expand these conceptual stories, we also saw it as a differentiating strength for ENHYPEN in the current K-pop scene. At the same time, for this album, we wanted to focus more specifically on the “vampire romance” aspect. While love is a universal theme, viewing it through the perspective of vampires allows us to explore sharper emotions and situations—such as taboos, escape, and pursuit. Building on the context accumulated over several albums, we carefully designed the tone of the narrative so that fans could immerse themselves even more deeply in this romance.
Ultimately, this album was planned to expand the vampire narrative that ENHYPEN has consistently developed, transforming the story itself into an experience. It was about finding the best way to express the group’s identity while allowing fans to journey more fully alongside the story and emotions.
There is a lot of narrative creativity going on, such as through the VAMPIRE NOW website and related tie-in teasers, things like newsreels and even recipes. What was the inspiration to draw on journalistic experiences for the lead-up to the album?
[BELIFT LAB] While preparing this album, we wanted to step away from the images people typically associate with “vampires.” Instead of portraying them as beings from ancient myths or fantasy, we wanted to depict them as existing in the same timeframe and setting that we live in today. To do that, we needed a different approach of presenting the setting, and that’s where the idea of a journalistic perspective came in. News doesn’t just summarize an event after it happens—it follows what’s unfolding in real time. We thought that by using this approach, the story within the album could feel like it’s happening in the present, almost as if it were a current issue in society. That’s how ‘VAMPIRE NOW’ came to life.
We wanted the platform to feel intuitive as a media outlet within the vampire world, while also conveying a modern, here-and-now sensibility. Although the media hub centers around a website, it’s optimized for mobile use like contemporary news outlets and naturally connects with social media channels. User-submitted videos and photos appear in vertical formats, and even advertisements and feature articles are filled with content that could realistically exist in a modern vampire society.
To create this sense of reality, we referenced how actual news organizations design their websites and manage their social media. Ultimately, this was a choice made to let fans experience the story in a modern context. By simply scrolling through the news or checking updates, fans can feel as though they are sharing the same timeline as the story itself, immersing themselves seamlessly in the album’s experience.
Who thought up the idea of VAMPIRE NOW news network? Why cast it as a news story particularly?
[BELIFT LAB] Because this album revolves around a narrative, we needed a way for the story to feel like a living, ongoing event rather than just a static concept. After a lot of consideration, we came up with the idea of a fictional news outlet, ‘VAMPIRE NOW,’ that could plausibly exist in a modern-day vampire society. We wanted fans to feel as though the story were unfolding right now in real life as they read articles, check breaking news, and follow updates. To achieve this, we designed the website and social media to look and feel like actual news media.
The platform was also structured to reveal events over time rather than presenting a complete, finished page from the start. Early on, it featured everyday issues from the vampire society, unrelated to the album, so that fans could get accustomed to the outlet’s "tone and format.” Then, at key moments, album-related “breaking news” was introduced, gradually converging with the storyline of the album. This approach allowed fans to piece together clues and share interpretations rather than receiving all the answers at once. As a result, ‘VAMPIRE NOW’ functioned not just as a promotional tool, but as a storytelling platform that both records and conveys the album’s story while giving fans an immersive, participatory experience.
As a journalist, I’m curious how the music and the faux-journalism interplay, if at all?
[HYBE / BELIFT LAB] Both the album and the fictional news format spotlight the unprecedented escape incident in vampire society, each from a different perspective. The album is structured like a “mystery show for the ears,” consisting of six tracks, narration, and a skit. A third-person narrator guides the story, allowing listeners to immerse themselves as if they are citizens of the vampire world tuning into the show. At the same time, the vocal tracks convey the perspectives and emotions of the lovers, enabling fans to experience the escape firsthand from the characters’ point of view. Meanwhile, 'VAMPIRE NOW' approaches the same incident from another angle.
Presented as a credible news outlet within the vampire society, it reports and investigates the escape from start to finish. Through the format of news articles, the story reads as if it were an actual societal issue unfolding in real time. In other words, the same escape incident is intentionally reflected through two distinct lenses. Listeners move between the perspective of the citizens and that of the lovers, creating a layered experience that draws them deeper into the story.
I noticed that there’s not necessarily cross-posting between ENHYPEN’s official account and the promotional site/social accounts. I see a lot more engagement on ENHYPEN’s official socials, which is to be expected, but there’s obviously a lot of effort put into the storytelling, so I’m curious how you feel the reception has been, and what you hoped it would be?
[BELIFT LAB] This time, rather than linking all information directly between ENHYPEN’s official accounts and the promotional site, each channel was designed to drop different clues, allowing fans to piece the context together themselves. Instead of explaining the story all at once, we wanted the act of moving between channels and assembling the puzzle to become part of the experience itself. What was especially interesting was how actively fans engaged. They shared screenshots of details they found on the site, wrote interpretations connecting the news articles with the album’s core content, and some even created timeline posts to organize clues for others. On X, fans were using the hashtag “#vampirenowtwt” to post their own fictional news, turning it into a playful, participatory space.
What we realized through this process is that fans weren’t just consuming content—they were helping complete the album’s story. Also, while reactions on the official socials are immediate, discussions and interpretations are accumulating over time on the promotional site and storytelling channels. We feel that the immersive “hunt for clues” experience we hoped for has genuinely come to life. Eventually, this approach was an experiment in giving fans the freedom to see and connect the world from multiple angles rather than providing a single answer. We will continue exploring ways to expand the storytelling while respecting and encouraging fan interpretation and participation.
Who was in charge of thinking up fun ideas for the news site? I personally had a good laugh about the news story about vampires giving up their coffins for memory foam. Everyone needs a good mattress!
[BELIFT LAB] While the “core articles” directly tied to the album’s main narrative were planned from the start, other articles and banner ideas were naturally developed during the creative process. The starting point was always the same: “If vampires were living among us today, what kind of concerns and daily routines would they have?” From then on, a playful tone emerged, gently poking fun at classic vampire imagery while incorporating modern, everyday issues—like generational gaps, living expenses, or small daily struggles—into the world. Stories like the “vampires giving up their coffins for memory foam mattresses” were born from this process, enjoying the humor that comes from twisting familiar daily life through the vampires point of view. Even the advertisements and banners followed this approach.
Operating under the idea that “creatures who have lived for hundreds of years might have access to more advanced technology and knowledge than humans,” we took bold, slightly quirky creative liberties that still felt natural within the vampire world.
There’s almost a cinematic experience to the promo, reminding me of immersive marketing techniques we often see for big blockbusters or more artsy films. Not only are there social media posts, news clips, and videos, I saw that you were collaborating with other outlets, such as Eyes Mag and Billboard Korea. There’s a feel of blending reality and fiction. How have you balanced that, and decided what to turn into part of the narrative versus more traditional K-pop teasers, which you have also released?
[ BELIFT LAB] In this project, intentionally blurring the line between reality and fiction was a key goal. Because articles on VAMPIRE NOW and collaborations across social channels all borrowed the format of the real world, we wanted fans to feel as if they were experiencing a current event rather than just a “promotion.” Grounding the story this way made engagement with the blended universe feel much deeper.
Collaborations with other outlets worked in the same way: by subtly weaving the narrative into real-world platforms, fans could naturally experience the sense that the fictional world was intersecting with reality. The partnering channels themselves also delved into the story to craft related content, helping to strengthen that feeling. We didn’t draw a strict line between what should be told as part of the narrative versus more traditional promotions. Instead, we have continuously explored new approaches, and this time, that effort turned out especially effective.
The immersive aspect of the site being updated in realtime, with actual time, temp, and date for Seoul made this feel really real, and I saw fans appreciating it a lot. ENHYPEN already had a VR concert last year, so I'm curious about how ENHYPEN and their team think about the blend between reality and fiction they're consistently presenting?
[BELIFT LAB] With this virtual site, we wanted to give the impression that the story’s world is unfolding in real time. By letting fans follow it like they would news, we aimed to create a sense of immediacy, as if “something is really happening somewhere.” That said, our goal was never to completely erase the line between reality and fiction. What mattered most was not tricking the audience, but borrowing the language and rhythms of the real world to make this fictional world feel more convincing. Details like time, weather, and date are simply tools to enhance the experience, while always keeping the fact that it’s a story clear—maintaining that balance was key.
The VR concert follows the same philosophy. Technology isn’t the focus; it’s a way to expand the feeling that fans and artists are sharing the same space. It doesn’t replace real-life encounters, but offers another way to maintain emotional connection when physical presence isn’t possible. In the end, our question isn’t “how realistic can we make this?” but “how can fans enjoy a richer, safer experience?” We intentionally blur the line between reality and fiction, while constantly making sure that the balance between story and technology never undermines the fan experience.
Other K-pop acts have very successfully done multi-narrative social media roll outs in the past. What new creative elements do you feel you introduced to the industry with this rollout, if any?
[BELIFT LAB] Yes, it’s true that multi-narrative social media rollouts have already been attempted in K-pop before. However, what we wanted to try with this rollout wasn’t simply increasing the number of channels, but creating a structure where a single event is reflected through multiple platforms, each from a different perspective. At the center of this is ‘VAMPIRE NOW.’ This site wasn’t designed as a promotional hub, but as a fictional news outlet reporting on events within vampire society. By adding elements of reality, we aimed to give the sense that the story is moving in real time.
On social media, clues and interpretations surrounding these “news reports” naturally continued to spread, allowing fans to reference each other’s insights and further expand the narrative. Ultimately, what we aimed to show with this promotion wasn’t just a new form of multi-narrative, but a structure where a single world exists as if it were real as it moves across multiple channels. Through this approach, we also wanted to demonstrate that storytelling doesn’t have to be one-way—it can be an experience that grows and evolves together with fans.
It feels like if I didn’t know about the album, or if I didn’t know about the vampire story, I could enjoy both separately but together they’re more impactful. How do you find balance?
[BELIFT LAB] Finding that balance was one of the key priorities when planning this project. As the narrative becomes richer, it can certainly deepen immersion, but it can also feel overwhelming for people encountering it for the first time. That’s why we placed emotions that anyone can intuitively relate to—such as love, choice, escape, and fear—at the center, and designed the music and key visuals to communicate those feelings first. At the same time, we layered narrative clues throughout the album for longtime fans who want to engage more deeply with the story.
A good example is how the album’s creative content connects with and expands through the settings introduced in the VAMPIRE NOW articles. Even without knowing the full backstory, the overall flow is easy to follow—but the more you know, the more meaning you can discover. Ultimately, what mattered most to us was refining and perfecting each element. From the tracks, sound, and lyrics to the storytelling that allows the narrative to be experienced in a more dimensional way, everything was carefully designed, and that’s where we believe the synergy naturally came from.
The universal familiarity of the “vampire” concept also helped create balance—it’s a theme recognized worldwide, making it easier for new listeners to enter the story. On top of that foundation, we added ENHYPEN’s own interpretation and depth, so newcomers can enjoy it effortlessly, while longtime fans are rewarded with a much richer experience.
ENHYPEN has been introducing their vampire narrative since their earliest days. How have you developed it over time? Do you have a large storyboard guiding things, or are there creative changes introduced between comebacks?
[BELIFT LAB] While the vampire concept itself has remained consistent, we continuously explore new themes and ways to express it. There are many factors to consider, such as the artists’ growth, changes in the music industry, and how our core audience, hence our fans, consumes content. Rather than planning everything around one large, fixed storyboard from the beginning, we focus on showing what we can do best at each moment, depending on the situation.
For example, our second studio album ROMANCE : UNTOLD developed the story around the idea of a “modern vampire boyfriend,” highlighting the members’ growth from boys into men and expressing a deeper love with our fans. As that love naturally intensified, we went on to explore the theme of “desire” in our sixth mini album, DESIRE : UNLEASH. Our goal is to present ENHYPEN’s many different sides through fresh and creative ideas, while never losing our core identity.
Is there anything else you’d like to share or discuss?
[BELIFT LAB] ENHYPEN’s experimental approach doesn’t end with our seventh mini album—it’s something we plan to continue exploring moving forward. We want to keep challenging ourselves by crossing the boundaries between reality and fantasy, as well as music and narrative, to reveal new dimensions of ENHYPEN. We hope everyone continues to look forward to what lies ahead.
*Shout out to "Flashover"
