the boys of ENHYPEN from going full steam ahead and making the biggest move of their careers: debuting as a group.

In South Korea, K-pop bands are typically comprised of Korean idol trainees who have studied dance, singing, and foreign language extensively, are assembled by entertainment companies, and formally "debut" with music. ENHYPEN came together a little differently, with the seven boys all making it through BELIFT LAB's (a joint venture of Big Hit Entertainment and CJ E&M) music reality show I-Land, where fans around the world voted. They beat out 16 other trainees to become a group, ultimately named ENHYPEN, under the company's label.

ENHYPEN released their first mini album, the six-track BORDER : DAY ONE, on November 30. And the hype behind that project—and the group itself—is massive. Their first music video for the infectious, debut-feelings-focused single "Given-Taken" has gotten over 17 million views since it first aired on Nov. 30. The boys' fan base, called ENGENE, are already in the millions. The boys have over 2.2 million followers on Instagram; 1.5 million on Twitter (on the members account where the boys tweet; their label's account for them also has 1.1 million followers); and 1.77 million subscribers on their YouTube. Most of that following came before they released their EP.

ENHYPEN's seven members are all in their teens: HEESEUNG, 19; SUNGHOON, 18; JUNGWON, 16; JAY, 18; SUNOO, 17; JAKE, 18; and NI-KI, 15. But their dreamy first EP dives into the deep end thematically, with the boys creating music about their own feelings and anxieties about this new chapter along with their journey seeking meaningful relationships with all the vulnerability that true connection requires.

As the group put it to ELLE.com, "BORDER : DAY ONE explores the complex emotions and thoughts that crossed our minds during our shift from trainees to artist and individuals to a group. It also contains our ambitions to overcome any doubts or uncertainties. We hope this resonates with ENGENE as well while listening to this album."

The boys took ELLE.com through their EP track by track, talked about what they learned making music during COVID-19, and shared a little about who they are as the entire world gets to know them.

Congratulations on your debut! Your group name, ENHYPEN, is rooted in your journey connecting and growing with each other (and I’d imagine your fans too). What does the name mean to you personally?

JUNGWON: I interpret ENHYPEN as the last destination of my training days and a dream come true. We will be a group that continually improves and sticks together for a very long time.

HEESEUNG: I think ENHYPEN is what gives us the opportunity to connect with each other and grow to eventually pull out our charms and endless possibilities. We aspire to be each others’ colleagues and guides to move forward to become an awesome group.

JAY: The meaning behind the name speaks our thoughts. And it’s what we need right now. So it expresses us really well and I personally think it’s a cool name.

JAKE: The name ENHYPEN conveys what I want to achieve as an artist. Every time I say our name out loud, I will remember the meaning behind it.

SUNGHOON: ENHYPEN connects me, our members and all the people around the world who listen to our music.

SUNOO: The name signifies that we have come together to grow and magnify each other’s strengths to advance towards our mutual goal.

NI-KI: ENHYPEN, for me, is a group that led us to each other to achieve growth and be together forever.

You created your first EP in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic after being finalists on I-LAND. What's the biggest lesson you learned making the album?

JUNGWON: We’ve done many activities we hadn’t done previously and I got a lot of help from our members along the way. I learned that I have more left to improve.

HEESEUNG: Looking back to the journey so far, the most disappointing aspect was that we couldn't meet our fans in person. In the midst of this disheartening reality, we held onto the hope that we would meet eventually and got comfort from communicating through our social media channels. Thanks to that we could successfully wrap up our album. We are forever grateful to ENGENE for their untiring support and we want to tell them how much we love them.

JAY: I was reminded of the importance of sincerity when it comes to music, so that’s what we want to show our ENGENE with our lead single “Given-Taken”!

JAKE: We underwent the process of making up for what each other lacks. We really worked hard for this album and we hope that listeners can get hope and joy in difficult times.

SUNGHOON: As we immersed ourselves in creating the album, what struck me the most was that I needed to switch to a professional mindset of an artist and leave behind my identity as a trainee. I felt the need to experience and practice more.

SUNOO: Getting closer to the completion of the album, I got to know more about how important our fans are. In addition, I will try to stay stronger physically so I can show our ENGENE the best of me.

NI-KI: Each of us improved in different ways and we grew as a team together. It was an invaluable time.

What lessons have you learned about friendship from working and living with each other?

ENHYPEN: We have been inseparable since I-LAND so honestly, there is nothing new. But our teamwork is getting stronger each day, so I think we’re learning what teamwork truly means.

Take ELLE through each track of the EP. What is each song’s meaning?

ENHYPEN: Hold tight, because we will take you through the awesome music in our new album! The album starts with “Intro : Walk the Line” that sings about the moment when the boys who survived enter the long awaited world as pain turns into happiness. Then there’s our lead single “Given-Taken.” “Let Me In (20 CUBE)” is about the longing to enter the boundaries of a loved one and “10 Months” compares innocent and fluttering love to a 10-month-old puppy. “Flicker” is about sending a signal to a counterpart to connect the world together and lastly, “Outro : Cross the Line” symbolizes the end of a day as well as getting listeners to look forward to ENHYPEN’s next steps.

This has been one of the biggest years of your lives—and one of the most unprecedented for the world. What has been your proudest moment this year?

ENHYPEN: The proudest moment would be now, accomplishing our dream of debut. We want to show our fans how we will continually grow with an unchanging passion. And if we also get the title of “Rookie of the Year,” I think that will make this year even more significant.

What do you hope to accomplish in the U.S. music scene?

ENHYPEN: Starting with our debut album, we want to show our fans how ENHYPEN continually grows. Getting good chart results would be amazing, and any collaboration opportunities would be an honor and a chance to bring out a different side of ENHYPEN.

If there’s one thing your ENGENE fan base should know about who you are as a person, what would it be?

JUNGWON: If you comfort me when I’m sad, I get energized.

HEESEUNG: ENHYPEN has a lot more in store. Faithful to our name, we will move forward and bring good results. It’s in our DNA to overcome any flaws (which we have a lot) and become formidable artists!

JAY: I’m into many aspects of art! I will try to show you my best in various fields, so please look forward to it!

JAKE: I love ENGENE!

SUNGHOON: I’m the persevering type, so I will never give up and keep improving.

SUNOO: Once you’re into SUNOO, there’s no way out! So I want people to know that beforehand.

NI-KI: I’m a charming singer and performer who will never stop growing.

Fashion is such a big part of K-pop. How would you describe your personal style? And how would you describe the group’s overall style?

JUNGWON: I usually wear dandy looks.

HEESEUNG: I often wear funky wide pants and flannel shirts, which are almost always oversized. I am trying out new styles these days, though.

JAY: I’m still exploring various styles. These days I’m into “rock chic.”

JAKE: I want to try out a variety of styles. Recently, I’ve been enjoying adding small details to hip hop style clothing.

SUNGHOON: My style is neat and formal with subtle details added with shoes, colors, and patterns.

SUNOO: I initially preferred casual, but nowadays I’m also interested in dandy, minimal and street styles as well.

NI-KI: I like simple clothes that accentuate the body line.

ENHYPEN: In our photos for BORDER : DAY ONE, our wardrobe leans toward the classic style to go with our album concept.

Help our ELLE readers get to know you as members and your dynamic as a group with these just-for-fun rapid-fire questions.

What’s on your holiday wishlist this year?

JAKE: I’ve been taking a lot of photos with polaroid cameras lately and it is really fun. I’d like to take many pictures of the members with one.

What’s your favorite movie or TV show and why?

SUNGHOON: I like hero movies like the Marvel series.

What's your go-to karaoke song?

HEESEUNG: It’s hard to pick just one!

Who’s your favorite superhero and why?

JUNGWON: Scarlet Witch. Psychokinesis seems like a really cool superpower.

What’s your favorite food?

NI-KI: My favorite food in the world is fish-shaped bun. It’s so good.

What color do you most want to dye your hair?

JAY: I want to try pink someday.

You have a day off. If you could do anything (in non-pandemic times), what would you do?

SUNOO: I want to go to the amusement park with our members and my family. I also want to go to the movie theater.

You can listen to BORDER : DAY ONE on Spotify here and on YouTube here.