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ENHYPEN’s fandom, ENGENE, was left confused after a clip of the group performing Bite Me without female dancers went viral on Twitter. On July 12, 2023, a video showing the idols dancing to the chorus alone raised multiple eyebrows as fans tried to make sense of it. The original choreography for Bite Me included a couple dance with female performers. However, while it was praised, it also attracted heavy backlash from Korean fans.
The video, posted on Twitter by multiple accounts and credited to the username @0middl, showed the septet dancing to their recent hit track Bite Me. As per netizens, the group performed the same at a school, a majority of whose students were minors. The clips ignited a heated discussion on various points, especially how celebratory the moment was for Korean fans who had earlier protested against the female dancers.
Choreography change for tour or specifically for school? ENHYPEN’s fans discover the septet dancing Bite Me without female partners
May and June were tough months for both ENHYPEN and their fandom, ENGENE. The septet made their much-awaited comeback with Bite Me, which was praised for its second-generation K-pop vibe as it brought back couple dance, among other things. However, protest trucks demanding the removal of the female dancers popped up after some time. Chinese and Korean fans, especially, were vehemently against the male idols performing with female partners.
BELIFT LAB, ENHYPEN’s company, did not address the issue in any official statement. Weeks later, the septet was seen dancing to Bite Me without female partners at a recent school event. Clips from the particular event spread across Twitter as fans offered their two cents about the situation.
While some speculated that the agency had changed the choreography by removing female dancers, others wondered if the septet gave a toned-down version of their borderline seductive moves because the performance was at a school.
However, a part of the fandom also mentioned that the choreography seemed "boring" or bland without the couple chorus dance. There were also many who pointed out how happy the Korean netizens must be.
A few fans also reasoned that the choreography wasn’t toned down for minors, considering Ni-ki, the group’s youngest at 17 years old, was also a minor performing it. Some fans also mentioned that it seemed like the agency changed the Bite Me choreography for their upcoming FATE Tour 2023, which will take them through three countries—South Korea, Japan, and the US—beginning on July 29.
However, it remains to be seen if ENHYPEN’s solo Bite Me performance was a one-off thing or if the agency actually gave in to the demands and protests and removed the female dancers.
In recent news, BELIFT LAB announced their FATE World Tour a week ago on July 7, 2023. The released dates currently include 13 shows across three countries - South Korea, Japan, and the US. The septet will kick off the tour in Seoul with a two-night show on July 29 and 30. The teaser poster also promises more dates to be announced later.
