ENHYPEN’s newest track “Shine On Me,” the title song of their upcoming Japanese 4th single 宵 -YOI-, marks a major milestone for the group—it is the first time ENHYPEN has selected a Japanese original song as a title track, underlining their growing focus on the Japanese market and their commitment to delivering fresh, localized content to fans.
“Shine On Me” serves as the emotionally resonant ending theme for the new drama Ebi Datte Tai ga Tsuritai (海老だって鯛が釣りたい), which premiered July 2 on Nippon TV’s “Platinum Night” slot.
Crafted as a typical J-POP ballad, “Shine On Me” delicately captures the emotional tone of midsummer. The song begins with the poetic imagery of “you” appearing like a shining star in front of someone worn out by daily life. Its seasonal band sound and emotionally charged melody line are not only sonically captivating but also designed to gently permeate the listener’s heart. It might have been crafted as a typical ballad, but the way ENHYPEN performs the song, makes it anything but.
ENHYPEN describes the track as a piece that brings together “a delicate portrayal of summer emotions and a catchy, emotionally rich melody.” They invite listeners to focus on the beautiful lyrics, which complement the drama’s themes of love, vulnerability, and personal transformation.
“I love it already!” One fan stated on Reddit. “It’s so ENHYPEN, and the song is arranged in such a familiar format it brings me so much comfort!”
On TikTok, fans had similar reactions, with one noting that “Heeseung and Jay suit Japanese songs so well, and that Sunghoon’s voice stood out too!”
Many media outlets characterize “Shine On Me” as a hope-filled J-POP ballad tied to a summer romance theme – which is exactly what the song is.
While Japanese may not be ENHYPEN’s native language, they have given us a song of summer romance wrapped in starlight to remember.
ENHYPHEN comment
“We’re excited to announce that our new song ‘Shine On Me,’ the title track of our Japanese 4th single 宵 -YOI-, has been chosen as the ending theme for the drama airing nationwide on Chukyo TV and Nippon TV’s Wednesday ‘Platinum Night’ slot starting July 2!
‘Shine On Me’ is a J-POP-style ballad that delicately captures the emotions of midsummer. With its band sound and emotional melody, it’s a very catchy song. Please also pay attention to the beautiful lyrics!
We hope you enjoy our new song ‘Shine On Me’ along with the drama. It will be pre-released on July 4, so please listen to it a lot!”
Ebi Datte Tai ga Tsuritai follows the journey of Yuiko “Ebishi” Ebihara, a 25-year-old PR rep struggling with self-worth and romantic indecision. After being dumped by her “safe” boyfriend, she decides to dive headfirst into the unknown waters of real love—encountering four drastically different romantic prospects along the way, including EJ from &TEAM as a charming Korean “prince.”
The pairing of ENHYPEN’s tender yet uplifting ballad with a drama centered on emotional growth and self-discovery creates a perfect synergy, promising viewers both musical and narrative catharsis.