Tag: EVAN

EVAN only just made his solo debut with Ride or Die in June this year. But he returned quickly, two and a half months later, releasing his first solo mini-album and title track, both titled Death of Me. This review focuses only on the title track.

Death of Me‘s production is one of the song’s real strengths. The groovy, crunchy synth work that dominates the chorus background was so driven and sharp. It had so much vigour and energy that it really stood out. EVAN translated this so well into his delivery and execution of the chorus. It was a promising start and a strong centrepiece. However, beyond the choruses, Death of Me falters. The verses were a snooze, largely forgettable, and just didn’t resonate as much as the choruses did. Some of his vocals were decent, but it sounded like he was held back from reaching his full potential. A prime example is how his singing in the second verse felt overly processed. Similarly, Death of Me also felt held back. Some ad-libs during the final chorus to build Death of Me toward a peak would have been appreciated, but instead we got a repeat of the same chorus, which ultimately flattened the song toward the end. The instrumental break outro was a nice touch and tried to add some oomph in the last seconds, but it was too late and not enough to get us to that peak.

This music video would have worked really well in the lead-up to Halloween, as it shows EVAN being haunted by a mysterious figure throughout. My theory is that the mysterious figure represents his past self, as he sings about starting afresh and his unwillingness to let his past limitations or fears control him. Out of EVAN’s looks throughout the video, I really like when he was in a suit on stage. It would have been nice for his other looks to be more on that side of the spectrum, and not super casual, loose, crop-top T-shirts. While he looked cool, I couldn’t help feeling like the video felt refined, but it ended up cheapening itself by the end.

You can tell EVAN put a lot of energy into the choreography, and it paid off. There is a strong MJ influence throughout the routine, and the dance break at the end was my favourite bit of the entire routine. The extra push he gives in the final moments just makes that part so much more impactful. His facial expressions and charisma were also executed perfectly, adding so much more to the performance.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

Earlier this year, BELIFT Lab unexpectedly announced HEESEUNG’s departure from ENHYPEN and that he would stay on as a solo artist under the company. The official reasoning provided was ‘creative differences’, though let’s hope whatever happened was amicable for the sake of ENHYPEN and HEESEUNG. Anyhow, four months on, HEESEUNG has gone on to redebut as a solo artist under the new stage name EVAN with the single Ride or Die.

Ride or Die is a decent debut track. The single delves into an alternative rock sound, with hyperpop elements to fit into today’s music trends. What comes out in the end is an edgy, almost punkish track that has grit and intensity. Not bad on the background front. The chorus has a catchy melody that helps Ride or Die stand out to me. The opening line to the chorus is what has been playing in my mind lately, and I find myself coming back to Ride or Die from time to time. On the other hand, Ride or Die is short in length, and this hinders EVAN from really exploring the alternative rock sound to his full potential. Also, the autotune over his vocals was far too heavy. I get that it works well with the hyperpop elements and gives off a rough exterior to match the rock sound. But it masks his true vocals, which we have heard time and time again through his past ENHYPEN works. For this reason, I do prefer the live performances of Ride or Die, as we get to hear more of his vocals and less autotune.

The song expresses the idea of loyalty, commitment and perseverance in a relationship, no matter what. But the video doesn’t feature another person as the other side of the relationship. Instead, the music video sees EVAN exist as a ghost after being in a car accident. As the music video progresses, a worn-down car (I assume it was the luxury car we see earlier in the video) follows EVAN around. At first, EVAN tries to avoid the car, but the car persists (this represents the idea of loyalty and commitment depicted in the lyrics), and EVAN ends up reuniting with the car (cue the late-night drives). I find this idea of a relationship between a person and an inanimate object a little funny, though it isn’t unheard of. It is also a neat way of avoiding showing EVAN in a relationship, even if it is just acting.

Aside from the live performances giving us more of EVAN’s vocals over autotune, the choreography showcases some really strong energy from EVAN and the dancers themselves to reflect the intensity of Ride or Die. EVAN has showcased some good chemistry with the camera, which is a necessity after the shift from group to solo stages.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10