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
KPOPREVIEWED 