EVAN returned with his first mini album, DEATH OF ME, a self-produced work about inner struggles, hope, and moving forward.

EVAN (formerly Heeseung of ENHYPEN) made a comeback with an album that wrote down his inner self. A release commemorative showcase for EVAN’s 1st mini album, “DEATH OF ME,” was held this afternoon (the 7th) at Kyung Hee University’s Peace Hall in Dongdaemun District, Seoul. He said, “I was very much looking forward to the release of my 1st mini album. I’m also excited and thrilled to be able to show my first stage. I hope it becomes an album that many people will like,” speaking about his feelings on the album’s release. “DEATH OF ME” is an album in which EVAN’s determination to firmly grasp the tangled threads of complicated emotions and move forward stands out. Following his debut single “RIDE OR DIE,” he again led the production of all the songs and the overall creation, showing his ability as a self-produced artist. EVAN introduced the album, saying, “It contains a total of eight songs, including the two songs included on the debut single released in June. I gathered songs from various genres.” He also said, “A lot of my ideas are reflected throughout the album. The most important thing was putting into the songs the story that came from my honest inner self. In the process of making that happen, many staff members helped me, and as a result, it seems to have become an album that covers all the good elements, so I’m satisfied,” expressing confidence. The title track of the same name, “Death of Me,” is a song that expresses his unwavering will, standing at a new starting line, with a heavy pop R&B sound. He participated in writing and composing the song himself, and included the unwavering attitude of “no one can stop me” and the message of “not losing myself.” EVAN revealed, “It is a song that contains my strong will as I stand at a new starting line. While preparing the debut single, there were many times when I hit musical limits. If you watch my documentary, you can see me doing push-ups and running while singing, and repeatedly practicing dance. It contains the will not to give in to limits.” He said, “I have a lyric notebook that I usually carry around. I wrote about one song in it, but there was too much to write lyrics for the other songs, so I worked on a computer. Since these were songs that would be released to the world, I focused on every single word choice, and what I remember most is working all night for a week,” revealing behind-the-scenes details of the production. He continued, “I completely reset the draft of the title track and rewrote the lyrics. Even when the draft was being made, I wrote and revised it all night, and repeated revisions until the title track was completed.” Regarding the listening point of “Death of Me,” he said, “I think ‘Can’t stop’ will be the key point. I personally like it because it conveys a strong will and the determination to definitely achieve the goals I set.” He also added, “In terms of performance, there is a movement where both hands are extended and isolation is done, and that is a part I personally like.” EVAN emphasized, “If I were to describe ‘DEATH OF ME’ in one word, it would be a mirror-like album. It gives me a lot of the feeling of facing myself. As you can tell if you listen to the songs, while there is anxiety about the future, at the same time there is an honest and raw story of wanting to move forward and accomplish more. I think it is an album that reflects my thoughts and inner self as they are.” Regarding the use of words that evoke death from “RIDE OR DIE” to “DEATH OF ME,” he said, “‘RIDE OR DIE’ is often used as an idiomatic expression. It contains the meaning of being together until the end. Since it was the first album released for the fans, I think of it as a song delivered like a gift, with the meaning of being together until the end.” He continued, “‘DEATH OF ME’ is a concept close to musical extinction. In the famous line from the manga ONE PIECE, it says, ‘When do you think people die? When they are forgotten by others.’ For me, when my music no longer reaches people, I think my own reason for existence disappears, so I put into it a strong determination not to let that happen.” Having debuted as ENHYPEN, he announced his departure from the group in March of this year and began activities as the solo artist “EVAN,” drawing attention. EVAN revealed, “As some of you may already know, while continuing my music activities until now, I have been deeply troubled about how I should deliver music in the future and in what form I should show myself to you. I shared what I made with the agency and discussed it deeply, and after long 고민, I decided to walk the path of a solo artist.” He continued, “Thankfully, I was able to successfully finish the activities for my debut single and received overwhelming love. I’m deeply moved that I can now make a successful comeback with my 1st mini album, ‘DEATH OF ME.’” He said, “At the same time as a comeback, it is also a new starting point. I think I can show various sides of myself. I want to deliver many things through music so that I can give something back to my fans.” Regarding his goals, he emphasized, “If I mention my own big goal, it is to stand on more stages. I want to show my stage in more places, and by having people see my stage, I want interest to arise, for them to become interested in my story, and to listen to my album. Then I think I can convey my ultimate message. Artist EVAN’s motto is to give people hope through music. Through my music, when people are tired and face difficult situations, I think my most important mission is to give them the strength to overcome them.” Regarding his musical orientation, he said, “I have had many moments in life where I realized how important the simple two letters of hope are to people. I want to convey my message exactly as it is, and to do that, I think my true self must be contained in the music.” In response to the question of whether the process of transitioning to a solo artist is included in the album, EVAN introduced it by saying, “That is not the case; it is really an album that naturally weaves in the values and stories that have been built since I was very young.” He added, “Because I realized from a very young age that hope is important, that kind of message is reflected.” Recently, he revealed his experience of battling childhood cancer, and said, “‘DEATH OF ME’ is an album that contains my inner self, so I wanted to naturally weave out all of my stories. In the process of explaining this album, I think I was naturally able to open up about the moments that influenced my thoughts and values. The message I want to convey is contained in the album as it is, and because I myself had such experiences, I hope you will listen while focusing on how important the message conveyed by this album is.” He continued, “The treatment process for childhood cancer is extremely harsh and painful. It would be a lie to say that the process of receiving this treatment did not affect who I am now.” He added, “In the end, it was a moment when I had to talk about this for the process of showing my inner self as it is.” He said, “I think there are people all over the country suffering from childhood cancer, and if this story reaches them, I want to convey a small message of comfort and hope.” He also said about ENHYPEN’s new album reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart “Billboard 200,” “I’m proud. I don’t think No. 1 on the Billboard 200 is an easy goal to achieve, but I think the best thing for me is to work hard from now on and show good sides in each of our respective positions.” Finally, he said, “I describe this album as my mirror, or as a self-portrait, because it reflects so much of my inner self. I myself had difficult times, and I experienced moments when I overcame them. If my music can become a comfort and further help more people, I think that alone would make me very happy. Thank you for attending the showcase for my first mini album. I would be happy if you would also listen to the music at least once.” EVAN’s 1st mini album, “DEATH OF ME,” will be released at 6 p.m. the same day. ・[PHOTO] Former ENHYPEN Heeseung holds a release showcase for his 1st mini album “DEATH OF ME” ・Former ENHYPEN Heeseung makes a comeback on September 7! Releases 1st mini album “DEATH OF ME”