Inside EVAN's Reinvention: The Story Behind His Alternative Rock Debut "Ride or Die"

EVAN has launched his solo era with the release of his debut digital single “RIDE OR DIE,” introducing new official social channels and his first profile imagery under the name alongside it. The two-track release, paired with B-side “OVERFLOW,” marks the next chapter for the artist previously known as Heeseung of ENHYPEN, built almost entirely on his own creative terms.

The rollout opened with a quiet but deliberate reset. EVAN’s debut profile images dropped minimalist makeup and styling in favor of a more understated presentation, with label BELIFT LAB framing the visuals as an early, undefined look at the artist before any external image has been built around him. The name EVAN itself carries personal weight, drawn from a name he has held onto since childhood, and is meant to signal music that reflects his most honest and natural self going forward.

“I found myself gravitating toward a rawer, more instinctive form of expression.”

The new name finds its clearest expression on “RIDE OR DIE,” a title pulled from the phrase used to describe standing by someone through anything. EVAN took a leading role across songwriting, composition, production, and the project’s overall visual direction, and described the process as a chance to present two distinct sides of his artistry. “I wanted to present two songs with different charms,” he tells Hypebeast. “With the title track, I wanted to show the new musical direction I’m pursuing, while with the B-side, I wanted to express a more emotional side of myself.” The title track lands as an alternative rock cut built around longing and overwhelming emotion, while “OVERFLOW” shifts into a softer indie pop register. Despite their contrasting sounds, both tracks rooted in introspective, vulnerable songwriting.

Diving into rock for the first time shaped more than just the songs themselves. EVAN explained that the genre pushed him to think as much about the project’s visual and stage elements as the music. “As I became deeply drawn to the rock genre for the first time, I wanted to express its unique energy and emotion in different ways,” he said, adding that the process pulled him toward a rawer, more instinctive form of expression running through the entire album. A similar sensibility informs the music video for “RIDE OR DIE,” which explores the idea of unwavering trust through EVAN’s symbolic relationship with a weathered car that never leaves his side, pairing the song’s explosive energy with a sense of catharsis.

For EVAN, that rawness doubles as something closer to a mission statement. “To me, alternative music is more than just a genre. It’s the style of music that expresses who I am best,” he said, framing the genre shift as a chance to put forward his own musical color and a more honest version of his emotions than he had shown before. He pointed to the album as the start of an ongoing effort to connect with listeners through new and different kinds of music going forward.

With “RIDE OR DIE” and “OVERFLOW,” EVAN steps into his first chapter as a soloist on his own terms, swapping idol polish for the rawer instincts he says now define his sound. Stream both tracks on Spotify and Apple Music.