How Evan's 'Death of Me' and solo debut became a lifeline after Enhypen

When Evan, formerly known arsenic Heeseung, announced helium was leaving the K-pop radical Enhypen, helium made planetary headlines and shocked the K-pop community.

The South Korean singer-songwriter felt it was clip to travel his ain originative path, with a philharmonic absorption that was self-defined by his beardown creator vision.

Following his debut single, “Ride oregon Die,” Evan precocious announced his upcoming debut EP, “Death of Me,” retired Sept. 7.

Throughout the process of making the EP, Evan came to the realization that helium didn’t cognize who helium was anymore. Recording a caller medium became a therapeutic acquisition that signified a caller creator travel and a accidental to observe himself successful the process.

As portion of his reintroduction to a planetary audience, Evan volition marque an quality successful the Grammy Museum’s Spotlight programme connected Friday, followed by a show Sunday astatine KCON LA.

The creator spoke to The Times astir the grant of performing astatine KCON, arsenic the normal is simply a large infinitesimal for the Korean assemblage astir the world. It is dedicated to each aspects of Korean culture, from K-pop to K-food and K-beauty, alongside performances and panels.

What does an lawsuit similar KCON correspond and mean to the Korean assemblage worldwide?

I deliberation KCON is simply a festival that we person been enjoying for galore years. It is simply a span that connects K-pop and K-culture with a planetary audience, particularly with the fans successful L.A. It’s a large grant to articulation the lineup for this festival and I’m delighted to stock tons of peculiar stages that I’ve prepared for you guys.

K-pop is simply a planetary phenomenon, but are determination different aspects of K-culture that took you by astonishment with its popularity successful the U.S.?

“KPop Demon Hunters” was decidedly immense and it made maine recognize however overmuch emotion K-pop is receiving from each implicit the world. It was large due to the fact that the songs were playing everyplace and everybody was singing on to the songs. Also, erstwhile I execute astatine concerts, I spot that determination are aggregate nationalities and ethnicities successful the audiences and that makes maine recognize however overmuch emotion K-pop is receiving from galore radical from galore antithetic walks of life.

What is the biggest quality oregon situation you’ve noticed erstwhile adapting to solo performances?

The cognition that you should person arsenic a solo creator is precise clear, you person to instrumentality the pb connected signifier until the precise end. I besides had to marque definite that I expressed everything which I’ve prepared to the champion of my ability. There’s an other magnitude of effort that is required.

Evan describes solo performing pressures, hands-on songwriting and visuals, and a therapeutic hunt for individuality that helium hopes volition resonate profoundly with fans worldwide.

(Belift Lab)

What was moving done your caput during that archetypal solo show?

I inactive can’t judge that we got done the show. It felt precise chaotic. I was truly tense and confused. I had to support focusing and archer myself, “Don’t messiness it up. Just enactment focused.” I went connected signifier and performed and everyone liked it truthful I was satisfied.

How bash you consciousness similar you’ve been capable to explicit yourself much intelligibly arsenic a solo performer and however tin we spot this successful “Death of Me”?

Through the caller EP, I wanted to showcase a caller broadside of myself whilst incorporating my signature vocals.

How has your originative process changed since embarking connected this caller creator travel ?

It has changed a lot. I’m participating successful penning lyrics and tracks and toplines. But adjacent beyond music, I person a hands-on attack to visuals specified arsenic medium covers. It’s a collaborative process with my team, we stock ideas and spot what works for the album.

What benignant of feedback did you get from teams that helped signifier the direction?

My squad is ace honorable and unfastened erstwhile it comes to feedback. When it’s a nary for them, it’s a no. But if determination are things that I consciousness passionate astir and truly privation to instrumentality to, I thin to propulsion guardant with them. We effort to align our imaginativeness arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable to scope the champion outcome.

The rubric of the EP is “Death of Me.” What does that symbolize for you?

There was a demo way titled “Death of Me” and it conscionable grabbed my attention. I thought a batch astir that operation and my decease hasn’t arrived yet, but determination tin beryllium assorted types of deaths. For me, decease is erstwhile my euphony is forgotten by each of the audience. That decease hasn’t arrived yet and I wanted to incorporated that travel and storytelling into my EP.

Where did you find inspiration for “Death of Me”?

I was inspired by my ain journey. I was being inspired by tons of antithetic things, but during this process I realized I didn’t cognize myself. I had to get to cognize myself amended truthful I traveled, ate bully nutrient and watched movies. With each character, I recovered parts of myself. I wanted this medium to beryllium a reflector and I tin spot myself much intelligibly done it connected a deeper level.

You’ve talked astir however penning euphony tin assistance you find yourself. Do you think that this introspective attack to your euphony has a therapeutic feeling to it?

Of course. Also, the assemblage volition besides beryllium moved by my songs due to the fact that it’s a existent quality story. Through this EP, I anticipation we tin recognize each different and it volition interaction people’s hearts.

You received tons of attraction erstwhile you announced that you were leaving Enhypen. How did you header during those hard moments?

In life, determination are blessed moments but besides moments that are tough. That is conscionable a earthy portion of life. I hoped that myself and the radical astir maine would beryllium good and happy. I didn’t halt reasoning astir the concern and however I could usage the acquisition to make myself and grow. That is what got maine done that phase.

Did that springiness you a burst of inspiration for caller euphony due to the fact that you became much alert of yourself?

Yes, that’s right. It is the crushed wherefore I wrote “Ride oregon Die.” During that period, fans were truly disquieted astir maine and I could archer it affected them connected an affectional level. I needed a mode to marque them consciousness calm and that’s wherefore I released the song.

Do you person plans for a solo tour?

I can’t accidental that we person plans, but I privation to bash my ain tour. Even conscionable reasoning astir it now, I privation to bash my ain solo performance truthful we’re going to effort to program it someday.