EVAN Refuses to Be Forgotten With "DEATH OF ME": "I Want To Give People Hope"

EVAN has a clear definition of what "death" means to him as an artist: being forgotten.

The soloist held a media showcase for his first mini-album "DEATH OF ME" at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Palace on September 7, where he introduced the new release and performed his title track "Death of Me" in front of the press.

The album arrives approximately three months after EVAN made his solo debut with "RIDE OR DIE" in June. While that release marked his first step forward alone, "DEATH OF ME" offers a more complete look at the kind of artist he now hopes to become.

At the center of his new eight-track project is a simple yet recurring idea that not many had expected: hope.

"My musical direction is to put who I am as a person fully into the music," EVAN said during the showcase. "As I've lived, there have been many moments when I realized how important something as simple as the word 'hope' can be."

Rather than being a theme he adopted specifically for his solo career, EVAN explained that the message reflects values he has carried since childhood. "This album is not something that I created through just the process of becoming a solo artist," he said. "It naturally contains the values and thoughts I have had since I was very young."

That is why, when asked how he would describe "DEATH OF ME" in one word, EVAN chose "mirror." "If you listen to the songs, there is fear, but at the same time there is also the desire to move forward. There are a lot of honest stories coming from me like that," he noted.

Across the album, the various emotions take different forms, but EVAN said listeners should be able to find a common thread running through them. "Even if you listen to all the tracks, I think you can feel at least one line of hope in the lyrics."

The album's title track, "Death of Me," makes that message particularly explicit. Described as a pop R&B track that EVAN participated in writing and composing, the song represents what he described as a strong determination to continue moving forward despite reaching moments where he felt confronted by his own limits. EVAN describes "Death of Me" as his new starting line.

The title also carries a deeper and more personal meaning, as he referenced the idea that a person truly disappears when they are forgotten and applied that concept directly to his own career. "If people no longer look for my music or look for me as an artist, I think that is when I cease to exist," he said. "I don't want that to happen."Thus, rather than referring to literal death, "DEATH OF ME" becomes a declaration that he intends to continue creating and giving listeners a reason to seek out his music.

That same resolve appears in the title track's key phrase, "Can't Stop." EVAN selected the line because it represents his determination to reach the goals he has set for himself.

Following his participation in the production of debut single "RIDE OR DIE," the singer once again took an active role in shaping his first mini-album, participating across the project as a writer, composer and producer. Speaking about his involvement, EVAN said, "The album reflects a lot of my ideas. The most important thing was putting stories that came honestly from within me into the songs."

That involvement is particularly apparent across the album's eight tracks. Alongside the title track, the project includes "Not Enough," a trap-based track; "Noise," a pop R&B song incorporating lo-fi guitar riffs; and "Ride or Die," which served as the soloist's debut track. "Twilight" mixes UK garage with pop to portray fleeting moments, while "Immature" is an alternative rock track. The album also includes the restrained indie-pop track "Overflow" from his first single and closes with "Going Home," a dream-pop track that brings EVAN's journey toward his own destination to a warmer conclusion.

EVAN revealed that while working on the lyrics for "Death of Me," he regularly carried notes containing lyric ideas, which he later transferred onto his computer to develop further. However, he shared that the first version of the title track's lyrics was not good enough, and he eventually rewrote them from the beginning.

He shared that he was particularly careful with his words because he knew they would remain attached to his music after its release. He compared the process to publishing a book that would stay out in the world forever, making him want to pay close attention to the story he was sharing.

That same story has recently extended beyond music, as EVAN revealed that he underwent treatment for pediatric cancer when he was younger. When asked why he chose to speak publicly about the experience now, he said, "Because this is an album where I am showing my inner self, I naturally began thinking about the experiences that had the biggest influence on my thoughts and values."

The treatment process he underwent as a child inevitably had an impact on the person he later became. "The treatment process was very difficult and painful, and saying that it did not influence who I am now would not be true," he said. However, he emphasized that he does not want that experience to overshadow the album itself. Instead, he hopes it helps explain why the message means so much to him.

"If there are people currently suffering through pediatric cancer treatment, I hope my story can give them even a small amount of comfort and hope," he said.

While "DEATH OF ME" focuses on EVAN's inner world, it also arrives amid continued attention surrounding his transition from group activities to a solo career. When asked about fans who felt disappointed by his decision, EVAN first expressed gratitude to them. "I understand the disappointment and the things I have said during this process. The biggest way I can repay that is by showing better sides of myself."

"I will work to become an artist who shows good music and a positive influence," he said. When asked further about the process behind his solo transition, EVAN declined to go into detail, noting that multiple parties had been involved. However, he said he continues to view his previous activities positively.

For all the different genres of "DEATH OF ME," EVAN ultimately returned to the same message when discussing what he hopes to achieve next. His immediate ambition is to perform on bigger stages and reach more listeners. More importantly, however, his goal is "to be able to give people strength through my music so that when they encounter difficult situations, they can overcome them."

It is that same goal that brings "DEATH OF ME" back to where it began. For an artist who defines disappearing as the moment people stop searching for his music, EVAN's first mini-album is built around the opposite idea: continuing to move, to create and to live, leaving behind enough hope to make listeners return.

EVAN's first mini-album "DEATH OF ME" will be available on various streaming platforms on Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. KST.