Heeseung has a new name, a new sound, and a whole new vibe. The former Enhypen member is officially stepping into the spotlight as Evan today with his debut solo project Ride or Die, and Rolling Stone has the exclusive first interview.
Three months after announcing his exit from Enhypen, Evan is ready to show fans who he really is. The two-track project is entirely his vision—from ideation to topline creation. No corporate polish, no genre boxes. Just pure, unfiltered Evan.
In his first-ever interview, the singer revealed the story behind his stage name. "Ever since I was young, a lot of people called me Evan," he shared over Zoom. "Whenever I would go overseas, or when taking English classes, my name has always been Evan." His mother gave it to him, and he chose to carry it forward as a symbol of "authenticity and purity."
The internet has responded swiftly. Evan launched his Instagram account in April and hit 1 million followers in just three hours—he's now sitting at around 5 million. Recently, he's been dropping covers of SZA and Justin Bieber tracks, teasing the sonic influences behind Ride or Die.
His creative north star is rock music. "It could be considered a genre that is unfamiliar to me, but I started to develop an interest in rock," Evan explained. "In that process, I started listening to more rock bands and got a lot of inspiration from them."
"I tried to focus on making sure it doesn't come off as overly deliberate or forced," he said. "I wanted to show what I naturally became interested in, in a raw way."
Evan is done playing it safe.
