It’s unusual for a member of a popular K-pop group to cut ties before contracts are up, especially if they stick with the agency to promote as a soloist. From all accounts, Heeseung’s departure from ENHYPEN could be chalked up to creative differences. He wanted to release the music he was into. This begs the question: what music could possibly be so good that it was worth leaving one of K-pop’s biggest acts?
Listening to Ride Or Die, that’s a question we’ll have to keep asking ourselves. This is clearly not a case of a group holding a visionary superstar back (a la Michael Jackson). In fact, Ride Or Die sounds like… an ENHYPEN song. It’s got that same sludgy production, melding rock guitar and trap beats. The vocal production remains smothered in ugly effects and neither the melodies nor the lyrics point toward any revelatory breakout. Is it better than Knife? Probably, but it’s also more generic and forgettable.
Ride Or Die lasts just over two minutes, but actually feels longer. This is because the instrumental plods along with such little momentum. Heeseung’s performance echoes this arrangement. His vocal melodies are phrased in a monotonous, overly familiar pattern, causing the entire song to succumb to total lockstep. There are no surprises or growth or even payoff. It’s a slog, honestly.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
Grade: D+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Ngl, I like the production, it’s a nice fusion of alt rock and hyperpop, but yeah, the vocal performances is a little too polished to the point it doesn’t do the production justice. But it’s a bit generic and doesn’t develop into anything solid.
7.25 (7, 8, 7, 7) for me
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Okay Yeonjun from dollar tree
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LOLLLL
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well he was kind of kicked out of his group…
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No, he willingly left his group.
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I don’t know if it’s the vocal production or his enunciation (or both), but something definitely sounds off. sadly a very generic debut.
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The heavy use of autotune gives the track a dense feel, which reminds me a bit of ENHYPEN’s signature mixing style. At times, the production feels a little crowded, and some of the high notes sound slightly constrained rather than fully open.
That being said, I can definitely see the artistic vision here. It feels like he is aiming to establish a distinct identity of his own, even if the final execution still carries some sonic similarities to ENHYPEN’s work. I was also a bit surprised by the track’s runtime—coming in under 2 minutes and 20 seconds, it feels like there was so much more potential to explore if the song had been given room to breathe.
Despite those elements, it’s an interesting direction, and it leaves me genuinely intrigued to see what Evan will create for us next!
Final Rating: Low 7
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This is too bad because I think the melody has potential if only the production were more varied. I’m probably thinking of this because of the similar titles but it might benefit from a full rock instrumental like the Glen Check remix for TNX’s Love or Die.
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The vocal “processing” (??) sounds VERY annoying? Ugh
6.5/10
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