When Evan first left ENHYPEN to go solo, I was quite skeptical. Apparently, he had music he just had to get out as a soloist, but his initial releases felt rather perfunctory and similar to something his former band could have recorded. However, it’s always best to keep an open mind and he’s rewarded us with a complete reinvention in the form of new title track Death Of Me.
Rather than go the mid-tempo emo route, Death Of Me‘s funky bombast takes cues from artists like The Weeknd. Right from the start, I’m heartened to hear the song’s energy. A robust electronic bassline gives it great pulse that never really lets up and climaxes in a genuinely exciting centerpiece. I love this sound for K-pop and wish more artists would pursue it.
On the other hand, there’s a big factor keeping Death Of Me from completely soaring. I hate to say it, but that factor is Evan himself. He’s just not the strongest or most idiosyncratic of vocalists, and because of this his performance is drowned in effects that makes it sound muddled and small compared to the blockbuster instrumental. This limitation is likely the reason many artists choose a more downbeat, flat song structure. It takes a ton of gas to keep a song like this moving and even more on-record presence to cut through the aural drama. Still, this is easily his best effort yet and maybe we’ll see improvement in the future.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
this is how I feel. the song itself is good, but I was never convinced of his vocal skills even when he was in the group. still a great effort from him and a massive step up from a very mid debut.
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While “Ride or Die” felt a bit like an ENHYPEN demo, this release truly shows a lot of wonderful potential. Hearing a synth line with this much drive and energy in 2026 is genuinely refreshing. The track maintains a steady groove, and while Evan’s vocals lean on a bit more autotune than I personally prefer, it doesn’t distract from the overall experience.
Then, that chorus hits! it’s sleek, powerful, commanding, and cleverly crafted. If he can maintain this distinct sound and continue developing it thoughtfully, we might just have one of K-pop’s brightest future rising soloists on our hands. With its atmospheric vibe, this is definitely going to find a blessed spot on my Halloween playlist! I’ll have to see how this plays out for me in the long run!
8.25 (8,8,8,9)
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If it were someone like Key with a beat like this, this song would have been instantly in the 9s for me.
8.25 (8, 9, 8, 8), it suffers from a little too straightforward performance, like a power high note and ad-libs would have elevated it a lot
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Sad for us listeners, Key is still in investigation purgatory hence his solo presence diminished 😦
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I miss him so much I am watching those vlogs he is updating even though I hate vlogs, I have never felt this parasocial before xD
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This review reads like a less polarized version of your NCT Wish buried treasure back in April: pleased & satisfied with the music + songwriting (at least here, the chorus’ songwriting, no verse commentary), yet enjoyment is dampened due to the performer.
For me, I’m one satisfied listener. I am a (recent) fan of his, and this release served me well. Noise & Twilight (the song to be promoted along this) are my favorites.
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Yes, his influences are clear: The Weeknd, Michael Jackson, Taemin. It’s not a bad bag to pull from, especially as compared to whatever he was doing for his solo debut.
I feel some renewed affection for him given the interviews he’s done this promotion cycle. Hope it all goes well for him. I don’t think he’s a bad performer but there’s always room for improvement and they could also give him more room to spice it up with adlibs and so on.
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Sounds almost identical to Take My Breath
That said, the genre doesnt suit him tbh. It feels like a cover rather than his identity.
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