Song Review: Evan – Death Of Me

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 ...