Solo artist Evan (EVAN) follows the successful run of his debut single by stepping up as a full-fledged "self-producing artist" with his first mini album.
Evan's first mini album, DEATH OF ME, set to be released on the 7th, is an album that captures a further expanded musical world. Led by the pop R&B title track "Death of Me," it spans a wide range of genres from pop based on UK garage rhythms to alternative rock and dream pop.
Evan participated in the lyrics for all tracks and led the composition of seven songs and the overall producing of the album, excluding track 2, "Noise." Not content with simply singing, he weaves his candid stories throughout the album, showing growth as a "self-producing artist."
Evan's production capabilities have already been proven through his debut activities. Through the debut single released "RIDE OR DIE," announced in June, he showcased a musical color that freely crossed genre boundaries. He not only handled songs with contrasting moods—from alternative rock that adds hyperpop elements to pop rock to calmer indie pop—but also led lyric writing, composition and producing, and visual creative work, firmly imprinting his musical sensibility.
Global success followed. At the time, the title track "Ride or Die" reached No. 1 on iTunes' top song charts in nine countries and regions, and the music video ranked No. 9 on YouTube's "daily popular music video" global chart. It also topped Tencent Music's weekly Korea chart in China, achieving notable overseas results.
Building on these achievements, Evan recently won the "Global-K Artist" award at the large-scale Greater China ceremony "2026 TIMA." He then took home the "all-round musician award" at the "2026 K-World Dream Awards," given to artists who have presented original music, further recognizing his musical abilities.
The achievements amassed at home and abroad have naturally led to heightened expectations for the new release. As of the 2nd, DEATH OF ME surpassed 420,000 pre-saves on Spotify. It also ranked high on the weekly "Countdown Chart Global," which tallies pre-save numbers on a weekly basis, drawing strong interest even before its official release.
A track sampler that offers a preview of the diverse genres included on the first mini album has also raised fans' expectations. Fans who watched the video responded enthusiastically with comments such as "Every track is so unique and Evan's color comes through completely," "The fact that it shows originality, creativity and authenticity is Evan music's biggest attraction," and "You can feel that it's music that truly expresses himself rather than simply following trends."
DEATH OF ME, which brings together proven producing skills, candid stories and a wide genre spectrum, is expected to become another meaningful milestone in Evan's musical journey. Global listeners' attention is focused on Evan's new album as he further sharpens his musical identity.
[Photo] Provided by Belift Lab Inc.
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