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EVAN sits down with Billboard to talk about going solo—from going from HEESEUNG to EVAN to creating his debut-era music with his new EP 'DEATH OF ME'.He breaks down key tracks like “Not Enough,” “Ride or Die,” and “Going Home,” plus what fans can expect next. In this Billboard News Special, EVAN discusses: building his album, rehearsal mindset, the message he wants to send to his fans, Evers and what's in store for them in the future.

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Transcript
00:00Evan! Evan! Evan! Evan! Evan!
00:08How you guys feeling tonight?
00:11Yeah!
00:12What up Evan man? Long time no see!
00:15How you doing?
00:15I'm doing good, I'm loving the jacket though.
00:18Oh, thank you.
00:18Yeah, you look great, you look great.
00:19I look like your kids.
00:20See, I'm trying to be like you when I grow up.
00:23Man, can you believe how long we've known each other?
00:25It was like four years ago when we were here at the Grand Museum.
00:28Right.
00:28And now we're back.
00:29It's been a while, it's been a while.
00:31I'm so glad to be here, finally.
00:33Oh yeah, well we gotta catch up, let's go sit down.
00:34Let's go.
00:35Let's do it.
00:35Yeah, yeah.
00:40We're right here in the middle of downtown LA.
00:43Like, welcome back to LA, brother.
00:44Yeah.
00:45You've been really busy, so how are you feeling?
00:48It's been, it's so, so been a while in LA.
00:51So I'm so glad to be here, finally.
00:53I feel like, recently I'm busy.
00:55It's a life.
00:57Yeah.
00:57She told me don't worry about it.
01:01It's a cool life, I'll tell you that.
01:03It's a life.
01:04Let's start with like, when you landed on being solo, how did you land with Evan?
01:08I decided to name myself Evan.
01:12Because of Evan.
01:13Yeah.
01:14A long, long while ago, when I was young, my friends from foreign, they are talking to me like, Evan,
01:24Evan, Evan, Evan.
01:25So that's why I'm called Evan.
01:26Evan.
01:27Listen, okay.
01:27Well, Evan, I love it, bro.
01:29And what have you learned about yourself through this process so far?
01:32I learned a lot. I learned how to make music well and make a whole album well, producing and everything
01:43and her performance as a solo soloist, treating like other people and everything. Everything is improving a lot.
01:53Yeah. And I mean, I even like watching in your documentary how involved you were with everything. So what has
01:58been different about the recording process as a soloist?
02:06First, I started to make a demo with other producers and top liners. When the demo came out, I started
02:14to make lyrics and other things to mix it up. And then it's done. Yeah. The saying is really easy,
02:23but the way is too long. Yeah. But it's a really tough time. But yeah.
02:28You're not new to this. It's like you've been in the music industry for a long time. So like with
02:33all your career, what is like you have you learned that has helped you now today?
02:37Oh, the most important thing is pretty easy. Sleep well. Oh, really? Yeah. Sleep well is really important. Yeah. One
02:45day, I forgot to sleep because I needed work a lot to do.
02:52Uh-huh. So I worked a lot. And then next day, I'm like punched out. I'm passed out.
03:00Or punched out. That also works. Yeah, it also works. But yeah. So Tetris, please sleep well.
03:05I will. I'm learning from you. It's really important.
03:07Because I don't. So I'm going to get better about it. Thank you for the advice. I told you, I'm
03:11trying to be like you.
03:12And I mean, like what has your time as a soloist allowed you to explore as an artist?
03:17Do you know about the song sessions? Yeah. I did song session really, really a lot. Maybe about 30, 40
03:24in a month.
03:26That's crazy. Yeah. So it's a tough time. It was a tough time. But yeah, it's a really, really good
03:33experience for me.
03:34You are my ride or die. It drops till the end of time.
03:40So also, Evan, I really enjoyed watching your documentary. I thought it was really nice for you to do that.
03:46And it showed like a completely different side of you.
03:48I want to send to the crowd just a bit, a little bit message that is nothing is impossible.
03:55Because before I debut, my high note in the ride or die couldn't do it.
04:02Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I couldn't do that.
04:04I decided to improve myself. And then I practiced a lot.
04:09That's what I did in the ride.
04:12You sound really good in the documentary as well. But you also said at one point in the documentary,
04:17I feel like I'm not enough. What brought along that feeling?
04:21Maybe it's about myself. Like I said. Because money and fame and crowd, everything is really important for me also.
04:31Because I'm a human being. Most important thing is just myself and keep developing myself and going higher is more
04:41important for me as a goal.
04:43So, in that point, I think I am not enough.
04:48I thought I was just thinking about that. So, that's why I told you that.
04:54Well, I mean, you're killing it. I mean, let's talk. I wanted to talk to you a little bit about
04:57the songs on your project.
04:59And the first track is Not Enough. So, is that experience that you had that inspired the writing of that
05:05song?
05:05Yeah, I'm looking for a piece. But it's all not a piece. But it's not enough. It's not enough.
05:12That's right. That's a key point in the album. Because I wanted to draw the message to the crowd.
05:22That's a really, really, really main theme of the album. So, that's why I decided to choose as a track
05:34one.
05:35Yeah, it is. It starts the album really well. And I like seeing you at rehearsal. That was really cool.
05:39Like just vibing on stage and everything like that. Getting to get a private performance.
05:43So, what do you do to prep for like rehearsal? What's your vibe and energy like before?
05:52I'm so glad to be here. Sitting in the Remy Museum.
06:06For this show, it's about almost freestyle. This vibe, this energy and like every city views and everything are good.
06:15So, I didn't need to like prepare anything. So, just I'm going to do what I want to do.
06:20Do I want my ride or die? Try till the end of time.
06:26If I turn the snow down, it shall be all right.
06:31Let's go. The vibe is crazy.
06:33Woo!
06:35Woo!
06:40Woo!
06:41Woo!
06:41Woo!
06:42Woo!
06:43Woo!
06:45Woo!
06:46Woo!
06:46How excited are you to see the fans out there?
06:48Yeah, that's right. Evers are waiting out there.
06:52You have to look over and see. They're like lined up, bro.
06:54Yeah, yeah, yeah. When I come into like this building, so many fans are like yelling for me, so.
07:01What has it been like to have their support through this process?
07:04Evers are really passionate. So, you're my inspiration. So,
07:12that's why I keep making music.
07:17Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers! Evers!
07:40Evers! And I describe my new release album as Mirror. Why I'm making this album, I needed to know myself
07:51really, really well.
07:52So that's a really important for making the whole album. That's a key, yeah.
08:03I gotta tell you, man, I know it was the first one, but my favorite track is Ride or Die.
08:07I play it so much, man. So do you feel like that song like really showed who you were?
08:13And why did you decide that one was important enough to be the first?
08:15Oh, honestly saying, um, I was not interested in rock songs.
08:20Oh, really?
08:22Yeah, but YouTube invited me to Every Love Being. Complicated.
08:29Yeah.
08:29Yeah, I heard the song. It's like, wow, this song is really like bingo.
08:34So I was like, oh, oh, why don't I make a rock song?
08:40So I decided to make a song starting Ride or Die.
08:45That was some great inspiration.
08:47And then, of course, the name of the whole project is Death of Me.
08:49So talk to me about that song and why you decided to name the album After Death of Me.
08:53It's my time to go crazy.
08:55It's my time to go crazy.
08:57It's my time to go crazy.
09:00It's my time to go crazy.
09:01이 곡은 사실 많은 분들이 오해하실 수 있는 게 저의 죽음 뒤에 새로운 제가 태어났다라고 생각하실 수도 있는데 그런 거라기보다는
09:16계속해서 저를 저는 채찍질하는 성향이다 보니까 그렇게
09:25발전하는 과정에서 저 스스로가 저에게
09:30몰아세운다는 느낌이 들더라고요.
09:32그래서 내 죽음은 아직 오지 않았다라는 의미, 강한 포부를 담고 있는 곡이라고 할 수 있을 것 같아요.
09:39Dude, I love how much thought you've put into this project, man. It's really great to see.
09:50I love how much thought you've put into this project.
09:53Another song I love, Going Home.
09:54Going Home.
09:55And I heard some meaning behind that song. So talk to me about how personal that one is to you.
09:59As you know, I'm a really busy guy. So I have a lot of schedule. So I was got that
10:09no time to go home.
10:11Even if I was really close with family, why can I go home a lot? So that's a topic about
10:23this song. So it's quite sad.
10:27I have a lot of time on my home, so I have a lot of time to go home.
10:34The next day, I'm leaving a little late at night. I'm leaving my face.
10:40I'm looking at my face. I'm looking at my face. I'm looking at my face.
10:48I'm looking at my face. I'm looking at my face.
11:11It's such a beautiful thing, and I'm sure your family loves you, and is so proud of you.
11:23Talk to me about immature as well. That's such a good track.
11:25Yeah, immature is just immature.
11:31Do you feel like you're immature?
11:35Yeah. I'm a human being too, and everyone has an immature character.
11:42We sure do.
11:42Yeah, yeah, yeah, because human being is human being.
11:45Everyone has just a little bit of weakness or something.
11:50I want to just agree with it because so many crowds are talking to me as, like, you are so
11:58immature and dumb.
12:03Bad commands are really, really annoying for me.
12:08So, well, at that time, I decided to make a song.
12:14That's great that you took the haters and you flipped it.
12:17Yeah.
12:17There you go, man. I love it.
12:19I'm immature, guys.
12:22So hot.
12:23And then also, I mean, tell me, out of all these songs, what was the hardest for you to, like,
12:27write or record in the studio?
12:28Mmm, I think, I think, um, death in me is really, really hard for me.
12:38Yeah.
12:38Writing, writing the lyrics is really, really hard for me.
12:41Because, um, even as Korean, there, there, there is so many Koreans in it.
12:47But, even, even I'm Korean, uh, there is really hard, hard words in Korea.
12:53So, um, it, it took a lot of times, and...
12:59Ah, and there's also that.
13:00I used that song once.
13:04I used that song once.
13:06I used that song once.
13:07I used that song once again.
13:08And once again, I used that song once again.
13:10So, I used that song once again.
13:12I used that song once again.
13:13Yes.
13:13Dude, your schedule is crazy.
13:16You're a beast, man.
13:17But speaking of your schedule, we do have to go on stage.
13:19I'm a little nervous.
13:20Do you still get nervous?
13:21Not at all.
13:21Not at all?
13:22Okay, I'm gonna channel that.
13:23Alright, well, let's go out there.
13:28So, let's talk about Overflow as well.
13:33How did Overflow fit into your direction on this album?
13:36Overflow.
13:37I wrote this song when I was really, really down.
14:03Well, who would you say is your favorite artist?
14:07Running an add.
14:13Yeah, I already know.
14:25Dude, that was so fun.
14:26Oh, yeah.
14:28I had a blast up there.
14:29It was so cool to see your fans and how excited they were to be around.
14:32So how fun was that for you?
14:33Wow, it's been a while performing in L.A.,
14:38but L.A. is still alive.
14:40Yeah, they definitely brought the energy, man.
14:42And like, what's different for it about you?
14:44I know like being on stage as a soloist has to feel different from being in a group.
14:48So what's different about being up there?
14:49Well, I think it's the most important thing to be able to show the energy on the stage.
14:59We call it GANG in Korea.
15:02That's energy?
15:02Yeah, that's kind of a similar thing.
15:06GANG?
15:06GANG?
15:07GANG.
15:08GANG.
15:09I want to say it right.
15:10Am I saying it pronounced?
15:11Yeah.
15:12Okay, cool.
15:12Listen, I want to get better, okay?
15:14And then like being at the Grammy Museum is also really cool and like has so much history.
15:19So does it performing at a cool place like this make you nervous or excited for the future?
15:23I mean, it's really honored to me also.
15:25And Grammy is really, really huge.
15:28I'm so honored to be here and performing on the stage.
15:32It's a really good time.
15:33And yeah, I'm so happy right now.
15:35Yeah, it was a great time.
15:36And I mean, you're not done yet.
15:37This weekend is busy for you.
15:39You're going to be at KCON.
15:40Yeah, yeah.
15:40So how excited are you to go over to KCON and perform?
15:43There's one more extra song that I cover.
15:46Yeah, it's going to be fun.
15:47So tell me about the surprise you have for fans over there.
15:49What song is it going to be?
15:50It's going to be As It Was by Harry Styles.
15:53Oh, dude, you're going to have fun with that.
15:55Yeah.
16:01As your fans are following you on this journey, what do you want them to know about the future right
16:06now?
16:07One thing I wanted to make them know is I'm going to just keep going and keep making music.
16:15So don't be too, like, disappointed or something.
16:21I will make everyone trust in me.
16:25Don't worry about my future.
16:27So let's together.
16:29Yeah, I love it, man.
16:30Well, I'm so proud of you.
16:31And thanks for having me come hang out with you all day today, man.
16:34This was great.
16:35I appreciate you.
16:36Thank you so much.
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