Evan (singer)
South Korean singer (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee Hee-seung (Korean: 이희승; born October 15, 2001), known mononymously as Evan and formerly as Heeseung, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is a former member of the South Korean boy band Enhypen, formed through the 2020 reality competition show I-Land. He departed from the group in 2026, making his solo debut in June with the single "Ride or Die". In September, he released his debut extended play (EP) titled Death of Me.
Early life and education
Lee Hee-seung was born on October 15, 2001[2] in Uiwang, a lakeside city in Gyeonggi, South Korea.[3] He was raised in Namyangju (also in Gyeonggi) and has an older brother. When he was younger, his hobbies included soccer and illustration.[4] As a child, he acquired the English name Evan from spending time overseas.[5][6] He would later use this as his professional name in 2026, describing the name Evan as reflective of his "most honest and natural self".[7]
When he was in fourth grade, Evan was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Speaking to Weverse Magazine, he said that he saw a number of his friends, who were also ill, die when he was in the hospital for lymphoma.[8][9] In 2017, he joined Big Hit Entertainment as a trainee after being scouted from an entrance exam at Hanlim Arts School.[10] He completed his high school education at Gwangnam High School in Seoul and studied at Global Cyber University.[11]
Career
2020–2025: Enhypen and solo career
In 2020, Evan competed in the survival reality competition show I-Land in 2020 under his birth name Heeseung, finishing in fifth place and earning a spot in the debut lineup of Enhypen.[12] On November 30, 2020, he debuted as a member of Enhypen with the release of their first extended play (EP) Border: Day One under Belift Lab.[13]
On May 30, 2022, Evan released a cover of "Off My Face" by Justin Bieber,[14] receiving positive reviews from critics. Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone described the cover as "wedding-ready",[15] while Billboard's Starr Bowenbank called Evan's vocal runs "subtle".[14] Gladys Yeo of NME praised the rendition as "beautiful".[16] On June 7, Evan appeared in an episode of LeeMujin Service, performing a set of song covers. Among others, he sang a solo rendition of "Tamed-Dashed" by Enhypen.[17] On November 28, the song "Zero Moment", performed by himself and his then bandmates Jay and Jake, was released as a part of the soundtrack for the South Korean drama Summer Strike.[18]
In 2024, Evan produced and co-wrote a track from Enhypen's 2024 album Romance: Untold, "Highway 1009", which has been described as a heartfelt acoustic song.[19] In January 2025, Evan was featured in the Flo Rida single "Confessions", alongside Enhypen bandmate Jake and American rapper Paul Russell.[20]
2026–present: Departure from Enhypen and solo debut
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In 2026, Evan was credited for co-writing the Enhypen track "Sleep Tight", which was released in January as part of the band's extended play The Sin: Vanish.[21]
On March 10, Belift Lab announced that Evan would be leaving Enhypen to pursue a solo career while remaining with the label.[22][23] Fans created a Change.org petition urging the company to reverse his departure from the band. As of March 12, it accumulated more than 1 million signatures.[24][25] In a statement to The Korea Herald on March 15, Belift asserted that Evan would not rejoin Enhypen.[26]
On April 8, Belift announced that Evan would change his stage name from his birth name "Heeseung" to "Evan", a name he has used since childhood. The same day, he opened an official Instagram account.[7] On May 11, Belift confirmed that he was preparing to debut in June 2026.[27] Evan made his solo debut on June 22 with the digital single "Ride or Die".[28] It was accompanied by the B-side track "Overflow".[29] "Ride or Die" has been described as an alternative rock song with grunge and punk influences, while "Overflow" is a laid-back indie pop track.[30] He also appeared on LeeMujin Service, performing his solo debut tracks as well as covers of songs like "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd.[31]
On August 9, Belift Lab announced that Evan's debut EP, Death of Me, would be released on September 7, with pre-orders opening the following day.[32] On August 14 he performed at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.[33] He then performed on Day 3 of KCON LA at Crypto.com Arena performing his songs "Overflow" and "Ride or Die" as well as a cover of "As It Was" by Harry Styles, his first big overseas stage as a solo artist.[34][35]
On its first day of release, Death of Me reportedly sold more than 460,000 copies.[36] The record has been described as containing pop, R&B, alternative rock, UK garage, indie pop, and dream pop tracks.[37]
Public image
According to Tatler Asia's Angela Nicole Guiral, Evan possesses a distinctive fashion sense and "star quality".[38] In January 2026, he won in the fan-voted UPick Global Choice category at the D Awards, reportedly receiving more than 1 billion votes.[39]
Other ventures
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [43] |
JPN [44] |
JPN Hot [45] |
US World [46] | |||
| Death of Me |
|
2 | 6 | 15 | 21 | |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [47] | |||
| "Dial Tragedy"[48] | 2025 | — | Non-album single |
| "Ride or Die" | 2026 | 49 | Death of Me |
| "Death of Me" | 95 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Soundtrack appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Zero Moment"[a] (with Jay and Jake) |
2022 | Summer Strike OST |
Composition credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.[50]
| Title | Year | Artist | Album | Lyricist | Composer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Highway 1009" | 2024 | Enhypen | Romance: Untold |  |
|
|
| "Highway 1009 (Narr Ver.)" | |
|
| |||
| "Dial Tragedy" | 2025 | Evan | Non-album single | |
|
 |
| "Sleep Tight" | 2026 | Enhypen | The Sin: Vanish | |
|
|
| "Voice Note (Heeseung Ver.)" | |
|
| |||
| "Not Enough" | Evan | Death of Me[51] | |
|
| |
| "Noise" | |
|
| |||
| "Ride or Die" | |
|
| |||
| "Death of Me" | |
|
| |||
| "Twilight" | |
|
| |||
| "Immature" | |
|
| |||
| "Overflow" | |
|
| |||
| "Going Home" | |
|
|
Filmography
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | I-Land | Contestant | Finished in fifth place | [12] |
| 2022; 2026 | LeeMujin Service | Himself | [17][31] | |
| 2024 | Make Mate 1 | Special Judge | [52] |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Awards | 2026 | UPick Global Choice (Male) | Heeseung | Won | [53] |
| Show! Music Core | 2026 | Stage M Pick | Evan | Won | [citation needed] |
| K-World Dream Awards | 2026 | Best All-Rounder Musician Award | Won | [54] | |
| TMElive International Music Award | 2026 | TIMA Global K-Artist Award | Won | [55] | |
