Evan (singer)
South Korean singer (born 2001)
Evan | |
|---|---|
 TV10 · CC BY 3.0Evan in 2024 | |
| Born | Lee Hee-seung (2001-10-15) October 15, 2001 Uiwang, South Korea |
| Other name | Heeseung |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2020 (2020)–present |
| Label | Belift Lab |
| Formerly of | Enhypen |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이희승 |
| Hanja | 李羲承 [2] |
| RR | I Huiseung |
| MR | I Hŭisŭng |
| Signature | |
 Heeseung · Public domain | |
Lee Hee-seung (Korean: 이희승; born October 15, 2001), known professionally as Evan (Korean: 에반[3]) and formerly known mononymously 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.
1. Early life and education
Lee Hee-seung was born on October 15, 2001[4] in Uiwang, a lakeside city in Gyeonggi, South Korea.[5] He was raised in Namyangju (also in Gyeonggi) and has an older brother. When he was younger, his hobbies included soccer and illustration.[6] As a child, he acquired the English name Evan from spending time overseas.[7][8] He would later use this as his professional name in 2026, describing the name Evan as reflective of his "most honest and natural self".[9]
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.[10][11] In 2017, he joined Big Hit Entertainment as a trainee after being scouted from an entrance exam at Hanlim Arts School.[12] He completed his high school education at Gwangnam High School in Seoul and studied at Global Cyber University.[13]
2. Career
2.1. 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.[14] 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.[15]
On May 30, 2022, Evan released a cover of "Off My Face" by Justin Bieber,[16] receiving positive reviews from critics. Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone described the cover as "wedding-ready",[17] while Billboard's Starr Bowenbank called Evan's vocal runs "subtle".[16] Gladys Yeo of NME praised the rendition as "beautiful".[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]
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.[21] In January 2025, Evan was featured in the Flo Rida single "Confessions", alongside Enhypen bandmate Jake and American rapper Paul Russell.[22]
2.2. 2026–present: Departure from Enhypen and solo debut
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.[23]
On March 10, Belift Lab announced that Evan would be leaving Enhypen to pursue a solo career while remaining with the label.[24][25] 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.[26][27] In a statement to The Korea Herald on March 15, Belift asserted that Evan would not rejoin Enhypen.[28]
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.[9] On May 11, Belift confirmed that he was preparing to debut in June 2026.[29] Evan made his solo debut on June 22 with the digital single "Ride or Die".[30] It was accompanied by the B-side track "Overflow".[31] "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.[32] He also appeared on LeeMujin Service, performing his solo debut tracks as well as covers of songs like "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd.[33]
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.[34] On August 14 he performed at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.[35] 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.[36][37]
On its first day of release, Death of Me reportedly sold more than 460,000 copies.[38] The record has been described as containing pop, R&B, alternative rock, UK garage, indie pop, and dream pop tracks.[39]
3. Public image
According to Tatler Asia's Angela Nicole Guiral, Evan possesses a distinctive fashion sense and "star quality".[40] In January 2026, he won in the fan-voted UPick Global Choice category at the D Awards, reportedly receiving more than 1 billion votes.[41]
4. Other ventures
4.1. Endorsements
In February 2025, Evan and his then Enhypen bandmate Jay appeared on the cover of W Korea in collaboration with Pomellato.[42] In November 2025, Evan was announced as an ambassador for South Korean contact lens brand Qrsessed.[43][44]
5. Discography
5.1. Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [45] |
JPN [46] |
JPN Hot [47] |
US [48] |
US World [49] | |||
| Death of Me |
|
2 | 6 | 15 | 49 | 2 | |
5.2. Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [50] | |||
| "Dial Tragedy"[51] | 2025 | — | Non-album single |
| "Ride or Die" | 2026 | 49 | Death of Me |
| "Death of Me" | 95 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
5.3. Soundtrack appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Zero Moment"[1] (with Jay and Jake) |
2022 | Summer Strike OST |
5.4. Composition credits
All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database, unless otherwise noted.[53]
| 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[54] | ||||
| "Noise" | ||||||
| "Ride or Die" | ||||||
| "Death of Me" | ||||||
| "Twilight" | ||||||
| "Immature" | ||||||
| "Overflow" | ||||||
| "Going Home" |
6. Filmography
6.1. Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | I-Land | Contestant | Finished in fifth place | [14] |
| 2022; 2026 | LeeMujin Service | Himself | [19][33] | |
| 2024 | Make Mate 1 | Special Judge | [55] |
6.2. Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Ride or Die" | 2026 | Park Dongjin | [56] |
| "Death of Me" | Oh Ximin (Noisyroom) | [57] |
7. Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Awards | 2026 | UPick Global Choice (Male) | Heeseung | Won | [58] |
| K-World Dream Awards | 2026 | Best All-Rounder Musician Award | Evan | Won | [59] |
| TMElive International Music Award | 2026 | TIMA Global K-Artist Award | Won | [60] |
Notes
Related articles
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