The lead single, “Death of Me,” feels like it pushes that energy to the limit.
It seems like the kind of song you only go with if you’re really determined to show how competent of a pop star you are on various levels.
EVAN: Honestly, that’s exactly the mindset I made this song with.
That’s what makes this album feel really human to me, and I think that’s exactly why it’s got a bit more of a dopamine rush to it.
EVAN: I want to really hit the nail on the head this time.
The lead single, “Death of Me,” feels like it pushes that energy to the limit. You’re needing to hit high notes while also doing some really fast footwork. It seems like the kind of song you only go with if you’re really determined to show how competent of a pop star you are on various levels.
EVAN: Honestly, that’s exactly the mindset I made this song with. (laughs) Just like with “Noise,” it means having to put in an insane amount of practice behind the scenes. It’s the kind of song and dance you can only pull off if you keep fine-tuning yourself the whole way through. I actually recorded a demo with the high notes a month before “Ride or Die” came out, but when I went to sing them again, it just wasn’t happening, so I practiced every single day, telling myself I had to push through it no matter what, until I finally hit those notes. It wasn’t an easy process, but in the end, there’s nothing that can’t be done. If you just keep going one step at a time, everything will work out somehow.
In the end, this album, “DEATH OF ME,” seems to contain a lot of different aspects of you all at once. There are alternative songs like “Noise” and “Immature,” and then the clean, straightforward pop of “Death of Me.”
EVAN: People are contradictory by nature. That’s what makes this album feel really human to me, and I think that’s exactly why it’s got a bit more of a dopamine rush to it. The single “Ride or Die” came with two songs that were new territory for me, but this album is built around my voice in a way that I can really pull off well and that I love. Some tracks show a more relaxed side of my singing, “Twilight” shows me being upbeat and refreshing, and with “Death of Me,” I wanted to share the inspiration that came from facing myself head-on in all kinds of different situations.
You’ve said before that your identity is that of an idol at heart, but genre-wise, you’re an alternative artist. That whole spectrum seems to come through fully on this album.
EVAN: I want to really hit the nail on the head this time. I’m an idol—someone whose responsibility is to make EVER happy. At the same time, I love so many different genres of music that I want to be an alternative artist, but I ultimately express that as an idol.
