Welcome back to Fan Chant, a weekly column for K-pop fans, stans, and newbies alike. Today, the members of DAY6 break down each song on their latest project. P.S. — if you haven’t already, you can always subscribe to my companion newsletter to get Fan Chant delivered right to your inbox each week!
JYP act DAY6 is not your typical South Korean music group. While more and more K-pop artists are becoming involved in the creative process behind their music, the members of DAY6 make up a true band, playing their own instruments, writing their lyrics, and producing a cohesive final product in the studio as a team.
DAY6’s pop-rock sound has been honed over the years since their 2015 debut, and the band has now returned with a new project, titled Fourever. The seven-track EP kicks off with the energetic “Welcome to the Show” and features both melodic efforts like “The Power of Love” and edgier offerings like “Get the Hell Out.”
Here at Consequence, we have a feature called Track by Track that allows artists to shed light on each piece of a project, and DAY6’s extensive involvement with their music made them the perfect candidates to bring this interview structure to Fan Chant for the first time. Read the insights from the members below, and check out the focus track off Fourever, “Welcome to the Show.”
“Welcome to the Show”:
SUNGJIN: This song was actually quite unexpected in many ways. It was a song we quickly put together towards the end of the songwriting process, but it turned out surprisingly well and became the title track. When the title came to mind, I thought it would be great as the opening track of this album. It was a series of unplanned situations.
“HAPPY”:
Young K: DAY6’s songs often aim to balance brightness and darkness, joy and sadness. There might be exceptions, of course. This song also carries a longing for happiness but certainly has its share of pain. That’s life, isn’t it? There are happy days and sad days. Everyone carries some pain with them as they move forward. I think that’s reflected in this song.
“The Power of Love”:
WONPIL: I felt that this song should be included in this album from the beginning, when I began to work on the melody. There are times when melodies flow easily in my mind, and I felt like this song was one of those instances. I’m attached to our song “days gone by,” so I wanted to try a similar genre again. I think it started with the idea of us, as we grow and return, reinterpreting the 80s synth-pop sound.
“Get the Hell Out”:
DOWOON: There aren’t many songs similar to this one on my playlists. The song that inspired me while working on this was, I would say, “Deep in Love” by the band called DAY6?
“Sad Ending”:
WONPIL: Although the song is based on a rock sound, I felt that adding emotion to the vocals would enrich the sound even more. So, while recording, I approached it as if it were a scene from a drama. I felt a sense of exhilaration while focusing on capturing the emotions during vocal recording, and it was the best part for me.
“Let Me Love You”:
Young K: Listening to the mood and melody of the song, it felt lovely but also somewhat empty. There’s a hint of melancholy in the chorus. I think we wrote the lyrics based on those feelings. The key point would be the speaker’s confidence.
“didn’t know””
SUNGJIN: Our fans have given us endless trust and love, so it’s impossible for us to say we “didn’t know” their love. Rather, the song portrays the realization that “after time has passed, looking back, it was love.” Personally, I love the lyrics and title that say “didn’t know that it was your love” as they represent complex emotions.
TXT on Tour!
TOMORROW X TOGETHER, photo courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
It’s true: TOMORROW X TOGETHER are gearing up for their biggest tour yet and have mapped out a 2024 trek that includes two nights at Madison Square Garden. Get the scoop here.
Song Rec of the Week:
Shuffle landed on this song for the first time in a few years yesterday, and I spiraled thinking about how much it sounds like a Jonas Brothers song, to the point where I had to look up the songwriters involved and confirmed that one of them did, in fact, also write the Jonas Brothers song “What A Man Gotta Do.” We’ve all been there!