Photo = JYP ENTERTAINMENT

 


[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] DAY6 YOUNG K revealed that he put everything on the line for his solo comeback after two years and 10 months.

 


YOUNG K met with Hanteo News at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on the 22nd and talked about his 2nd full-length album 'YOUNGEST.' On this day, YOUNG K said, “The fact that a solo album is coming out after two years and 10 months means I do not know when I will be able to release one again,” adding, “I really thought there was no looking back, so I looked only forward and put everything on the line. That is why I packed it full with 15 tracks and released it as a big, hefty album.”

 


There was a clear reason he filled the album with 15 tracks. YOUNG K said, “I actually wanted to put in even more, but I thought 15 tracks would be enough to show the full shape of this album,” adding, “The company tried to dissuade me a lot and kept asking if I could reduce the number, but 15 tracks was what remained after cutting and cutting about 10 songs.” He added, “I persuaded them by saying that the number 15 is kind of pretty, and that is how we decided on 15 tracks.”

 


The work period was four to five months after DAY6’s comeback. YOUNG K said, “I wrote all 15 tracks within that time, and I worked with a really tight schedule, cutting down on sleep, going to work on music after schedules, working during travel time, and continuing to write songs during waiting time.” This period also overlapped with the group’s tour schedule. YOUNG K drew laughter by saying, “Flight time was a space for me to work along with the ambience,” adding, “The airplane makes a surprisingly loud humming sound, so even if I sang a little, the person next to me did not seem to find it that noisy.”

 


The album title 'YOUNGEST' carries deep meaning. YOUNG K said, “Before I even started working on any songs, I decided on the album title first,” explaining, “This time, I wanted to make an album that felt the most like YOUNG K and the most like Kang Younghyun.” He continued, “While preparing for the 10th anniversary with everything I had, I thought I had done my best for 10 years as DAY6. After that ended, when I thought about looking back on Kang Younghyun’s life, I realized that I had been somewhat turning away from Kang Younghyun,” adding, “It started from the thought that I should get to know myself a little more.” He also shared, “I found that I could not really recognize what kind of person Kang Younghyun was, apart from YOUNG K,” adding, “I wanted to capture the process of finding Kang Younghyun in this album, so I included many more personal stories.”

 


Among the B-side tracks, he chose Track 7, 'Yonge St.,' as the most personal song. YOUNG K said, “It is the name of the road that crosses Toronto and is known as the longest street in the world, and through it, I tried to tell personal stories from my past life studying abroad, including memories of those free and innocent days and longing for a friend.”

 


His work with SUNWOO JUNG-A was even more special. YOUNG K said, “It is the final track, a song called 'Coffee in the Studio.' In the recording studio, while playing the guitar and asking, ‘What kind of song should we write?’ we replaced the kick sound with the sound of pressing a piano pedal, wrote all the lyrics on the spot, and the guide vocal we recorded ended up beating the main recording, becoming the version that is being released now.” He introduced the song by saying, “No matter how many songs ended up on this album, this song was always going to be the final track. The title is an homage to 'Breakfast at Tiffany’s,' and after laying out various exciting and sad songs, the final track hints that I will ultimately return to my everyday life of drinking coffee in the studio.”

 


When asked what kind of album he hopes this album will remain as, he said, “For now, I am satisfied with the fact that I prepared and presented it with everything I had,” adding, “I am grateful that I was able to do this kind of work at least once in my life.” He continued, “Still, the reason I hope 'Shut The Door' does well in terms of numbers is because I think that will bring the next opportunity a little closer.”

 

 

 

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