Young K wishes to convey kaleidoscope of emotions through ‘Eternal’

Young K of boy band Day 6 welcomed autumn by hopping onto the September music chart craze with his first-ever solo album. The singer-turned-soloist’s album “Eternal,” which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors and melodies of music.

The fall-themed seven-track package aims to talk about “Kang Young-hyun as a person,” referring to his real name, and “Young K as an artist,” the singer and bassist said during an online press conference held Monday.

The versatile singer said he came up with the idea for his latest release.

“The name for my recent print is derived from my Korean name ‘Young-hyun.’ I gave a minor tweak to the words and changed it to ‘Young-won,’ which translates into eternal, the name of my album.”

He also thanked My Day, the official fandom name for Day 6, for sending their unconditional love and support. He added that his album conveys a message that he will forever sing his music and leave his tunes for fans eternally.

The musician’s outstanding music composing skills and vocal presence makes him a force to be reckoned with on the music scene. Young K had always listed his name as a lyricist and a composer for Day 6, presenting his wider musical tastes to fans and music lovers. 

This time, the 27-year-old singer once again took a leap of faith by producing a self-written and self-composed EP. “I tried to genuinely bring up and look deeply into my thoughts and worries,” he said.

The singer-songwriter brought EMO hip-hop and emotional rock-based sounds into his title track, which is translated as “I’ll hug you to the end.” He also said the lyrics talk of promises to a lover -- “You will always have my back, and I will protect you no matter what happens, even if I crumble.” Young K added that he hoped it would invoke strong emotions to those who listen to the track.

The artist also spoke about how he would be bidding farewell to fans for nearly two years after his solo performance as he is fulfilling his mandatory military service.

His announcement during a live stream session held on Aug. 16 via Naver’s V Live took fans by surprise. Following in his father’s footsteps, the young musician will serve for the Korean Augmentation to the US Army on Oct. 12, a month after releasing his first solo album. He became the first idol to enlist into the highly sought KATUSA branch.

All able-bodied South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 28 are required to serve in the country’s armed forces for about 18 months.

When asked about how his musical career would look like after his discharge, the singer said he would return with better and more meaningful music. He also added that he would have loved to run around on stage and make more memories to cherish with fans and his bandmates, as he could not cross borders during the pandemic.

At the end of the press conference, Young K said he wants to be remembered by many music lovers and hopes to make music they could enjoy.

“You can always pass on and share your emotions with others, which is why I thought of coming up with a song that could connect people,” the musician said.

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)