"Cool Young K hides a bleeding Kang Young-hyun... No regrets after 10 years of dedication to DAY6" [Interview ②]

*This content was translated by AI.

Young K (real name Kang Young-hyun), a member of the boy band DAY6, openly shared the reasons he was able to face his true self as he marked his 10th anniversary since debut, along with his deep reflections on his journey as a singer-songwriter.

Recently, Young K held a roundtable interview at Seoul Jongno-gu JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul to commemorate the release of his second solo full-length album 'YOUNGEST'.

On this occasion, when asked why he decided to showcase what it means to be "like Kang Young-hyun" at this particular moment, Young K pointed to his past 10 years with DAY6. He stated, "Last year marked the 10th anniversary of DAY6, and throughout that year, we did our best to carry out various events. Over these 10 years, I gave my all for DAY6, and as I worked without regrets, I felt it was time to finally turn my attention solely to 'Kang Young-hyun'."

So what is the most "like Kang Young-hyun" aspect he has intensely discovered? Young K explained the clear temperature difference between his self as an artist loved by the public and the human side hidden beneath that persona.

Starting with the remark, "DAY6-ness is already contained within Young K, so there's no need to separate it," Young K defined, "In my view, 'Young K' is a more refined and nearly perfect version of myself. If 'Young K' is the version created to be loved by people, then 'Kang Young-hyun' represents the original self that holds the process behind it."

He continued, "Inside Kang Young-hyun, there are shortcomings, and in some ways, he may appear more petty or mean than Young K. There is also vulnerability that can be hurt." He calmly confessed, "Young K is portrayed as coolly handling pain by saying 'Eh, whatever' and laughing it off, but inside Kang Young-hyun, there are parts where one might get cut and bleed slightly."

Given Young K's outstanding musical ability that has produced countless hit songs, he did not hide his concerns about the inevitable self-repetition as a singer-songwriter. However, his attitude toward music had become more flexible and resilient.

Young K said, "I don't insist on using only my own compositions. I even tried collecting songs this time, and if there are better ones, I am fully open to receiving them." He added, "In fact, OST work often involves singing songs written and produced by others, but it's a very enjoyable task for me because it allows new attempts."

His reflections on self-repetition also became an opportunity to broaden the horizons of creation. He remarked, "While working, I couldn't help but think about this," yet he added, "But I realized that even with the same theme, there are countless ways to write differently. Just with the keyword 'love song' that we commonly use, can't billions of songs be created? Therefore, possibilities are always wide open."

'YOUNGEST' will be released at 6 p.m. on the 27th through various online music platforms.

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*This content was translated by AI.