Anything goes – Glass meets K-pop boyband Day6 – the supergroup that isn’t afraid to push boundaries
If you were to ask K-pop group Day6 what the perfect formula for a boyband is, they would have absolutely no idea. The five-piece (formed of lead singer Sungjin, rapper and bassist Young K, singer and keyboardist Wonpil, singer and guitarist Jae, and drummer Dowoon) doesn’t follow the status quo, emerging on the K-pop scene in 2014 and quickly rising through the charts with their distinctive sound. This is often likened to techno beats, although this doesn’t quite fit as a musical description. In fact, there isn’t any description that really fits.
Jae from Day6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
When asked if they think their music is “genre-defying”, another term often linked to them, guitarist Jae Park is quick to knock me down, laughing: “I wouldn’t really say that it’s genre-defying. I think it’s more the fact that it never perfectly aligns to a certain genre. As we’re still on our musical journey, we like to experiment and mesh genres and sounds together.” This may actually be the best description of their sound, he continues. “You can usually see this in the genre disparity between our melodies and instrumentation.”
Far from being manufactured pop, the band prides themselves for being involved in every stage of creating their music, including writing, composing and even producing. Telling me about the process of creating their latest album, The Book of Us: Entropy, which was released last October to rave reviews, Young K delves into the intensity of that process: “I guess the whole album production was under the concept of entropy, which is a sweet chaos. We all split up and went to different rooms to have a song camp, which is we all write one song in each room.”
Although placing each member in solitary may sound slightly extreme, Young K assures me that this wasn’t as lonely or as stressful as it seems, “It was an interesting process and we had a lot of fun. We were given little time and limited resources, but the good part was we were able to come up with things that are more instinctive and natural. Also, we got to try out a lot of different genres.”
Young Kof Day6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
Every part of the band’s development seems to knock against the constraints of convention, so it doesn’t surprise me that they are not aiming to take the typical route that most K-pop boybands follow. When asked if they’d consider releasing a fully English-speaking album in the future, they believe this as a possibility, with lead singer Sungjin explaining, “If there’s any chance, I hope to release fully English songs someday. When I listened to the songs that Jae wrote lyrics in English for, I thought it seemed interesting as it had very different sensibilities from those of Korean. Also, we have many friends who can speak English fluently, like Jae, Young K and Dowoon.”
Wonpil of Day6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
While some other K-pop bands have expressed anxieties about releasing English-speaking songs, suggesting this will remove a sense of Korean identity, Sungjin and co appear excited about the idea of releasing something that is culturally and linguistically very different, even if it appeals to another audience entirely. It is this sense of daring and self-direction that has propelled the boyband into the K-pop limelight, creating a feeling of authenticity that is now their trademark.
In fact, even when asked about their biggest musical influences, drummer Dowoon makes it clear that their bond forms the foundation for most of their music: “I’ve been able to learn what kind of music suits me from my Day6 members … as well as what kind of clothes suit me well.”
Sungjin of Day6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
But this isn’t to say they have no pool of inspiration whatsoever. Singer, keyboardist and synthesiser Wonpil tells me about the influence from his super-loyal fanbase: “They [Day6 fans] definitely do inspire our music and everything that we do. They make us realise why we do music again, especially when we tour, so every moment during the tour is absolutely precious. We’re very grateful, but I doubt that even saying this can deliver my true intention.”
Dowoon of Day6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
One of the most exciting things about Day6 is their ability to constantly evolve and change up their sound; not to mention their versatility – how they are able to effortlessly move between heart-felt ballads, feel-good anthems, synthesised harmonies, and dance music. Dowoon explains that’s he’s constantly researching and getting a taste for different sounds, and this is key to their musical flexibility. “In my case, I’ve been studying more genres and listening to music, rather than just changing my style,” he adds. “We [Day6] share our music with each other, and our music has so many different genres. I think it makes us study various aspects of music a lot.”
Dedication and hard work seems to be a huge part of the band member’s lives, having just finished their second world tour at the end of January at the time of this interview.
Day 6. Photograph: Jang Duk Hwa
They’d been on the road since August, going everywhere from Los Angeles to London. Interestingly, there were significantly more performances outside of Asia than before. I ask the quintet about the ever-growing K-pop phenomenon in the west, “I think the world is starting to become more accepting of foreign cultures,” concludes Jae. “It feels like the ‘social norm’ is that there is no ‘norm’. Everything is acceptable, so that gives leeway for people to publicly gravitate towards what they like. Not sure if it’s the actual rise of popularity in K-pop, or society just learning to be more tolerant.”
Judging by their massive growth over the past six years, the band has witnessed the beginning of the West’s embrace of K-pop, a phenomenon that shows no sign of abating. Asked about future projects, Sungjin declares, “As Day6, we want to do music together for as long as we can. And as time passes, I hope to take care of myself so that I can get healthier little by little. I want to make good music and stay healthy and happy for a long time!”
by Emma Hart
Taken from the latest issue of Glass Man issue 41 – Fresh
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Photographer: JANG DUK HWA
Stylist: KIM BALKO
Grooming: THE J
Jae
Jacket: TNGT
Shirt: BALMAIN
Young K
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Shirt, waistcoat: STYLIST’S OWN
Wonpil
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Sungjin
Jacket: JUUN J
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Dowoon
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All
Far left, Dowoon
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Left, Wonpil
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Middle, Young K
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Right, Sungjin
Jacket, trousers: JUUN J
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Far right, Jae
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Shirt: BALMAIN
Shoes: STYLIST’S OWN