Young K is going to be "Eternal"

Seven tracks, all written and produced by Young K. «Eternal» is the first mini-album as a solo artist of the Day6's bassist. The album was firstly announced on August 16, on the same day Young K also announced his mandatory military enlistment due for October. «Eternal» is an emotional masterpiece; all the tracks show the artistry of Young K and fully deliver the message of eternal love and cherishing loved ones.

We had an exclusive heart-warming talk with Young K today, the same day as the sixth anniversary of Day6's.

This is your first mini-album. Can you tell us more about it?

«The album is called "Eternal," and actually the name was given by me because they gave me the opportunity to choose the album name. This happened after the song "Guard You" was chosen. This song in English is Guard You, but if you read it in Korean and then translate it, it means "I will guard you 'till the end". And I asked myself: what is the end? Where is the end? What does the end look like. And my conclusion was that since I don't want the end to come, so I guessed I wanted to be Eternal».

Eternal is also a meaningful word for you.

«Yes, it's also a meaningful word for me. Because my real name is Kang Young-hyun and the Young in it means Eternal».

You wrote every track of the mini-album and also produced it. When you ended your work, what were your first thoughts on it?

«To be honest, before this album came out, I was kind of worried because I wasn't sure if I was confident enough and, you know, it's my first time putting out an album just and Young K and not with the other members, so I did get nervous a lot, but I guessed when it came out yesterday I felt a lot better not that it's out in the world».

Working solo can be challenging. Did you have some difficulties you had to overcome? How did you do it?

«Not only on this, but in order to overcome every kind of challenge in my life, I just go for it and see what happens, and trust the future me to finish it somehow. And just gave my best. And whatever the result is, acknowledge and admit that what I have done. I can just say I have trust in my hard work? But for this album, the challenge was, I guessed, just the album itself was the challenge for me. I realized that I wasn't putting in enough time for me to grow. I was doing a lot of things, I guess I grew from them too, but you know, just to prepare more lyrics, or just study new things, new music, new melody, I realized that I didn't do much of that and that came kinda difficult for me while songwriting. And also, while writing the entire album, I had to think about what I want to put in this album. What do I want to say? Who am I? Why do I exist? All these kinds of questions for myself. And I realized they are a strength that I have, but I also have weaknesses. I realized all those kinds of things».

You are getting ready to enlist for your mandatory army time. When I read the title of your title track, I had this warm and safe thought like you saying, "it's going to be okay, even though I'll be away for a while, I'll always be by your side." Is this album your way to give a warm hug to all your fans?

«This is what I want to say, but I also didn't want to specify it and limit the entire message because it really depends on whoever is listening to it and how they are listening to it. But I guess a lot of people can take it that way in this situation, but I also feel it can be a broad message that can work for everybody».

Your life is about to change: you are going to the army, and now you are debuting solo. But who is Young K now?

«Who am I right now? I guess I'm Young K (he laughs). And who is Young K? That is a very difficult question for me, but I guess Young K is also Brian but also Kang Young-hyun, and he is a hard-working person who is trying to live his life and trying to work hard. not only in music. And also, I'm trying to tell myself, "do it just right. Not too much, not less. Just right". That's what I'm trying to figure out. I guess I didn't find the right line yet, but I'm trying to figure it out and working on it».