Day6 was formed by JYP Entertainment, home of Stray Kids, Got7, and TWICE, and debuted in 2015 with, you guessed it, six members, with Sungjin on vocals, Young K on bass, Wonpil on keyboard, Dowoon on drums, Jae (who left in 2022) on guitar and vocals, and Junhyeok (who left soon after debut in 2016) also on keyboard. This makes them the sixth bonafide band I’ve covered on the blog, after The Rose, Lucy, Rolling Quartz, ONEWE, and Xdinary Heroes. 

Here are my credentials: I would consider myself a fan of Day6, sure, having heard a good amount of their singles, some b-sides, and watching a bit of B-T-S content. I’m also a fan of Jae’s solo career. But I haven’t had the chance to experience a comeback in real time yet, and now that the members are back from military service, I figured now was a good chance for a deep dive. So let’s get into it!

EP #1: The Day

Congratulations is a song that’s both very of its time (2015) and, in a way, timeless. It has this sound that I’d describe as “slice of life” in its verses, with the beat that skips along and rambly, conversation-like vocals, before the chorus explodes to reveal one hell of an anthemic breakup song. It’s so dramatic and ridiculously petty, in the way that only teenagers / twenty-somethings really can be without it feeling over-the-top. The exploding fireworks in the music video right before the final chorus never fail to make me laugh. Basically, it’s a hell of a debut.

From the EP, I enjoyed the irrepressible joy of Freely, but my hidden gem was the rock ballad Colors, with its emotional vocals and sweeping instrumental.

EP #2: Daydream

Letting Go was Day6’s first comeback after Junhyeok left, and it’s hard not to view its lyrics about saying goodbye in that light. It’s different from Congratulations, in a way toned down, in a way more potent, and feels like it’s coming from a much older group even though it was only a six months or so after their debut. It’s a very mature stance on farewell, not skimping on the feelings of betrayal, on the sense of loss, or on the conflicting emotions brewing, but resolving to move on.

From the EP, I enjoyed the fun build-up in tropical pop Blood, the dance-floor-ready sound of Sing Me, and the insistent, bittersweet sound of vulnerable Wish (my hidden gem).

Single #1: January

I Wait is the first of twelve single comebacks, released once a month during 2017, dubbed the “Year of Day6”, and it’s quite a way to start. Where both of the singles from their first EPs are rock, just on different sides, I Wait takes a middle path. The verses are still subdued when the “what you doing” refrain starts to kick up the speed, and then the chorus, as in Day6’s best songs, is where the song really takes off into solid rock. And the final chorus, extended with the instrumental solos, is just the cherry on top of an already great song.

I also enjoyed the b-side, Goodbye Winter, which is far more on the rock ballad side.

Single #2: February

You Were Beautiful is one of the most popular of the monthly comebacks, but truth be told, I never got into it.  It’s a good song, make no mistake, channeling genuine emotion and featuring some lovely vocals. The piano gets a chance to shine, the music video is pretty, and the lyrics are good too. I’m not entirely sure why I feel this way either, since it has a lot of the elements of the Day6 songs I love. But something about its chorus is too laid-back, or perhaps not enough rock, too much ballad? Either way, it ranks towards the bottom of their “Year Of Day6” for me.

I preferred the b-side, My Day, named after their fans, with its fast-paced beat and call-and-response outro.

Single #3: March

How Can I Say hits the ground running with its opening instrumental smash and the opening line “I hate me now”, and from there, never lets up. Unlike You Were Beautiful, it doesn’t have room to breathe, for better or for worse, and constantly feels like it’s a moment away from spinning out of control. It’s gripping, in a way, despite its verses almost sounding laid back, and its bridge may be one of their best.

Single #4: April

I’m Serious is a return to the “slice of life” sound I mentioned earlier, with all the rambly vocals and conversational instrumentals that entails. Its tropical influences and breezy vocals seem tailor-made for a coffee-shop, or, in the music video’s case, a drive down the coast. None of their songs have felt as utterly relaxed as this one does, and watching them have so much fun fooling around together on the beach only adds to it. I’ve heard this song before, I’m sure, but it’s never made as big an impression on me as it did this time, so that was a nice surprise.

Single #5: May

Dance Dance initially seems like it’ll be a full-on ballad, shot in black and white. Instead, it’s more upbeat than the past songs have been, firmly on the rock side of rock-pop. It reaches out a hand to its audience, open-palm, and pulls you onto the dance floor, encouraging and effervescent. Its call-and-response chorus is anthemic, and impossible not to sing along to. And then there’s the bridge / outro, which shouldn’t be as great as it is when it’s only a couple repeated lines, and just like I Wait, it makes an already good song even better.

The b-side from this single, Man In A Movie, is one of my favorites, and my hidden gem. It glides along with a sense of grandeur and freedom, and has such evocative lyrics too.

Single #6: June

I Smile marks the halfway point of the year of Day6 releases, and also the last one I’ll cover in this part. It feels like a kind of resolution; gentle and kind of cautiously optimistic, as though it takes a deep breath before making the decision to be hopeful. The line “even when it hurts, I smile” is backed up by ever-building guitars and drums, and the final chorus’ a-capella section, especially coming right off of the vulnerable bridge, manages to make the listener hopeful too.

Next time, we’re on to Part 2. Tschüss!