Here are my credentials (again, again): 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!

(Part One) (Part Two)

EP #5: The Book Of Us; Gravity

Time Of Our Life begins a new series for Day6 called The Book Of Us, and also begins the part of their discography I know very little about. The piano led beat skips along in the fast-paced verses, full of hard-won joy and a free-wheeling sense of abandon until it all comes together in the shout-out chorus, which I’m sure would be electric in a concert setting. It’s anthemic in the best way; not that Day6’s heartbreak songs aren’t engaging, but a song like this just feels so freeing.

From the EP, I enjoyed the great guitar in For Me and the punchy, emotional vocals in Cover. My hidden gem was How To Love, with its easy going beat, hints of orchestra, and interesting percussion.

Album #1: The Book Of Us; Entropy

Sweet Chaos, as befits the name, goes full-force into bluesy rock & roll. It reminds me of the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, smash cuts and mile-a-minute sequences and all. Though the verses have comparatively more time to breathe than the chrouses do, that doesn’t mean much in a song like this. There’s just so much happening at all times in this track: guitars keep the beat, the drums spin out of control, and there’s either a synthesizer or keyboard going ham in the background. It’s a little tiring to listen to, to be honest, and I’d say that I have to be in the right mood to listen to it, but I do like it.

With Entropy, we finally have a full album, so there’s a lot to talk about here, starting with the first song, Deep In Love, whose scuzzy beat is a pretty solid introduction. I enjoyed the Latin Pop influences in 365247 and Ouch, the go-for-broke guitars of Stop Talking, and the Infinite-esque orchestra-meets-rock of Not Mine. Emergency might be my hidden gem, with its fun-loving brass and frenetic energy. But it’s up against some stiff competition.

EP #6: The Book Of Us; The Demon

Zombie is the one song from Day6’s later career that I know pretty well, and for good reason. I don’t normally like such understated and monotonous tracks, but this one is different. It’s a simple song, but that simplicity is part of what makes it so powerful. I’ve never found a song that illustrates the day-to-day feeling of living with mental health struggles like this one does. The line “I feel like I became a zombie, not alive but I’m still walking” from the English version, just hits in a way very few do. Jae’s gentle voice especially never fails to bring me comfort, and sometimes a good song to hold your hand and tell you you’re not alone is exactly what you need.

The Demon is easily my favorite Day6 album, and one of my favorite k-pop albums in general. Every song is great, from the tropical-influenced Day And Night to the insistent instrumental of Stop to the easygoing 1 To 10 to the anthemic Love Me Or Leave Me (my hidden gem), which always gets me jumping up and down.

EP #7: The Book Of Us; Negentropy

You Make Me has a much gentler opening than is usual for Day6. Gentle is really the operative word for this song. I don’t know how to classify it. It’s not quite the monotonous sound of Zombie or the heartbroken feeling of You Were Beautiful, but something different. It takes a bit from the slice-of-life genre I mentioned in their earlier releases, but again, just not quite. It features some of their best vocals, courtesy of Wonpil. The music video adds to this feeling, conveying this sense of desperation in the song that isn’t as noticeable when you just listen to it. Also, here Day6 are watching a romance unfold instead of being involved, which adds this layer of maturity and sense of storytelling that hasn’t always been there. And perhaps (definitely) I’m reading too much into it, but the “every ending is a new beginning” made me remember that this was Day6’s final release before military service and Jae’s departure.

From the EP, I enjoyed the painstaking lyrics of Everyday We Fight, the soothing tone of Only, and the insistent, triumphant beat of One. But, my hidden gem was the delightfully sunny, even more delightfully synthy Healer, which I think would make the perfect soundtrack for a road trip.

EP #8: Fourever

Despite solo and subunit releases, Welcome To The Show marks Day6’s first comeback in three years, to a collective sigh of relief from both me and MyDays. I first saw that this song was out when its music video appeared on the k-pop television in my favorite Korean restaurant, which just goes to show you how well I’ve been following current events in k-pop. It’s a masterclass in how to do a satisfying build-up, from the steady verses to the quick-as-a-whip turnaround in the pre-chorus, to the carnivalesque announcement of “Welcome To The Show!” before the chanting takes over in a rush of joy. It feels triumphant, a promise to fans and casual listeners alike that Day6 is here to stay. And I’m glad that they’re keeping the thread of telling someone else’s love story. I will say, I do miss Jae’s voice here; it’s so distinctive and to not hear it with the others feels like something’s not quite right. And the constant empty chairs in the video…ouch.

From this EP, I enjoyed the straight-out-of-a-video-game sound of The Power Of Love, but my hidden gem was Sad Ending, which, despite the name, is quite a headbanger. Interesting thing to note, this is the first release where the single is the first song in the tracklist. I have no idea if there’s any reason for this, but just thought I’d mention it.

EP #9: Band Aid

Melt Down has the kind of great guitar opening I’ve come to expect from Day6, and I knew immediately it was going to be a good song. Not that they make bad ones, of course. It’s worthy of an anime, with its flighty strings, surprisingly uplifting sound, and slightly unhinged energy, the Princess Bubblegum to Sweet Chaos’ Marceline. (If you understand that reference, please reassure me here, I feel old). It bounces off the walls with the kind of joy that feels hard-won, and solidifies the message of Welcome To The Show: Day6 won’t be going anywhere.

From the EP, I enjoyed the bombastic album opener Monster, the quick-footed, flippant Shxtty Game, and the soaring, emotional Still There. My hidden gem was Help Me Rock & Roll, with its Beach-Boys-esque surf rock edge and summer-tuned attitude. I only wish it wasn’t so short!

Single #13: Maybe Tomorrow

Maybe Tomorrow marks Day6’s first standalone single since their “Everyday 6” series, but it actually reminded me much more of their “The Book Of Us” saga, between the playing with time and gravity and the lyrics focused on mental health. In fact, the first coherent thought I had after “wow, the MV’s so pretty”, is that it reads like a more matured, hopeful version of Zombie. Instead of the monotony that comes with depression, its almost stubbornly bright—both literally, with fireworks exploding and cotton candy colored clouds, and sonically, with a flourishing hook that I can feel worming its way under my skin. All in all, it’s a good song, and perhaps the start of a new era for Day6.

Album #4: The Decade

Inside Out starts with a bass heavy, solid opening beat before the song opens up in its very Day6 way. The chorus gets you bopping your head right from the start, and by the time the second half kicks in, you’re already saying to yourself, “yep. Here we go.” The MV is strange in a way that shouldn’t be charming but is, melding live-action with animation and paint in a way that feels tailor-made to their sound. If I sound like I’m being more enthusiastic than normal, it’s probably because I am. There’s something comforting about looking back ten years and seeing how much Day6 have changed and matured while retaining what makes them so special. It’s a difficult thing to pull off, and I’m not immune to the feeling of pride I’m sure a lot of My Days feel watching them celebrate such a huge anniversary.

There’s so many good things to say about this album, but I’m at least 90% sure you’re reading this on your 5 minute coffee break so I’ll keep it short. (Editing Anna cackles in the distance) There’s the mile a minute rush of Dream Bus, the delightfully…well…disco Disco Day (right on the roller skating playlist!), the headbanging-worthy My Way, and the chiptune-based Take All My Heart, just to name a few highlights, but you’d be hard pressed to find a bad song among them. It’s honestly become one of my favorite Day6 works in such a short time, and I’m sure I’ll only enjoy it more as time goes on.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I had so much fun with this deep dive, and gained a new appreciation for Day6’s talents in writing, producing, and singing. In watching more content from them as people, I fell in love with their senses of humor and their (sometimes brutal) honesty. They’re going on tour for the first time in a while in the next few months, and you better believe that if I can, I’ll be in those stands, singing my heart out. So I guess what I’m saying is, I can add “MyDay” to my stan list.

My Top 5 songs were Zombie, Congratulations, Love Me Or Leave Me, What Can I Do, and Better Better, with Shoot Me and Emergency as honorable mentions. Day6 gets a 9.5 out of 10 from me, which is much higher than I was expecting. Besides the (already great) fact that they play their own instruments and write their own songs, I really loved their music, and the way they weave heartbreak, lyricism, catharsis, and nostalgia together to create such a dynamic body of work. This deep dive was a hell of a lot of fun, and if they swing by my area, you’d better believe I’ll be seeing them on tour.

Next time, we’re onto a girl group. Tschüss!

(Part One) (Part Two)