Day6 is a band that has been through more than most K-pop fans might be aware of. When they released the hit song “Zombie” right as COVID hit the world, they lost their chance to do what bands excel at–live performances. That stumble came with the band restructuring into a four-man show and the members enlisting in the army. Nevertheless, they have overcome wave after wave of difficulties to find well-deserved fame nine years after their debut in September 2015.
In early September, they returned as a full team of four with Band Aid. The album’s name itself reflects the message the band hopes to convey: to be a band that offers aid and to soothe wounds through music. Day6 fans–My Days–are already aware that one of the band’s charms has to be their broad range when it comes to music genres. Moreover, Day6 never backs down with music experimentation. Band Aid is no exception, offering tracks that range from alternative rock to new jack swing and rockabilly. The band sets out to offer comfort to listeners, and they certainly deliver as they promised, weaving a story of healing through just eight tracks in a variety of styles.
The album’s opening track, “Monster,” is a perfect representation of a classic 90s British rock sound they have been trying out with older tracks like “Shoot Me”. Similar to “Shoot Me,” the theme of “Monster” is dark, with a speaker that thinks of themselves as a monster undeserving of love. Sungjin‘s vocals shine in the chorus, with his rough tone fitting for the grungier tune. This track is also the only one that drummer Dowoon participated in composing, and perhaps the one we have to thank for the hard-hitting drums. The higher voices of Young K and Wonpil also offer the perfect contrast, attention-grabbing above the guitar riffs and drums. The lyrics are equally brutal, stating:
I’m a monster
So nobody, nobody loves me
I crave the warmth of humans
I crawl back into the darkness
For an album that seeks to heal, it may seem strange to have such a depressing song to kick things off. Yet, that may just be the perfect prologue to a narrative of healing; we start at rock bottom, a monster of self-defeat and estrangement, only to slowly find our sense of selves and stand on our feet again.
The album’s musical tone gradually shifts from the second track, the title track “Melt Down.” It kicks off with upbeat drums, faintly reminiscent of their celebratory track “Time of Our Life”. The rhythm is fast, the vocals are light-hearted, and the lyrics more encouraging:
The moment that you’ve revived my dying heart miraculously
Warm tears are streaming down
That smile you have enables me to hang in there again
Even the MV for “Melt Down” is a visual progression of the gradual warming up and revival of the self. The band members start off freezing and icy cold, almost pale and blue from the frigid temperature. Once the chorus hits, there is a spectacle of exploding colors along with an aural burst of guitars, drums, and keyboards. The chilly blue that started the MV morphs into the blue of clear skies and soothing seas. The main palette is consistent, but there is a warmth that envelopes visually and musically.
The songs that come after are fast-paced and beats to dance to. “She Smiled,” “Shxtty Game,” and “Help Me Rock&Roll” are the perfect concert songs to jump and sing along to. It is easy to imagine a dazzling stage with vibrant lights as the band performs these songs. In particular, “Help Me Rock&Roll” has a fun 60s rock and roll sound reminiscent of their tracks from Remember Us: Youth Part 2. We hear lyrics like “Please help me tonight” as a call for help, but the band never lets the melody or vocals fall to the depressiveness of “Monster”.
The album returns to a clearer crafting of the narrative with “Counter” and “I’m Fine,” with “Counter” being the defiant and confident attitude against external negativity. It is a bold declaration of success against the odds, as the band has done over the past few years. After which, the album turns to “I’m Fine” to state “I’m fine without this love” and “Keep going / I’m happy”. Whatever the world (or a romance here) may end up, Day6 has made a statement that they are and will be fine.
Intentionally or otherwise, Day6 has drawn a narrative of recovery after being beaten down by wave after wave of unpredictability. Each member has struggled with their own monsters over the years. Sungjin stated in a 2020 VLIVE that he found it scary to sing because he could not achieve what he wanted with his voice; Young K tearily confessed about how things he constantly felt he had to do well recently; Wonpil revealed that he finds it hard to sing intros live on IU’s Palette. Nonetheless, they have pulled through to receive the recognition they deserve, and their songs are taking top spots on the music charts lately.
The album may be short with just eight songs, but the journey of recovery is oftentimes a long one. The end may not always be pretty, leaving scars on wounded hearts. After seven songs, Band Aid closes with a rock ballad, just as they do with many of their albums. “Still There” is on the sadder side with its theme, with this particular one relating the story of a lover unwilling to let go after a relationship reaches its end. It is emotional, sorrowful, and even heartwrenching to hear the pleas to be loved while promising an unchanging love.
Despite the heartbreak evident in “Still There,” there is an undertone of reassurance that comes through if we are willing to hear it. When Wonpil’s voice delivers the lines “I love you, unchanged” in the chorus of “Still There,” there is a determination of a promise to be unchanging even if the lover–perhaps even the listener or fans–may falter. Day6’s closing rock ballads have always sounded like subtle love letters to My Days across their many albums, and “Still There” is no different in this sense. In their debut album’s closing track, “Colors,” they sang, “Hold out your hand / Color me like that red sunset / So I won’t lose myself”. The band started with reaching out to listeners. After nine years, “Still There” offers a perspective that things may change or come to a close, but a firm affection and fondness will always remain against those who may have looked away.
A lack of performance opportunities due to the pandemic might have truly been fatal for a band. Moreover, rearranging the vocals of four people to just three ran the risk of erasing the charm of the original tracks. As they offer consolation to others through Band Aid, perhaps they are also (re)finding a respite through music. In this latest album, Day6 continues to prove that music is their ally, their reprieve, and their greatest weapon against a world of turbulence. They mold it to their will and infuse their tracks with a Day6 identity that is impossible to replicate.
(VLIVE, YouTube [1][2][3][4]. Lyrics via Genius. Images via JYP Entertainment)
