Young K is back home. 

Since completing his military service last April, the Korean singer and DAY6 member has wanted nothing more than to be make music again, to get back on stage and be with his fans. "As a musician, I believed that was the most important thing to do," he told Bandwagon. 

So, in the last couple of months, Young K has been working endlessly piecing his comeback together and before he knew it, he had a full-length album in his hands. Letters with notes is a heartwarming record recounting all that's changed and everything he's wanted to share during his time away.

"I didn't initially aim for a full-length album; I just tried to write good songs and explore new ideas," the singer shared. "Undoubtedly, time has passed. My voice has changed, and I'm sure my thought processes have changed too. These changes have probably influenced the results I’ve achieved in my music."

Learning and growing from his debut album in 2021, Eternal, Young K wanted every track on Letter with notes to contain bits and pieces of his heart and soul, emedding all the experiences that has inspired and influenced him over the last couple of months. 

"The thought of wanting to create an album came from the wish to come back as fast as possible. All the recordings started after I was discharged, but been having ideas coming up in my head, so I can't really define it exactly," said Young K. 

Bandwagon caught up with Young K to learn about the stories on and behind Letters with notes, track by track. Check it out here. 

waited (오늘만을 너만을 이날을)

I imagined what it would be like to get back on stage. The song starts off with me saying I feel nervous and asking how all of you were. In the chorus, I sing about how much I waited for this moment.

nothing but (이것밖에는 없다)

Singing about how it's hard to let go of love even as it fades from view. The song underwent several adjustments, and the title of my first mini album, ‘Eternal’, became the very first lyric of this song.

let it be summer

Talks about how I never want the summer to end, symbolizing summer as youth and the most passionate season, and drawing a comparison to life. I was glad this song was released at the end of summer, just before autumn arrived.

Dreamer (꿈꾼)

I envisioned an image of a person who has been through tough times but still dreams and sees their reality becoming brighter. Stars being drawn, a story of a dreamer.

Bungee Jumping

It was the very first song I performed at a festival before its official release. I wanted to put a refreshing vibe, so I imagined a first-time bungee jumping experience, something I still haven't tried.

natural

The word 'natural' caught my attention for some reason. I thought of what's natural: breathing, having meals, and the flow of time. It’s a very upbeat track with a rhythmical melody, making it quite enjoyable to perform live.

STRANGE

After watching Dr. Strange, the word 'strange' resonated with me. I began thinking of what the norm is. If I'm surrounded by strange people, would I still be considered strange? This led me to the idea that a concert is a place where you can liberate yourself and be free, so I wanted to create a song that asks people to get strange with me. I then brought the melody and lyrics to Park Mun Chi, and I loved how the song took shape.

SOUL

Doesn’t everyone have moments where you have to put on a smile even when you don't feel like it? The track itself already had enough soul in it, so it started off with the word 'soul'. I thought of soulless smiles and made a song looking for the soul that's lost.

playground

When I was editing the song, I was actually sitting at a playground, watching kids play. I came up with the concept first, but seeing them with my eyes made me take a closer look into how we've grown but the life we live isn't so different.

babo

An English song but has a title with a Korean word. The word was chosen due to pronunciation, but I was pretty satisfied with the result. ‘paulkyte’ who I worked with was introduced by another musician named Eldon, who I enjoy listening to and a good friend of mine.

what is..

One of the fastest tracks written out of the entire album, I was able to write up to the first chorus the day we started both melody and lyrics. I loved the line and the tone of the piano, so I guess that helped me come up with an idea quickly.