Following CYAN, Kang Daniel’s second mini-album MAGENTA reflects a shift and evolution in his musicality. MAGENTA is lined with intense tracks, which supposedly reflects the maturation of a day as the sun reddens and sets in the evening, ending the refreshing summer days embodied by CYAN. Clad in a glamorous black suit adorned with flashy accessories in concept photos and teasers, Daniel got DANITYs excited for the return of his more provocative side reminiscent of his iconic “Knock 열어줘” performance. Hands-down the best mini-album released by Daniel by far, MAGENTA will be an opinion-changing listen for those who had difficulty getting into his previous releases.

Title Track

“깨워 (Who U Are)” is a song expressing his awakening desire for his mysterious love interest. The music video utilizes broken fixtures, pyrotechnics, and sand to depict a desolate, dystopian-like setting, which is fitting of the desperate desire conveyed in the song. While Daniel’s previous music videos were playful, the content of “깨워 (Who U Are)” leans heavily towards showing the choreography and several glamor shots. It is simple and serves its intended purpose to display Daniel’s dance prowess and charisma well.

The song itself is an energetic dance track that makes use of 808 bass drums, Latin guitars, flutes, and synthesized vocals. Daniel also shows considerable growth in his vocals through this song as he switches between his usual singing range and falsetto in the verses and choruses. 

Mini-Album

Before we delve right into the mini-album, certain names credited in the tracklist deserve some attention, namely Daniel’s own name in the lyrics for all the tracks, excluding “Night”. This is certainly promising for his future in developing his own unique color and expression. Additionally, MNZC, known for working extensively with SM Entertainment acts such as EXO and NCT, contributed to tracks the “깨워 (Who U Are),” "Flash,” “Waves,” and “Movie”.

"Flash” is the opening track of MAGENTA and does an amazing job immediately signaling the mini-album’s dreamy quality. The song is described as an electronic R&B with deep synth-arpeggios and heavy synth-pad hits. The lyrics are uplifting and motivational—“‘Cause I know I gotta be strong / Yeah, the wait can be long / 엉켜 있는 미로 / 또다시 나는 위로 (In a tangled maze / Again, I go up).” Although not directly referenced within the track itself, having contextual knowledge of the legal disputes surrounding Daniel just several years back and his arduous road to debut really makes the song even more meaningful and touching. Regardless, Daniel’s emotional deliverance of the song makes it a delightful listen for both DANITYs and non-fans alike. 

“Waves” is another hypnotizing Latin infused hip hop track, borrowing elements of dancehall and clever use of 808 bass drums, Latin guitars, and staccato piano notes “that pour like waterfalls”. Simon Dominic and Jamie’s features add another layer of finesse to the song and their verses flow seamlessly with the entire track—their voices blended into a pleasant, cohesive sound. Each of their verses is fierce but restrained, and there is a wonderful harmony behind this flirty melody as their voices drip with a laid-back swagger. Jamie’s harmonization of “소나기” is also absolutely bewitching. The main strength of the track is how it manages to be addictive in a subtle manner without becoming overly convoluted.

The overall mood of the music video, similar to “깨워 (Who U Are),” is serious and sultry, a departure from all of Daniel’s previous light-hearted and goofier music video concepts. The visual concept of the music video also seems to revolve around the use of water and shimmery sparkle effect, with the latter tying back to the concept photos of MAGENTA. Despite being a pre-release, there is equal if not arguably higher production value for “Waves” opposed to the title track, with the former having a greater variety of shots. Interestingly, the song and the music video make multiple visual and onomatopoeia water references as a direct contrast to the dry, desert-like wasteland set in the “깨워 (Who U Are)” music video.

“Runaway” is a simple feel-good track that features Korean rapper Yumdda. The song talks of a guy convincing his love interest to go on a much-needed getaway from his boring routine days.  This bright, reggae-pop song combines sophisticated beats, catchy melodies, and addictive guitar riffs and is great to play as you prep for a weekend night out or whenever you are experiencing some wanderlust.

“Movie” features yet another artist, this time being Dvwn, who had previously worked on Daniel’s “Adulthood” in the CYAN mini-album. This contemporary and sophisticated track is made with the 808 bassline, addictive piano staccato sound, and a synthesized organ. The lyrics of this track parallels one’s attraction towards someone they met for the first time to a movie. Dvwn’s vocals are absolutely ethereal and Daniel manages to pull his own weight, which is an impressive feat on its own. Something about the twisted melody of the pre-chorus and bridge is pleasantly haunting and keeps one coming back for more.

Closing off the mini-album is “Night,” which serves up a soothing melody accompanied by minimal instrumentals, perfect for enjoying Daniel’s vocals. The lyrics are pretty heart-warming but the standout is definitely Daniel’s stable and calming vocals. This track is a rare gem that showcases his improved singing capabilities and confidence in them. Unfortunately for fans, the only closest vocal-heavy track in Daniel’s discography to this is “Something,” which was released a while back as Backstreet Rookie’s OST. It is a shame that we do not get such simple tracks often, but hopefully we will get to hear more vocal-focused tracks in the future as he matures as an artist.

Conclusion

MAGENTA is a solid mini-album that showed Daniel’s amazing transformation as a solo act since his debut last year. Being the face and center of Wanna One, it was clear that he would have little trouble branching off as a successful solo act. However, as we all know, behind the success of many K-Pop acts is the extensive planning done by their labels. Being CEO of his own entertainment company KONNECT, he has done a remarkable job of assembling a team of talents and simultaneously realizing his vision of what he wishes to achieve as an artist, with MAGENTA being an indisputable testament to this.

For those who never understood the insane hype for the nation’s center Kang Daniel back in 2017—perhaps this mini-album may finally provide you with the insight as to why.