YELLOW Might be the Antidote We All Needed
Following the February release of “Paranoia,” YELLOW is finally out and completes the trilogy of the color mini-album series after CYAN and MAGENTA. The pre-release single's maturity continues throughout the whole album as Kang Daniel walks us through his darkest times in his most personal, relatable, and raw album up until today.
Tracklist:
Digital *
Paranoia *
Misunderstood (feat. Omega Sapien) *
Antidote *
Save U (feat. Wonstein) *
*Author’s Favorite Pick (yes, all of them).
Apart from the two collaborations, another familiar name popped up in the credits. Anthony Russo, the up-and-coming American artist who Daniel collaborated with earlier this year for inverness' “State of Wonder,” was part of the composing team for the majority of YELLOW.
Kang Daniel’s third mini-album features a total of five tracks that follow the now recognizable “Kang Daniel sound.” The pop and R&B tracks are elevated by soft instrumentals and some trap and dance elements here and there. Even though all songs are strong enough to stand on their own, this gives an overall cohesiveness to the sound of the album, where heavy lyrics are balanced out with grooviness and Daniel’s mesmerizing vocals.
“Antidote” and the Music Video
“Antidote” sounds more like a B-side, but after hearing “Paranoia” in advance, it makes sense that we get the “cure” as a response in the title track. The way “Antidote” comes later on the tracklist, the song and the music video also follow “Paranoia” in the storyline. The inner battle, the pressure of both his celebrity status, and his own inner demons are still there as he is trying to escape from this dungeon-like trap that could represent our inner dark thoughts, while the scattered yellow mannequin pictures show how broken we can feel in this space. The captivating scenes show him wiping away the scars and running towards the outside. As with the whole album, this track and music video also show the escape from our inner struggles, a search for ways to stabilize our mental health.
Mental Health in YELLOW
From the beginning, through the deepest point until escaping, the misunderstandings surrounding Daniel and his hiatus due to depression, anxiety, and panic disorder all seem to be included on this album. The whole storyline, the lyrics written personally by Daniel, and the video all show the artist in a very vulnerable yet charismatic and strong way. It is very heavy and emotional, but understanding the whole picture of fighting and escaping puts the listener at some type of ease. The topic of mental health is still not discussed enough in K-Pop, but after listening to the full album, we can be assured that we are not the only ones with these thoughts, feelings, and struggles, and it is okay to go through them. The antidote is within us and we can all escape just like Daniel did at the end of the music video.
Revisiting probably his hardest times, Kang Daniel ended up releasing his most personal, relatable, and raw album. The whole tracklist brings the maturity, heaviness, and seriousness we’ve seen in the pre-release single “Paranoia,” making it even more serious and intimate than any of his previous albums.
The Storyline of the Tracklist
YELLOW follows a pretty clear narrative starting with “Digital,” the beginning of a downward spiral. The opening track is about a digital battleground where enemies are all around and the artist tries to fight back by hiding the pain and emptying his emotions. This is followed by the already very popular “Paranoia,” where this hidden pain and the inner demons take over.
The third track on the album is a collaboration with Omega Sapien, a member of the alternative K-Pop collective Balming Tiger (who we recently dropped an interview with). The song is about being forever “Misunderstood,” where the twisted truth takes over and makes the empty night heavy with the thick fog that Omega Sapien’s powerful lines try to pull us out from. This track, in some ways, is a response to the gossip Daniel had to deal with before and during his hiatus.
This is followed by a successful desire to escape in the title track “Antidote,” and the last song on the album is a message after being over these tough times. In “Save U,” Daniel sings to his younger self and everyone else who is currently going through pain. It’s an encouraging song in collaboration with rapper Wonstein, whose voice perfectly fits with Daniel’s. “Save U” tells us that it’s okay to share our pain and take a break, and it comforts us that we are not alone. Every word on this track is pretty strong but these lyrics are probably the most memorable: “Even if everything falls apart / don't lose yourself / ‘cause I'll be there to save you,” referring to pulling himself through the dark times. And I’m sure this sentence will help many DANITYs to pull through as well.
The Physical Album
The physical album comes in two versions and, just like the previous parts of the mini-album trilogy, both the A and B cover include the hex code for the album’s color—#FFFF00 for YELLOW. Both versions and the concept design center around a seemingly random diamond. On a personal note, I have a diamond tattoo on my right arm as a small reminder that if you put enough pressure on it, even coal can turn into diamond. I feel like my reasons behind that tattoo fit pretty well with the album.
If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out the “Antidote” music video down below.