DAY6’s Dowoon Came “Out of the Blue” with his Debut

On September 27, idol band DAY6’s drummer, Dowoon, made his solo debut with his single “Out of the Blue.” The light and upbeat song features vocals by Dowoon himself and singer Song Heejin.

The lyrics tell the story of walking through life and suddenly being aware of where one is at the current moment. It highlights specific memories, like drinking a beer for the first time, and also talks about abstract moments, like looking back on embarrassing things that happened and realizing they weren't that bad. The ending looks toward the future by asking when the road might end, and leaves it with an almost morbid feeling with the vocals stopping after the word “suddenly.” The lyrical composition of the song is quite interesting because he connects the reflection of the past, present moment, and future possibilities together in just three minutes and 17 seconds.

The instrumentation of this single shows a mix of live-sounding instruments, such as the drums, piano, and bass, with obvious synths. The bubble pops and staccato notes combine with flowing vocals to give the song a dreamy, happy tone that complements the lyrical theme almost as much as it contrasts it. The jazz breakdown near the end adds to the overall intrigue of the song and pays homage to Dowoon’s favorite music genre.

The song takes this writer back to moments of walking through Seoul in April, while the sun is shining and the cherry blossom trees are shedding their petals. If you ever get the chance to see such a day, try turning this song on and enjoy the moment before it ends.