Would you like to hear a song that communicates what most songs can’t? Turn on a DAY6 playlist, and song after song will evoke emotions you didn’t know you could feel. The band’s lyrical and musical tour de force “I Loved You” is a bittersweet example, detailing the conflict a person experiences when they are unable to hate the person who broke their heart.

DAY6 seeks to capture these conflicts in a high school love story music video where most of the members are involved in a love line of their own.

Even more than the music video, however, DAY6’s beautiful live performances captured the essence of the song, adding to its powerful melody and poetry. Indeed, the song’s powerful and poetic lyrics were written by none other than main lyricist and group leader Young K, who perfectly captures the paradox of clinging to someone you want to forget. These lyrics communicate a commonly experienced, but seldom expressed emotional conflict.

Even though I want to forget you, I can’t

So, I want to forget you

. . .

Even though I want to hate you, I can’t

So, I hate you even more*

Really, I loved you

It’s because I loved you too much* 

We’ve all loved someone “too much.” If we could go back and do things over again, would we love any less? These lyrics ring true for me in a very special way. When I first started learning Korean, a Korean friend suggested we do language exchange by teaching song lyrics to each other. “I Loved You” was one of the first Korean songs I ever learned, and the lyrics apply perfectly to my relationship with the friend who taught it to me. My friend stopped contacting me after she moved back to Korea, but as much as that hurt and I wanted to forget our fun times, I couldn’t forget.

Have you ever loved and loathed someone all at once? Have you wanted to forget something that’s burned into your memory? Or maybe you’ve felt emotions you can’t quite put into words. Well, whatever you’re feeling, there’s likely a DAY6 song that can ease your aching soul. And, as you listen, hopefully it can make those conflicting emotions make a little more sense.

*Translations by Molly Kate Toombs