Welcome Home, Young K
For many, the months of autumn signal endings rather than beginnings, but for Young K, this September brings a triumphant homecoming with his newest album Letters with notes. The singer-songwriter has long since been a jack-of-all-trades, releasing some of the most accomplished works in the Korean music industry as a soloist and as a member of DAY6, and Letters with notes sees him add another notch to his musically versatile belt.
September 2021 left us with my favorite solo release—and possibly one of my favorite albums of all time—Young K’s official solo debut Eternal. At the time, the release was bittersweet as it also ushered in his military enlistment; as a result, I very vividly remember being moved to tears at the sheer emotion put into Eternal’s final track, “goodnight, dear.” This time around, almost exactly two years later, he’s back with an equally personal release, with the 11 songs on the tracklist affectionately referred to as letters.
“nothing but”
In true artistic fashion, the album’s title track “nothing but” picks up where Eternal’s “Guard You” left off, telling the story of undying commitment to a relationship even as it’s falling apart. The composition is classic for a Young K song: emotive vocals rise and ebb against a mid-tempo track fueled by melancholic guitars and piano. The song starts off almost eerily, with jarring high-pitched piano chords breaking into the first verse before turning into something easier on the ear.
The song is a product of the singer’s inability to let things go, according to an interview with TheKoreaTimes. And for this seemingly tragic flaw, we are thankful, as it is this stubborn characteristic that inspires Young K to push the envelope in his musical endeavors, leading him to dabble in even more genres and styles; therein lies the album’s greatest strength. “nothing but” is a good song, and one that can speak to many people, and man, does it make my heart feel full to have Young K singing again, but it does not quite hit like the rest of the album does. And that’s nothing against the title track—it’s just a testament to how versatile Letters with notes is as a whole project.
A Heartbreaking Music Video
The music video is just as poignant as one would expect for a song like “nothing but.” Starring TWICE’s Dahyun, it starts with the breaking off of an engagement. Dahyun’s character impassively takes off her ring, symbolizing the promise of commitment in “Guard You,” leaving Young K’s character stunned. From there, shots of their breakup are intermixed with scenes of Young K trapped in a scrapped car as it’s precariously dangled by a crane, as he desperately tries to hold onto the forgotten engagement ring. As the video progresses, things become more chaotic, with Young K breaking away from his more-or-less controlled facade as confetti explodes around the couple, eventually leaving the home in disaster—a metaphor for how he’s coming apart at the seams. In its final turn, the car from the beginning of the video dramatically crashes to the ground, with Young K clawing his way out of the wreckage and through the rubble, only to run back into the fiery mess to save the ring.
It’s a simple but effective video, especially for a song like “nothing but,” and it’s one of Young K’s most heartfelt performances yet. The final scene where he’s sitting at the table alone is full of such despair that it makes me wonder if the multi-talented man might ever consider trying his hand at acting.
The Album
While he admitted that the album doesn’t necessarily have a central theme, Letters with notes does appropriately open with the track “waited,” Young K’s nod to those that stayed by his side during his enlistment. “waited” is a high-energy, guitar-driven track that kicks off the album on an energetic note before dialing things back down with “nothing but.” The tracklist picks back up with pre-release song “let it be summer,” in which Young K uses the season as a metaphor for happiness.
“Dreamer” carries a similar feel to “let it be summer,” leaning more into a grittier sound. “Bungee Jumping,” meanwhile, is the album’s first true turn in genre, bringing in retro elements reminiscent of ‘70s pop. It’s something we’ve heard a little bit with DAY6 tracks like “How to love” or “Only,” but something about it hits differently with Young K as a solo artist, and I hope it’s a sound we’ll hear him continue to explore. “natural” jolts the tempo back up, shifting back to a rock sound while still incorporating some older influences, as the guitar riffs sound straight out of the ‘90s pop-rock scene. “STRANGE” quickly shifts us back to the present-day, with anthemic lines and a chorus made for live performances. “SOUL,” however, finds its modernity in the inclusion of CHOILB’s feature, whose rap perfectly complements the laid back blues vibes of the song.
The title of “playground” correctly hints at it being one of the most fun tracks on the album, pulling from funk music and spruced up with eccentric vocals and sound effects. This song is evidence of Young K challenging himself as a singer: while it’s undoubtedly Young K singing, it’s clear he’s trying new things with his voice, and it works. “babo” is another mid-tempo track, this time in all English aside from its Korean title. It’s one of the more subdued songs on the album, especially as it fades out to only the sound of an acoustic guitar. The album comes to a soft conclusion with the last track, “what is..,” and much like with Eternal and “goodnight, dear,” this is the song that struck me the most upon first listen. “what is..” showcases Young K’s vocal control far more than any song on Letters with notes, and while he is an astounding musician and composer, his star power lies in his passionate singing. His talent for expressing the ups and downs of human emotion through his voice has always been his strength as both a soloist and as a member of DAY6, and I’m happy to have a song like “what is..” pull at my heartstrings in this familiar way. It’s a reminder and promise that finally, after two years, Young K is home.