DAY6’s Sungjin Breaks And Mends Our Hearts With 30

For years, we’ve become familiar with Sungjin’s impactful and unforgettable voice and his beyond heartbreaking songwriting style. Songs like ‘Afraid’ have remained some of the best and most vulnerable, most sincere songs in DAY6’s discography. Young K made his solo debut in 2021 with Eternal, followed by his full-length album Letters with notes. Wonpil debuted in 2022 with Philmography. And Dowoon released his solo single, ‘Out of the Blue,’ in 2021. So, of course, it was only a matter of time before Sungjin released an album full of beautiful, heartbreaking masterpieces. The day is finally here, and 30 is even better than we could’ve imagined. Every single song showcases his unique, hard-hitting vocals, accompanied by some of the best lyricism you could find. Exploring mental health, the struggle of growing up, becoming an adult, and saying goodbye to people who marked your life forever, every single song deserves its own spotlight; here’s our track-by-track of 30 by DAY6‘s Sungjin.

Proceed with caution because Sungjin knows how to write a song that will impact your life forever.

‘Covered in Love’

Starting with the softest track in 30, ‘Covered In Love’ is the perfect opening track. It has a lovely atmosphere to it with its acoustic guitar and lovely melodies. ‘Covered in Love’ feels youthful with every note. But ultimately, ‘Covered in Love’ is about growing up to realize the world isn’t as full of love as you may have thought as a child. It’s about the naivety one may have as a child, thinking everyone is full of love and not hatred like you may grow up to realize. But ‘Covered in Love’ is also about how everyone still deserves that love.

‘Check Pattern’

‘Check Pattern’ is an absolute masterpiece, and it is glaring why this song, out of all of them, is the title track. It perfectly encapsulates all the themes explored in 30. The song is dynamic in the way it switches between different melodies, vocal styles, and emotions. With its British rock energy in the chorus, ‘Check Pattern’ is about how life is a cycle – you go through pain and struggles, but it also brings you back to the people who are meant to be in your life. It’s a song that mixes the beauty of life and fate with how bleak and dark life can truly be. And that’s the entire theme of this masterful album and the proof of Sungjin‘s flawless and captivating songwriting style.

‘I don’t wanna do anything’

‘I don’t wanna do anything’ has an incredibly refreshing sound that brings nothing but good vibes. It’s uplifting, but it still remains soft. This song is about going easy on yourself despite the tough times and letting yourself enjoy the day through the worst days. It’s a sincere and comforting song. And the instrumental bridge brings the musical side to a whole other level. Truly a hug in disguise of a song.

‘Nowhere You Are’

‘Nowhere You Are’ shows British pop-rock’s influence in Sungjin‘s music as its best. The chorus is everything with how much power and emotion it carries – it feels taken right out of the climax of a movie where everything is falling apart. ‘Nowhere You Are’ is filled with nostalgia. It represents in such a perfect way what it is like to miss someone, to feel them everywhere but for them not to be there. It’s all about holding to the memory of someone, feeling the pain of losing them, yet feeling grateful that you got to have them in your life.

‘as always’

The following song in 30, ‘as always,’ carries the same energy. This soft ballad portrays the struggles of growing up and becoming an adult. It’s filled with nostalgia and palpable pain in how Sungjin sings the song, and everything about the instrumental makes it hit even more. It’s about continuously struggling yet trusting that, because nothing is forever and that may hurt, it also means change will come eventually, and you have to keep holding on.

‘Wednesday Night’

‘Wednesday Night’ is not exactly a new song to us, as Sungjin revealed it first at DAY6‘s fan meeting, and the studio version is just as good. It is a bit of a shift from the complex feelings explored in ‘as always,’ with its funky guitar in the background and its lively, bright sound. ‘Wednesday Night’ is a refreshing song that relates a love story in which Sungjin looks forward to meeting his love every week. It’s simple in its concept yet filled with subtleness and sweetness.

‘EASY’

Maybe we smiled more before knowing what ‘EASY’ was about… This song sounds so upbeat and full of happiness. The lyrics aren’t. ‘EASY’ is all about the struggles to find happiness, to love yourself, and to find life easy. Despite its joyful and danceable sound, ‘EASY’ explores the struggle that is to have your mental health wear you down and make life so difficult. In this song, Sungjin longs for an easy life, for the cloud to clear up. It is still a banger, though. ‘EASY’ is one of the best ways Sungjin showcases his genius songwriting.

‘You Wake Me Up’

‘You Wake Me Up’ is one of the most sincere songs in 30. This soulful and jazzy song is an ode to the people who help you every day through the hard times. With his beautiful, versatile, and impacting voice, Sungjin sings about what it is like to have someone in his life who makes waking up every morning worth it.

‘I don’t wanna lose’

The previous songs were already tugging at every single one of our heartstrings, but ‘I don’t wanna lose’ takes it to a whole other level. Somehow, it makes sense that this was the first song written for the album. ‘I don’t wanna lose’ is an absolute masterpiece and the most complex song in 30. It is beyond heartbreaking – the pre-chorus is genius and so satisfying, showcasing one of Sungjin‘s strongest vocal moments. But it also rips our hearts apart every single time. Sungjin has such power with his voice and songwriting; ‘ I don’t wanna lose’ is the perfect example of that perfect mixture. This song feels like a conversation he has with himself as a child, begging that child not to lose himself. It portrays the loss of innocence and naivety, and it is a perfect and heartbreaking full circle with ‘Covered in Love.’

‘Memories’

All tears were cried with ‘I don’t wanna lose,’ but somehow you’ll find you have more with ‘Memories.’ It is simply the perfect ending track to such a beautiful and perfect release, twisting the knife deeper into our wounds. ‘Memories’ is nostalgia and regret embodied in one song, but love and closure too. Rather than regretting not saying the things, it’s about regretting not pouring out all the love when the person was still there. With a very subtle instrumentation, Sungjin’s voice makes everything sound all the more poignant and heartbreaking, and it ends a cycle of pain.

Sungjin’s 30 is a masterpiece beyond words. The lyricsm, the vocals, the melodies – everything about it makes it a masterpiece that breaks and mends our hearts at the same time. There are no vocalists and lyricists quite like him in the industry. DAY6‘s Sungjin carries so much power, empathy, and love in everything he does, especially his music, and 30 encapsulates everything he is as a person and an artist.

What’s your favorite song out of 30? What is the song that impacted you the most? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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