After a long hiatus, DAYDAY has returned with his full-length album, Belated.
Comprising 12 tracks, this album serves as a record that encapsulates his time away, the changes he underwent during that period, and his current perspective on music. It is not a flashy comeback, but rather a quiet yet weighty return. The entire album was produced by DAX. It features a diverse soundscape that spans genres such as Boom Bap, Trap, and Ratchet.
The album includes two title tracks. ‘Crashout‘ features heavy bass and beats that underscore DAYDAY’s sharp, assertive attitude.
In contrast, ‘Holiday’ strikes a completely different chord; it conveys the message that it is okay to take a break within a bright, cheerful atmosphere, showcasing the contrasting tones of the two tracks.
The album opens with ‘1 Minute 1 Second’ and ‘I Know,’ honestly examining the space between the artist and his music. It then moves into tracks like ‘Under God,’ ‘No Holds Barred,’ and ‘Diabolic.’
The latter half of the album reveals DAYDAY’s everyday self. Songs like ‘Janwiro‘ and ‘Vibey‘ display a cheerful, natural flow of emotion, balancing out the album’s overall heavy atmosphere.
The final track, ’83 Finale,’ is a nostalgic piece that reflects on DAYDAY’s past and his current standing. It encapsulates his life journey—from his days as an idol and his hiatus to the decisions that brought him to where he is now.
Belated is not an excuse for the delayed release. Rather, it is an album that captures stories he is only now able to tell and emotions he could only express at this moment in time.
Dayday debuted as a member of the idol group DMTN in 2010 but left the group in 2012 due to personal reasons. In August 2015, he launched his career as a rapper and producer with the track “Allday Allnight” (featuring Yakob, Raina, and Woo Taewoon) and gained recognition through his appearances on Mnet’s Show Me the Money (Seasons 4 and 5).
He continued his activities with tracks such as “Angel” (featuring Loco) and “Piggy Bank” (featuring Hash Swan) before releasing his first mini-album, “All Day Every Day,” in 2017. The title track, “Call Me,” featured GRAY and Jay Park, and the album focused on candidly and realistically expressing Dayday’s own mindset, beliefs, and resolutions.
In 2021, he released “Antihero,” an album showcasing a range of styles from trap to singing-rap; through this release, he demonstrated his signature smooth flow and expressed his ambition to embark on the second chapter of his career.
