No doubt 2021 has been Kang Daniel‘s year of musical growth and more international appreciation, as the sing-songwriter is featured on several 2021 end-year K-pop listicles. Through his hunting and deeply vulnerable EP Yellow, Kang Daniel was able to show he is capable of delivering deeply emotional and meaningful lyrics combined with alternative r&b and synth pop-rock, as much as the more popular bubbly or sexy K-pop tunes featured in his previous work.

Rolling Stones India — Riddhi Chakraborty
10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2021

2. Yellow – Kang Daniel

Released on April 13th as the last instalment to his trilogy project to find his colors as a solo artist, Kang Daniel’s award-winning Yellow is a highly vulnerable and honest EP filled with anger, frustration, anguish, fear and hesitation. It’s extremely rare to see a K-pop idol open up this much on a record, and Kang’s bravery in baring his soul to the world is admirable. Yellow builds its bones on alternative R&B, rock, dark pop and hip-hop, and sees the singer-songwriter play with bolder and heavier sounds than his previous records: the bright pop Cyan and dance-influenced Magenta (both released in 2020.) With writing credits on every track– all of which were inspired by his own battles with his mental health–Kang presents a stronger side of himself as a songwriter. The opener “Digital” is a gritty alt-rock, Eighties-inspired (almost vaporwave reminiscent) number that describes the vocalist’s experience of being cyberbullied after rising to fame: “Hide my pain/ Keep the truth deeply hidden/ They wanna take me down/ So critical, enemies invisible/ Oh, give me more, battleground digital/ The lie going on at the moment spreads easily/ How did it get so loud?” The lead single “Paranoia” is even more harrowing and addresses the anxiety, fear and constant self-reflection that depression can ignite. The mood of the track is elevated brilliantly through haunting background vocal reverbs, Kang’s terrified echoing screams and his frantic, monotone rapping right before the bridge. Blended with distortion, alt rock and trap, “Paranoia” is a stunning depiction of being trapped in the prison of one’s own mind. “Misunderstood” brings in rapper Omega Sapien and is more sombre in its synth-heavy, 2000s alt rock-tinged acceptance of the darkness stardom brings into a celebrity’s life. Omega Sapien raps, “Ignore what they say/ Story goes round and round/ Fakes smiles all over my face/ Black tinted windows down.” The second single “Antidote” is the absolute masterpiece of Yellow and brings Kang’s desperation to be saved to a breathless, rock-heavy crescendo as he sings, “I’m looking for the antidote/ Please, end this night/ I’m begging for the antidote/ Please, cleanse it all/ Please let me go/ Take me out of this long darkness/ Just let me go.” On the final track “Save U,” Kang takes a deep breath and assures himself of his own resilience and strength as he tells himself (and his fans) that he’s not about to give up. Singer and rapper Wonstein’s brighter tone uplifts the song and ends Yellow on a hopeful note; despite the sorrow and darkness Kang has seen, he will stand tall and keep going. And we’ll be right there with him.

South China Morning Post — Tamar Herman
25 best K-pop albums of 2021

16. Yellow – Kang Daniel

Kang should be a sure-fire hitmaker: he was the most popular contestant on his season of the popular Korean competition show Produce 101, and the centre of Wanna One, the boy band that came out of it. Yet when he puts out album after album that resonates with his stirring take on dark, dramatic alt R&B and dance tracks, it’s somehow still surprising that each of his colour-themed albums shows new depth. As in his past work, Kang gets intimate on Yellow, which is an emotional exploration of his mindset as a creator and as a public figure, reflecting feelings from paranoia to saving oneself.

Rolling Stones India — Riddhi Chakraborty
21 Best Korean Music Videos of 2021

27. Kang Daniel, “PARANOIA”

In addition to dropping one of our favorite albums this year, Kang Daniel delivers excellence in the visual space with the music video for “Paranoia.” Serving as the lead single of his third EP Yellow, “Paranoia” addresses the anxiety, fear and constant self-reflection that depression can ignite. The video for the alt-rock trap number sees Kang attempting to hide and escape from a mysterious and monstrous dark figure. There are various scenes that allude to social anxiety, panic attacks and the track’s namesake paranoia, including a suffocating shot of Kang trapped underwater and moments where he’s walking through a crowded space, increasingly fearful and wary of everyone around him.

The video switches between shots of the singer-songwriter hiding alone in his bedroom and scenes of him performing crisp but manic choreography with confidence. The movements are a little reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” but are much darker thanks to Kang’s eerie facial expressions and the track’s haunting lyrics: “Days are as dark as the night/ It’s getting scary/ In my lightless room/ It’s becoming routine, one by one/ Am I just crazy or dreaming awake?/ Now I can’t escape/ Every day repeats and I become numb.” At the end, he faces the dark monster and fights it as it attempts to kill him, but is shocked by the terrifying realization that the monster is himself and therefore he can never truly escape: “A dark night/ With the monster that lives inside/ Alone in the dark.” It’s a brilliant depiction of depression and anxiety, how the mind becomes our own enemy– extremely relatable and important to anyone who has struggled with any mental illness.

Dazed — Taylor Glasby
The best K-pop tracks of 2021

27. Kang Daniel, “PARANOIA”

Portraying his struggle with anxiety, Kang plunges into a lurching instrumental where his clean vocal reigns triumphant amongst the warped screams and horrorshow brass.

88rising Radio
Songs That Made Us Go Super Saiyan

Kang Daniel, “PARANOIA”

Last but not least, K-pop site too old to be this into kpop, picked Daniel as the best male solo artist, “PARANOIA” as the best song and best MV, and “Digital” at #12 of their Best Songs of 2021.

Read their review of “PARANOIA” MV ➝