By Jianne Soriano for Tatler 

The South Korean entertainer just released his first full-length album—with heartfelt stories that he hopes fans can resonate with

South Korean singer, actor and entrepreneur Kang Daniel recently released his first full-length album, The Story, on May 24. The album marks the 25-year-old’s return to music after almost a year. In the ten-track album, he dives into the role of a storyteller, exploring different emotions and perspectives.

Earlier in 2022, Kang made his TV debut in the Korean drama Rookie Cops.

He had risen to fame in 2017 when he became the first-place winner of the second season of Produce 101, a survival reality show. In the same year, he became a member of the K-pop group Wanna One—a role he held until its disbandment in 2019. He subsequently became a soloist and also established Konnect Entertainment, an entertainment company.

That year, Kang released his first solo EP Color on Me. This was followed by the releases of Cyan and Magenta in 2020, and Yellow in 2021—all three are under the Color trilogy. The EPs were a commercial success, topping South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart.

How do you feel about making your comeback after more than a year?

I feel so excited and proud that I was able to successfully release my first full-length album in 13 months. My album recording process had kept me busy—I had to take care of my throat, and think about the lyrics most of the time.

I had the debut album, which I’d been preparing for a long time; and three albums released under the Color trilogy. I thought that now is a great time to open up these stories as a full-length album. The right timing just came naturally.

Full interview on tatlerasia.com