Promotional Singles
“Outerspace” features Korean hip-hop artist Loco and was digitally released on May 13, 2021 by UNIVERSE MUSIC and Warner Music Korea.
| Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement |
| “Outerspace” – 3:15 | Luke Park Si-yeon Loco |
Anthony Russo Anthony Pavel Jonathan Hoskins MZMC |
Jonathan Hoskins |
Background
As part of UNIVERSE MUSIC’s monthly music project, Kang Daniel was revealed as May’s artist on May 6. He and Loco are featured in a digital single titled “Outerspace”. It’s a retro synth-pop genre with a bouncy base synth and bell sound. Daniel’s soft vocals were paired with Loco’s unique and sophisticated rap. The music video was directed by Lee In-hoon of SEGAJI VIDEO and showcases Daniel as a special agent.[s] [s] [s] The full music video is on the UNIVERSE app. KONNECT later posted a dance practice filmed on-site at the UNIVERSE fan party stage.
Outerspace
[Verse 1: KANG DANIEL]
Baby, why don’t we just take a chance, yeah
Maybe 뭔가 재밌는 걸 하려 해, yeah
[Pre-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
여길 넘어서 outerspace
Yeah, 사라진 gravity
시선의 끝에 멀어져버리는 불빛
작은 신호가 켜질 때
뛰어 넘어 fly away now
얼마든지 더 우린 어디든지 더
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
희미해져가는 경계를 지워
낯선 처음과 끝 시간을 건너
미세한 떨림조차 놓지 않아
그 누구도 찾지 못한 너를 찾아내
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
어둠을 넘어서 블랙홀까지
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
아득한 우주 끝 닿는 순간
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
애타게 기다렸던 something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
[Verse 2: Loco]
꿈이라지만 현실이었던
상상과는 다르기도
So we gotta go like vroom
웃으며 허공을 달리는중
끽해봐야 하늘에 빗대
Believe that 못하면 그냥 chit-chat
각 잡아 지금 진지하게
여긴 outer space 난 사라질게 저 빛에
[Pre-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
미처 몰랐던 outerspace
알게 해줄게 더 멀리
나를 따라와 lost in all the things I do and
다시 신호가 켜질 때
뛰어 넘어 fly away now
얼마든지 더 우린 어디든지 더
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
희미해져가는 경계를 지워
낯선 처음과 끝 시간을 건너
미세한 떨림조차 놓지 않아
그 누구도 찾지 못한 너를 찾아내
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
어둠을 넘어서 블랙홀까지
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
아득한 우주 끝 닿는 순간
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
애타게 기다렸던 something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
[Bridge: KANG DANIEL]
끝이 없이 달려 goin’ crazy
And I just wanna ride this wave on top
So don’t stop
I feel it coming
더 펼쳐지는 시선에
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
우린 같은 곳을 향하고 있어
전부 새로워진 순간을 느껴
과감히 한 발 더 모든걸 넘어
그 아무도 몰랐었던 길을 찾아내
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
어둠을 넘어서 블랙홀까지
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
아득한 우주 끝 닿는 순간
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
애타게 기다렸던 something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
[Verse 1: KANG DANIEL]
Baby, why don’t we just take a chance, yeah
Maybe I’m trying to do something interesting yeah
[Pre-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Over here is outerspace
Yeah, the disappeared gravity
The light that fades away at the end of the gaze
When a small signal lights up
Jump over, fly away now
As much as we can, wherever we are, more
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Erase the fading boundaries
Crossing unfamiliar beginning and ending times
I won’t let go of even the slightest trembling
I find you that no one else found
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
From the darkness to the black hole
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
The moment we reach the far end of the universe
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I waited anxiously, something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
[Verse 2: Loco]
It was a dream but it was a reality
It’s different from imagination
So we gotta go like vroom
Smiling and running in the air
If you enjoy it, it looks like it’s in the sky
Believe that, if you can’t, just chit chat
Hold each seriously now
This outerspace, I’ll disappear, in that light
[Pre-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
I didn’t know outerspace
I’ll let you know, farther away
Follow me lost in all the things I do and
When the signal turns on again
Jump over, fly away now
As much as we can, wherever we are, more
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Erase the fading boundaries
Crossing unfamiliar beginning and ending times
I won’t let go of even the slightest trembling
I find you that no one else found
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
From the darkness to the black hole
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
The moment we reach the far end of the universe
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I waited anxiously, something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
[Bridge: KANG DANIEL]
Run endlessly goin’ crazy
And I just wanna ride this wave on top
So don’t stop
I feel it coming
In a wider gaze
[Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
We’re heading for the same place
I feel the moment that is all new
Dare to go one more step beyond everything
Finding a way no one knew
[Post-Chorus: KANG DANIEL]
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
From the darkness to the black hole
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
The moment we reach the far end of the universe
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I waited anxiously, something new, yeah
Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Outer ‘ya, outer space ‘ya
Original Soundtracks (OST)
“Something” is Kang Daniel’s first OST for the SBS drama Backstreet Rookie. It was released June 19, 2020 prior to the first episode airing.
| Title | Album | Lyrics | Music |
| 1. “Something” – 3:19 | Backstreet Rookie O.S.T – SBS Drama | Han Sooseok YEJUN Lee Haeun Jung Seongmin Shin Yongsoo |
Han Sooseok Lee Haeun YEJUN Jung Seongmin Shin Yongsoo |
Background
On June 15, 2020, KONNECT Entertainment confirmed reports that Daniel would be participating in the OST for SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama Backstreet Rookie. KONNECT added they were still in the process of finalizing details such as a release date and asked for people’s patience and understanding.[soompi] The drama would release 1 to 2 songs every week starting with Daniel’s song at 6PM on June 19.[s]
“Something” is a ballad with a calm and sweet melody, aiming to catch viewers’ ears with a deeper sensitivity and mellow voice. The lyrics express the cautious and flustered feelings associated with falling in love for the first time. Daniel commented, “I’m very happy and nervous to participate in the first OST. It’s an honor to take on this new challenge as an artist.”[s]
Backstreet Rookie‘s webtoon author Park Kyungmin (박경민) posted that he and his mother were proud Daniel was joining the OST lineup.[s] [s] A writer of “Something” posted that this is her first song and praised Daniel for singing so well despite the long recording hours.[s] [s]
Teasers and Behind the Scenes
Something
깨지 못하게 날 가둬 난 빠져
숱한 널 향한 감정들이 날 흔들어
아무도 몰래 걸음을 멈춰
신비로운 네 숨결에 꿈을 꾼 거야
LET ME HEAR YOUR HEART
말해도 돼 난 언제든
간직하고 싶은 내 모든 영원을
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
그대로 있어줘 숨을 죽여도 돼
가슴 뛰더라도
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
딴 곳을 본대도 널 향해 떠올라
내 안에 무언가
끝없이 펼쳐진 투명한 꿈속에
진하게 번진 우리만의 그림처럼
LET ME HEAR YOUR HEART
말해도 돼 난 언제든
간직하고 싶은 내 모든 영원을
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
그대로 있어줘 숨을 죽여도 돼
가슴 뛰더라도
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
딴 곳을 본대도 널 향해 떠올라
내 안에 무언가
Starry night 네가 기댄 빛 속으로
어둠을 걷어내고 닿은 순간
그대로 내 품에 안겨
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
그대로 있어줘 숨을 죽여도 돼
가슴 뛰더라도
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
딴 곳을 본대도 널 향해 떠올라
내 안에 무언가
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
내 안에 있어줘 눈을 감아도 돼
보이지 않아도
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
느끼지 못해도 내게 기대도 돼
내 안에 어딘가
I’m trapped and I can’t wake up, I’ve fallen
All of my feelings for you shake me up
So I stopped walking without anyone knowing
Your mysterious breath has made me breathe
LET ME HEAR YOUR HEART
I can tell you whenever
About my eternity that I want to cherish with you
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Stay right there, you can calm your breath
Even when your heart is racing
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Even if you look somewhere else
Something in me is always headed toward you
In my dreams that expand endlessly
Our picture has thickly spread
LET ME HEAR YOUR HEART
I can tell you whenever
About my eternity that I want to cherish with you
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Stay right there, you can calm your breath
Even when your heart is racing
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Even if you look somewhere else
Something in me is always headed toward you
Starry night, into the light you’re leaning on
The moment the darkness fades and I reach you
Come into my arms just as you are
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Stay right there, you can calm your breath
Even when your heart is racing
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Even if you look somewhere else
Something in me is always headed toward you
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Stay in me, you can close your eyes
Even if you can’t see
SOMETHING I’LL TELL YOU
Even if you can’t feel, you can lean on me
Somewhere in me
Translation: @popgasa
Charts
Track (Realtime Debut) |
| MelOn | Genie | Bugs | VIBE | Soribada | Flo |
| #96 | #12 | #34 | — | #1 | — |
Singles as Featured Artist
“State of Wonder” is a song by American artist inverness featuring Anthony Russo and Kang Daniel. It was digitally released on January 15, 2021 by Monstercat.
| Title | Album | Lyrics | Music |
| “State of Wonder” – 3:16 | Monstercat Instinct Vol. 7 | Kang Daniel Rob Nelsen (inverness) Anthony Russo Alex Hosking Kyle Buckley Jack Newsome |
Producer Kyle Buckley Rob Nelsen (inverness) Anthony (Lucian) Performer Joey Lambeti Landon Sears Mixer Tom Norris |
Background
Prior to the song release date, the three artists had an interview with Bandwagon Asia, where they talked about the song making process. inverness worked on the project for two years. Daniel said, “This record came together with just trying to do something fun and trying to bring people together, whether that be different regions or genres.” He added, “It’s been great because we already had a great relationship, and our teams had been discussing the right opportunity to collaborate. It was a very smooth process because of it and didn’t really feel foreign or new at all.”[s]
In media articles posted on the 15th, Daniel added, “I love EDM and we’ve always talked about doing a collaboration, so working on this song was very natural. I feel proud to contribute to the strength of this song.”[s] [s]
Inverness said there was no single genre, and the song had a dance element in addition to orchestra/pop/K-pop/hip-hop influences. It was only a couple months ago since the release date when Daniel heard the song and wanted to hop on it. The final vocals were completed almost a year ago. inverness complimented Daniel’s part as “a nice switch-up with his warmer and sweeter take.”
Pink Slip had a music video made by Jordan Wozy before and recommended him to inverness. The music video has inverness as a mad scientist-type who helps his love-struck friend enter a dream state to relive his past memories. Russo commented, “As you all know, there is a danger when traveling in time: changing the past will affect the future as well.” Daniel filmed his part in front of a green screen.[s]
Inverness and Russo praised Daniel and his staff’s professionalism. inverness said, “Kang Daniel wrote and sang perfectly in Korean and English according to the song’s theme.” Russo quipped, “Kang Daniel and his staff worked seriously and made everything fast with high quality. It was a pleasure to work with him, and I love his voice!” Daniel added, “I’ve been working with inverness and Anthony Russo for the past year, so it was very comfortable working with them. We have been working on collaborations as well as my album, so I feel like we’re a family now. I am so happy to be able to work together and hope we will continue to work on a lot together, Bro!”[s] [s] [s]
Teasers and Behind the Scenes
| Type | Details | Link |
| Image | Album cover art | IG | TWT Monstercat IG | TWT inverness IG Anthony Russo IG |
| Image | Music video poster | inverness IG | TWT |
| Video | Music video teaser | IG | TWT | WB Monstercat IG | TWT | TWT inverness IG | TWT Anthony Russo TWT |
| Video | Music video Studio |
Monstercat IG | TWT | TWT inverness IG | TWT Treehouse TWT Jordan Wozy (director) TWT Behind IG 1 | 2 | 3 | TWT 1 | 2 | 3 | YT 1 | 2 |
| Image | Behind | Melon SITE | STORY |
State of Wonder
[Intro] Why are you recording?
[Verse 1: Anthony Russo]
In my head, like a melody
Laying back in this bed
Playing back what you said
And it’s not really helping me
Coming down from this high
It’s a dangerous ride
I’m coasting
Out of body floating
Lost in my emotions
I’ve been spinning slowly
[Chorus: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my head above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Stuck in this state of wonder, yeah
Stuck in this state of wonder
(Stuck in this state of wonder)
[Verse 2: KANG DANIEL]
넌 날 미치게 해 계속 빠지게 돼 I don’t care
모든 것에 대해 전부이게 돼
And I just want you right here with me
끝이 없이 우린 floating
Lost in your deep ocean 안들림 스며가 slowly
[Chorus: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my head above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Stuck in this state of wonder, yeah
Stuck in this state of wonder
(Stuck in this state of wonder)
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my head above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
Wonder
Stuck, stuck
Stuck in this state of wonder
[Intro] Why are you recording?
[Verse 1: Anthony Russo]
In my head, like a melody
Laying back in this bed
Playing back what you said
And it’s not really helping me
Coming down from this high
It’s a dangerous ride
I’m coasting
Out of body floating
Lost in my emotions
I’ve been spinning slowly
[Chorus: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my head above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Stuck in this state of wonder, yeah
Stuck in this state of wonder
(Stuck in this state of wonder)
[Verse 2: KANG DANIEL]
You drive me crazy
Yes, I keep falling
I don’t care about anything
You make me forget everything
And I just want you right here with me
We’rе endlessly floating
Lost in your deep oceans
Deeply seeping in slowly
[Chorus: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my hеad above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Stuck in this state of wonder, yeah
Stuck in this state of wonder
(Stuck in this state of wonder)
[Drop: Anthony Russo]
Try to keep my head above water
Then you go and pull me under
Crazy thing, I know I’m done for
Stuck in this state of wonder
Wonder
Stuck, stuck
Stuck in this state of wonder