Upside Down (Kang Daniel song) explained

Upside Down
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Kang Daniel
Album:The Story
Genre:K-pop
Length:3:16
Lyricist:
Composer:
  • KillaGraham
  • Sean Kennedy
  • MZMC
Prev Title:Antidote
Prev Year:2021
Next Title:Move like This
Next Year:2022

"Upside Down" is a song by South Korean singer Kang Daniel. It was released on May 24, 2022 by Konnect Entertainment and distributed by Sony Music Korea. The song serves as the lead single from his debut studio album The Story.

A Japanese version of the song was included on Kang's Japanese debut EP titled Joy Ride which was released on October 5, 2022 through Warner Music Japan.[1] The original Korean track was later reissued on November 24, 2022 via an album repackage, The Story: Retold.[2]

Background and composition

"Upside Down" is a medium tempo song that allows a Rhodes piano and heavy guitar sound to coexist.[3] Lyrically, it contains Kang's "pleasant solution and message" to situations that are not going as planned. This is conveyed when he sings "I feel like I'm living in a world that's upside down / I need to change it back / Turn everything around".[4] He expanded on the meaning by sharing that "There are days when you can't do anything [right]. The song is about one's determination to turn everything upside down on such days".[5]

As a teaser for the title track, Konnect Entertainment released an interactive website designed by social media platform Behance on May 15, 2022.[6] The specific team responsible for the design and development of the website additionally stated that "Upside Down" contains the message that "Even if things don't go according to our will, we don't succumb to reality and create our own world at our own pace. Finding [your] own color by creating a world that suits [you] rather than adjusting to the world's standards."[7]

Music video

The music video for "Upside Down" was directed by Wooje Kim of ETUI and premiered on Konnect Entertainment's YouTube channel at 18:00 (KST) on May 24, 2022.[8] It was preceded by two teasers released on the same platform on May 20 and 23.[9] [10]

It exceeded 10 million views in 10 hours, besting Kang's previous record.[11] It was also included in a list titled "K-Pop Videos: Best of 2022" created by Tidal.

Commercial performance

"Upside Down" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart for the chart issue dated May 22 to 28 in 2022.[12] The song also took first place on MBC's Show! Music Core on June 4.[13]

Critical reception

"Upside Down" was included in a hand-picked selection of songs and videos by the subscription-based streaming service, Tidal. The latter list was described as "the best this year brought from the magical world of K-pop visuals that only enhance your listening experience".[14] [15]

TidalK-Pop: Best of 2022 So Far
K-Pop Videos: Best of 2022

Accolades

Music program awards

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Upside Down"! Region! Date! Format! Version! Label
VariousMay 24, 2022Original
October 5, 2022 Japanese
November 24, 2022 Original

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: '日 진출' 강다니엘, 8월 첫 싱글·10월 앨범 발매. 'Advance to Japan' Kang Daniel releases first single in August and album in October. Financial News. Naver. July 29, 2022. July 31, 2022. ko. July 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220731074238/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=014&aid=0004875275. live.
  2. News: 강다니엘, 6개월 만에 컴백! 'The Story' 리패키지 'RETOLD' 24일 발매 [공식]]. Kang Daniel, comeback after 6 months! 'The Story' repackage 'RETOLD' release on the 24th [Official]. Sports Chosun. Naver. November 7, 2022. November 24, 2022. ko. November 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221124135037/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0003935835. live.
  3. News: 강다니엘, 제자리 공중 360도 회전 퍼포먼스 '경악' "특별한 리듬감". Kang Daniel's 360-degree rotation performance in the air 'Amazing' "Special sense of rhythm". Star News. Naver. May 23, 2022. June 5, 2022. ko. June 5, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220605102051/https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/108/0003055888. live.
  4. News: 강다니엘 'Upside Down' 15초, 강렬하다. Kang Daniel's "Upside Down" for 15 seconds, intense. Sports Khan. Naver. May 20, 2022. May 20, 2022. ko. May 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220520050627/https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/144/0000814168. live.
  5. News: Singer Kang Daniel returns to cheerful music with first full-length album. Yonhap News. May 24, 2022. May 24, 2022. en. May 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524091643/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220524006700315. live.
  6. 강다니엘 KANGDANIEL. konnect_danielk. 1525491353949417472. 강다니엘(KANGDANIEL) 1ST FULL ALBUM [The Story] http://thestory-upsidedown.com Release On 2022.05.24 (KST) #강다니엘 #KANGDANIEL #TheStory. ko. May 15, 2022. February 28, 2023. February 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228091417/https://twitter.com/konnect_danielk/status/1525491353949417472. live.
  7. Web site: UPSIDE DOWN : Kang Daniel Interactive teaser web. December 1, 2022. Behance. February 28, 2023. ko. February 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228085755/https://www.behance.net/gallery/157617741/UPSIDE-DOWN-Kang-Daniel-Interactive-teaser-web. live.
  8. Web site: KANGDANIEL - Upside Down MV. https://web.archive.org/web/20230412023826/https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd8FCsIJjd3/. April 12, 2023. registration. @woojeda. Instagram. May 24, 2022. June 15, 2022. bot: unknown.
  9. News: 강다니엘 'Upside Down' 15초, 강렬하다. 15 seconds of Kang Daniel's 'Upside Down', intense. Sports Khan. Naver. May 20, 2022. June 15, 2022. ko. June 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220613085603/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=144&aid=0000814168. live.
  10. News: '컴백 D-1' 강다니엘, 가장 강다니엘답게 돌아온다. 'Comeback D-1' Kang Daniel, the most Kang Daniel-like comeback. Osen. Naver. May 23, 2022. June 15, 2022. ko. June 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220615082747/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=109&aid=0004620454. live.
  11. News: 강다니엘, 'Upside Down' 뮤직비디오 1000만뷰 돌파…자체 최단 기록. Kang Daniel's 'Upside Down' music video surpasses 10 million views... shortest personal record. Xports News. Naver. May 25, 2022. May 25, 2022. ko. May 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220525014256/https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/311/0001452780. live.
  12. Web site: Digital Chart – Week 22 of 2022. Gaon Chart. ko. June 2, 2022. June 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220602022017/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=22&hitYear=2022&termGbn=week. live.
  13. News: 강다니엘, 세븐틴·싸이 제치고 1위…조유리 스페셜 MC 활약 ('음악중심')[종합]]. Kang Daniel beats Seventeen and Psy to take 1st place... Jo Yu-ri's special MC activity ('Music Core') [General]. My Daily. Naver. June 4, 2022. June 4, 2022. ko. June 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220604085548/https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/117/0003610665. live.
  14. Web site: K-Pop: Best of 2022 So Far. December 24, 2022. subscription. Tidal. December 24, 2022. en. July 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220701105801/https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/c151de7a-4ea8-442a-82ce-37ef6e1c6ce5. live.
  15. Web site: K-Pop Videos: Best of 2022. December 24, 2022. Tidal. December 24, 2022. en. December 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221224000110/https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/3ba13692-9de0-429d-8c4c-1cb60cc52982. live.