There are different shades to Kang Daniel.
This is what the K-pop star is showing fans with his colour-inspired trilogy of EPs, the second of which, Magenta, dropped this month.
Where the series opener, 2018's Colour on Me, was marked by its streamlined RnB direction, the latest batch of songs shows Kang expanding his palette to take in new styles such as Latin-inspired pop and dance hall.
Lead singles Waves and Who You Are form some of the more interesting releases to emerge out of the K-pop scene this year.
The former packs in a lot of ideas over its near-three-minute running time, with stuttering hip-hop beats, staccato piano riffs and flamenco-inspired guitar work. Listen closer and you will also hear the yearning notes of the flute in the mix.
The bilingual Who You Are, however, is an unabashed pop tune that moves from The Weeknd-like crooning verse to boyband-ready chorus.
"The series is a project that shows my journey as a developing artist," Kang, 23, tells The National.
"I feel like I'm still searching for the right musical colour that best suits me, and I wanted to share this period of self-discovery with my fans. Each album shows a different phase of my career, my inspirations, and my thoughts through different sounds and genres. With Magenta, I wanted to bring some energy to listeners this summer with music that everyone can dance and have fun to."
Underscoring the party vibes are the accompanying videos, which are full of K-pop’s trademark glitz.
In Waves, Kang and the track's featured artists, Simon Dominic and Jamie, sing and rap their way through various settings including an underground club and a greenhouse.
The video for Who You Are, meanwhile, shows Kang and an army of dancers juxtaposed between volcanic and arctic settings.
Despite the fun shown on screen, Kang says music videos are a serious and thoughtful business in the K-pop industry.
“The visuals and the music are equally important because the synergy between them determines how impactful the message of the artist is. I want to convey the vibe of the song to the fullest,” he says.
"Magenta has two main music videos (and they) represent 'fire' and 'water' respectively, so the focus should be on the different settings that visually portray those two elements."
From survivor to star
Kang’s assuredness comes from launching his music career under the gaze of millions.
A dancer since his mid-teens, he became a national sensation after winning the 2017 season of Produce 101. The Survivor meets X Factor concept featured Kang emerging from 101 "trainees" to win the series, the prize being a role as the lead singer of 11-piece boyband (the remaining 10 members were finalists) Wanna One.
Despite releasing only one album, 2018's 1¹¹=1 (Power of Destiny), before disbanding last year, the group were an international juggernaut with a world tour that included stops across Asia, the US and Australia.
While Kang's burgeoning solo career has been unsurprisingly successful – Magenta topped the charts and sold more than 300,000 copies in South Korea – he is not taking anything for granted.
Kang doesn’t even know why K-pop is so popular. This is just as well, as he finds such questions a distraction from building an enduring career immune to trends and fads.
“That is a tough question and I’m unsure how to answer that because there were so many artists before me who paved the way,” he says.
“I just want to make sure that I do my part by continuing the legacy of my seniors, by working hard and elevating the standards of K-pop. This is a responsibility I take seriously.”
Kang’s love for his Arab fans
Another career aspect Kang is careful to maintain is a close relationship with his fans, many of whom followed him from his television debut three years ago. And that includes a growing legion in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“I am so thankful that the UAE and the Arab world embraces K-pop and my music despite the cultural and language differences,” he says. “I sincerely appreciate the love and I am truly touched by their support.”
Once the pandemic abates and live entertainment resumes, Kang confirms that the Gulf will be part of his travel plans for work and pleasure.
“I really want to visit for a holiday and to meet my fans there in concert where we can spend time together,” he says “My message to my UAE fans and those in the Arab world is that I hope they enjoy the new EP and I will work harder to make more good music. Hope you stay safe and healthy.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
RESULTS
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
