The Story is the debut studio album by South Korean singer and songwriter Kang Daniel. It was released on May 24, 2022, by Konnect Entertainment and distributed by Sony Music Korea. The Story contains ten tracks with "Upside Down" as its lead single. A repackage of the album, titled The Story: Retold, was released on November 24, 2022. Three new songs and two iterations were added to the track listing with "Nirvana" as its lead single.
| The Story | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 24, 2022 (The Story) November 24, 2022 (Retold) | |||
| Recorded | 2021–2022 | |||
| Genre | K-pop | |||
| Length | 31:27 (The Story) 48:43 (Retold) | |||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Label | ||||
| Kang Daniel chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Kang Daniel Korean chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Story | ||||
| ||||
| Reissue cover | ||||
 Digital cover | ||||
| Singles from The Story: Retold | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Parade" on YouTube "How We Live" on YouTube "Don't Tell" on YouTube "Nirvana" on YouTube | ||||
Background and composition
editOn May 2, 2022, Konnect Entertainment posted a surprise comeback trailer video for what would be Kang Daniel's first full-length album The Story, set for release on May 24.[1] Two days later, pre-orders for three different versions (Arch-Plot, Anti-Plot, and Non-Plot) of the album began.[2][3] Serving as the storyteller, Kang is credited as the main lyricist of all of the album's songs.[4][5] Having previously revealed the purpose behind his color series as wanting to share "the different stages of self-discovery as an artist with [his] fans", Kang noted that he now feels "[his] own color has been established" through all that he has released thus far.[6][7] Yellow was based on Kang's personal experiences and revolved around inner sanctity, which forced confrontation. Subsequently, The Story acts as "the balm to soothe yourself in the aftermath of laying yourself bare".[8]
A repackage of the album, titled The Story: Retold, was released on November 24, 2022. The reissue includes five new tracks along with the original 10-song track list that is rearranged in a way that "adds completeness to the plot".[9] Of the newly added tracks, Kang revealed during his documentary film Kang Daniel: My Parade (2023) that "Ghost" is a song dedicated to a family member (grandfather) who had passed away.[10]
Promotion
editA press conference was held on May 24 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas for the release of Kang's first full-length album.[11] To further commemorate the album's release, he held an album countdown V Live show on the same day as well as both offline and virtual fan-sign events.[12][13] He also made an appearance on the May 27 episode of the third season of Sixth Sense with Noh Sa-yeon and the May 29 episode of MBC's Blockbuster.[14][15] Following a week of promotions, Konnect announced that Kang would be taking a break after being diagnosed with spinal disc herniation[16][17] due to the b-boy performance included in the music video for "Upside Down" and subsequent music show performances.[18]
Commercial performance
editThe Story surpassed 316,630 physical album sales within a week.[19] Lead single "Upside Down" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart for the chart issue dated May 22 to 28 in 2022.[20]
Critical reception
editBollywood entertainment website Bollywood Hungama included the album in a list titled "20 Best B-side Korean Songs of 2022" where Nandini Lyengar said Kang "stands firm on his promise of delivering the best".[21] In an article collecting Brazilian entertainment website Omelete's favorite albums of 2022, Kang's catalogue of music was described as having a theatrical edge that was enhanced with the release of The Story and its repackage The Story: Retold due to the composition, music video, and choreography attached to the different tracks of the album. Writing for the publication, Caio Coletti highlighted certain tracks by describing "Parade" as "a melodically mesmerizing elegy" and "Nirvana" as "evoking an intoxicating urban romance".[22]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| IZM |   [23] |
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bollywood Hungama | 20 Best B-side Korean Songs of 2022 | — | [21] |
| Omelete | Top 10 K-pop Albums of 2022 | 8 | [22] |
Live performances
editKang performed "Parade", the fourth track of the album, on the June 16 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show as the first K-pop male solo artist to appear on the variety talk show.[24] This marked his US television debut with host Kelly Clarkson introducing him as "one of the most successful K-pop solo acts to date".[25]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Story" |
|
| 3:23 | |
| 2. | "Upside Down" |
| MZMC |
| 3:16 |
| 3. | "Loser" (featuring Dbo) |
|
|
| 3:10 |
| 4. | "Parade" |
|
|
| 3:03 |
| 5. | "Don't Tell" (featuring Jessi) |
|
|
| 3:04 |
| 6. | "Ride 4 U" |
|
|
| 2:27 |
| 7. | "How We Live" (featuring Sokodomo) |
|
|
| 3:13 |
| 8. | "Mad" (featuring Chancellor) |
|
| 3:20 | |
| 9. | "1000x" |
|
|
| 3:10 |
| 10. | "Moment" |
|
|
| 3:21 |
| Total length: | 31:27 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Parade" |
|
|
| 3:03 |
| 2. | "Selfish" | Chancellor |
|
| 2:50 |
| 3. | "Upside Down" |
| MZMC |
| 3:16 |
| 4. | "Loser" (featuring Dbo) |
|
|
| 3:10 |
| 5. | "Don't Tell" (featuring Jessi) |
|
|
| 3:04 |
| 6. | "Nirvana" (featuring pH-1 and WDBZ) |
|
|
| 3:39 |
| 7. | "Ride 4 U" |
|
|
| 2:27 |
| 8. | "How We Live" (featuring Sokodomo) |
|
|
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "Mad" (featuring Chancellor) |
|
|
| 3:20 |
| 10. | "1000x" |
|
|
| 3:10 |
| 11. | "Ghost" |
|
|
| 3:29 |
| 12. | "Moment" |
|
|
| 3:21 |
| 13. | "The Story" |
|
|
| 3:23 |
| 14. | "Ride 4 U (Remix)" |
|
|
| 3:39 |
| 15. | "Nirvana (Solo Ver.)" |
|
|
| 3:39 |
| Total length: | 48:43 | ||||
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Monthly chartsedit
Year-end chartsedit
|
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | May 24, 2022 | The Story | ||
| South Korea | CD | |||
| Various | November 24, 2022 |
|
The Story: Retold |
|
| South Korea | CD |
References
edit- ^ "Kang Daniel to return with 'The Story' this May". Bandwagon Asia (in Korean). May 2, 2022. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "강다니엘이 온다" [Kang Daniel is coming]. Sports Khan (in Korean). May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ 강다니엘 KANGDANIEL [@konnect_danielk] (May 4, 2022). "[📢]강다니엘(KANGDANIEL) 1ST FULL ALBUM [The Story] Pre-Order Notice 💿 예약 판매 : 2022.05.04 (수) 2PM ~ 공식 팬카페 애플리케이션 - Notice에서 확인해주세요. #강다니엘 #KANGDANIEL #TheStory" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "'컴백' 강다니엘, 솔로 3년의 음악 서사…독보적 존재감 예고" ['Comeback' Kang Daniel, a 3 year solo musical narrative... prediction of unique presence]. Newsen (in Korean). May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "강다니엘, 첫 정규앨범 10곡 전곡 작사 참여" [Kang Daniel participated in writing lyrics for all 10 songs in his first full-length album]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). May 13, 2022. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "The K-pop megastar talks about his latest release Magenta!". Life Without Andy. August 13, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "'컴백' 강다니엘, "나에 대한 믿음 많이 생겨"…13개월 동안 앨범에 공들였다" ['Comeback' Kang Daniel says "I have gained a lot of faith in myself"... worked on the album for 13 months]. Xports News (in Korean). May 15, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "Cover Story: Kang Daniel is The Artist You've Been Waiting For". Rolling Stone India. May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "강다니엘, 타이틀곡은 '너바나'" [Kang Daniel, title track "Nirvana"]. Financial News (in Korean). November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "KANG DANIEL: MY PARADE". Rakuten Viki (in Korean). August 30, 2023. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "강다니엘 첫 정규앨범 발매 기자간담회" [Kang Daniel's first full album release press conference]. Yonhap News (in Korean). May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ 강다니엘 KANGDANIEL [@konnect_danielk] (May 20, 2022). "[📢]강다니엘(KANGDANIEL) 1ST FULL ALBUM [The Story] Countdown Live with V LIVE💚: 2022. 05. 24 5PM (KST). Coming Soon! #강다니엘 #KANGDANIEL #TheStory" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "[온라인몰] 강다니엘(KANG DANIEL) - 1st Full Album [The Story] FAN SIGN EVENT" [[Online Mall] Kang Daniel - 1st Full Album [The Story] FAN SIGN EVENT]. Soundwave (in Korean). May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "[단독]강다니엘·노사연, '식스센스3' 게스트 출격" [[Exclusive] Kang Daniel·Noh Sa-yeon, 'Sixth Sense 3' guest appearance]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "강다니엘, '블록버스터' 스페셜 게스트…RC카 대결 관심↑" [Kang Daniel 'Blockbuster' special guest... interest in RC car showdown↑]. iMBC (in Korean). May 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "강다니엘, 허리디스크로 '뮤뱅' 출연 취소…"충분한 휴식 필요"" [Kang Daniel cancels his 'Music Bank' appearance due to herniated disc... "Need enough rest"]. News1 Korea (in Korean). June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "Oh No! Kang Daniel Cancels Music Show Appearances Due To A Herniated Disc". Cosmopolitan Philippines. June 3, 2022. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
- ^ "'본업 컴백' 강다니엘 "비보잉은 또 다른 나의 표현"[종합]" ['Comeback to main job' Kang Daniel "B-boying is another expression of me" [Comprehensive]]. Star News (in Korean). May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ "Kang Daniel sells over 316,000 copies of his new album". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 31, 2022. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Digital Chart – Week 22 of 2022". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "From BTS to Stray Kids to SEVENTEEN, TWICE to NewJeans – 20 Best B-side Korean songs of 2022 as dominant as the title tracks". Bollywood Hungama. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "Os 10 melhores álbuns de k-pop de 2022" [Top 10 k-pop albums of 2022]. Omelete (in Portuguese). December 22, 2022. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ "강다니엘 (Kang Daniel) – The Story". IZM (in Korean). July 17, 2022. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "강다니엘, 美 '켈리 클락슨 쇼' 출연… 클락슨 "가장 성공적인 솔로 아티스트"" [Kang Daniel to appear on the US 'Kelly Clarkson Show'... Clarkson "most successful solo artist"]. Ten Asia (in Korean). June 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ "강다니엘, 美 '켈리 클락슨 쇼' 압도적 무대..클락슨도 감탄" [Kang Daniel, overwhelming performance at the US 'Kelly Clarkson Show'.. Clarkson is also impressed]. Ten Asia (in Korean). June 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022 – via Naver.
- ^ 강다니엘 KANGDANIEL [@konnect_danielk] (May 12, 2022). "강다니엘(KANGDANIEL) 1ST FULL ALBUM [The Story] Track List: 🕕Release On 2022.05.24 (KST). #강다니엘 #KANGDANIEL #TheStory" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ 강다니엘 KANGDANIEL [@konnect_danielk] (November 13, 2022). "강다니엘(KANGDANIEL) 1ST FULL ALBUM Repackage : Retold Track List: 🕕Release On 2022.11.24 (KST). #강다니엘 #KANGDANIEL #TheStory #Repackage #Retold" (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart – Week 22 of 2022". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 49, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ "Gaon Album Chart – May 2022". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – November 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Album Chart 2022". Circle Chart. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.