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Korean indie artist MILKY DAY is undoubtedly one of the shining torchbearers when it comes to paving a new path for Korean musical artists who are trying to cement their spot in the global music scene and who are trying to make different kinds of music and change the sonic landscape, one genre at a time.
MILKY DAY is a rising Korean-New Zealander singer-songwriter and producer based in Sydney, Australia, with a strong penchant for pushing the envelope when it comes to music. Hence, from a very young age, he immersed himself in learning music and moved to the United States to attend Amherst College.
Even though his musical style is ever-evolving, it can be best described as indie meets R&B, with mellifluous and pleasant tracks embodying the rise of Gen-Z bedroom pop genres. Having created some wonderful songs like Youuu, You'll Be Alright, and Take It Slow, MILKY DAY is here to carve his own niche and create a name for himself.
In an exclusive chat with SK POP's Anwaya Mane, MILKY DAY dishes on the rise of K R&B, the changing landscape of the global music industry, and his favorite song recommendations you must add to your playlist.
MILKY DAY talks about creating genre-fluid music and his personal favorite songs
Q) Hello MILKY DAY. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. Hope you are doing well.
MILKY DAY: Hi! Thank you for inviting me for the interview. I’m happy to be here to chat about my story and musical journey.
Q) For our readers’ benefit tell us more about yourself, your music, your interests, MBTI etc.
MILKY DAY: I’m a producer and songwriter currently based in Sydney, Australia. Ethnically, I’m Korean, but I was born and raised in New Zealand for most of my life. I studied mathematics and music at a US college, where I first started writing and producing music and fell in love with the process. All of my songs have a pretty chill sound quality, and I often write about topics like love, heartbreak, and life challenges.
Aside from producing and songwriting, I also do a bit of mixing and music tutoring on the side. When I’m not working on music, you can find me playing sports or working out with my friends, pursuing other creative projects, or traveling between cities. The last time I took the test, my MBTI was INTJ, but the first and last letters sometimes change (I’ve gotten ENTP as well before).
My friends say I’m pretty easygoing, and I love collaborating on projects with other musicians and creatives. I’m really excited to release more songs and cool music videos this year for my fans to check out!
Q) For fans who may not be too familiar with your music, how would you advise them to thread through your versatile discography?
MILKY DAY: For those who are more into Lofi or indie styles, I would recommend starting by checking out my earlier music. As you progress towards my more recent releases, you’ll notice that the sound shifts slightly more towards R&B and pop. This pretty much follows how my music tastes have shifted over time. Two of my personal favorites are Take it Slow and Feeling Blue, so be sure to check those out!
Q) You are a Korean-New Zealand singer-songwriter and have lived in Australia and the U.S. How has the multicultural and diverse experience helped you with your artistry?
MILKY DAY: I think the biggest contribution to my music was the opportunity to work with all kinds of diverse artists. No matter what city I’m in, I always find myself gravitating towards other creatives. And when I collaborate with them or watch how they work, I discover ways to develop my own sound or artistry, and they push me to think outside the box and try new things.
For example, I’m currently visiting New York to work on some music videos with a talented collective called Soulace. During the shoots, I was able to experiment with dope outfits that I usually wouldn’t wear, view the world through a camera lens, and learn the various ways in which music can be translated into visuals.
The interesting thing is that even though I’ve worked with artists from New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and the U.S., the creative process doesn’t differ too drastically. I think this is a testament to how music is a universal language regardless of differences in culture, language, or worldview.
Q) Do you sense a shift in people’s perceptions towards Korean music and artists because you have lived in multiple countries?
MILKY DAY: I do notice people’s perceptions of Korean music and artists shifting. A decade or two ago, I don’t think there was as much representation of Asian artists—not just in music but in other creative industries too, like film, fashion, art, video, design, etc.
The growing popularity of K-pop definitely helped put many Korean artists on the map and encouraged people to explore Korean music, which is awesome. But we’re now seeing more and more Korean artists with multicultural backgrounds like myself who don’t quite fit into the K-pop genre. Thankfully, there seems to be a slow but steady push in the music industry to account for these groups of people, with figures like Jay Park, CL, DPR, Audrey Nuna, etc. helping to catalyze their break into the American market. Similarly, we’re seeing more Asian actors appearing in Hollywood and Korean films winning awards.
I still think we have a long way to go, as it takes time to change people’s perceptions of what “Korean” music is and can be. I sometimes find myself getting boxed into genres just because I’m ethnically Korean. For example, my songs often get placed into playlists labeled “K-pop” and subsequently attract K-pop fans, even though I don’t really identify with that style.
All things considered, I’m thankful that my interest in Korean music and culture has grown over the years, and I look forward to seeing how the industry evolves in the years to come.
Q) With the idea of singular genres dissolving to form a more hybrid structure, how do you see the global music industry changing in the coming years?
MILKY DAY: That’s a great question. When people ask me what genre of music I create, I always struggle to answer the question. My default answer is usually “lofi/R&B/indie”, but it’s not actually that simple as I have experimented with other genres too, like hip hop, EDM/house, and dream-pop.
Also, because my fans have an idea of what the “Milky Day” sound is, I’m sometimes hesitant about releasing songs that stray too far from my earlier sound. Moreover, it seems that most major labels and larger music companies tend to use more ‘tried and tested’ methods than to explore new genres. For these reasons, I actually think there may be some resistance against hybrid-genre styles in the coming years.
If I’m honest, though, I’m not really sure what the music industry will look like in the future. What I do know is that there should be smaller creative collectives or independent labels actively pushing the boundaries of the global music industry. We need to pave the way for artists to be able to freely create multi-genre music without trying to target a specific market or worrying about whether their music is monetizable.
Q) K R&B has gained prominence in the last couple of years. Can you recommend some of your personal favorites that fans should add to their playlists?
MILKY DAY: A couple of Korean R&B songs I like are:
- White Noise - Crush, Cavalier, EZRA
- Kiss Me - DPR Live
- PARADISE - MILLIC, Fanxy Child
- Love - Dean, Syd
- Gold - Offonoff, Dean
- None - Crush
- Just - Zion T, Young
Q) Finally, what are your goals for 2023? Anything in particular your fans can look forward to?
MILKY DAY: My main goals this year are to develop my sound by experimenting with genres, performing in front of larger crowds, and working on more multimedia projects like music videos. I also haven’t been very active on social media the past few years, so I’m trying to be better about that so I can engage with my fans more and keep them updated about my life.
I’ve been working diligently on a 5-song EP over the past few months, which I’m really excited to release and share with my fans later this year!
MILKY DAY has gained up to 12 million streams on Spotify
The talented indie artist has collaborated with some of the biggest global artists Jimmy Brown, Hayne and frad and worked on songs like Dark Warm and Am I Different, among others.
Some of his popular songs have earned great streaming numbers on Spotify. Youuu has 4 million streams, Take it Slow gained 5 million streams, Fool has 8 million streams, and You'll Be Alright has gained a staggering 12 million streams.
