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EXCLUSIVE: Singer-songwriter Milky Day on planning to work with DPR Live and DPR Ian, growth of K-pop, more
Rising Korean-New Zealander R&B artist Milky Day exclusively spoke to Pinkvilla about his entry into the music industry and his plans for the future.
Milky Day is a singer, songwriter, and producer who hails from New Zealand, where he grew up for most of his life. Coming from a Korean background, the talented artist has dipped his toes into lo-fi and R&B styles of music. By collaborations with artists like Jimmy Brown, frad, and more, Milky Day is slowly rising up the ladder of popularity. With over 47 million combined streams for his songs on Spotify alone, he is on his way to R&B fame. Speaking to Pinkvilla in an exclusive conversation, the star dished on his creative process so far, and plans for future collaborations.
Milky Day Interview
How did you come up with your name, Milky Day?
It’s actually a semi-arbitrary name that some friends and I came up with. During my early days of music production, I worked on music with two college friends, Christina and Ooga. One day, we brainstormed some names that we could call ourselves, and we thought that “Milky Day” sounded cool - it gave off gentle, pastel vibes, and the name itself had a ring to it. We didn’t end up making much music together afterwards though, so with their permission, I continued to release music under that name - and now here I am!
What inspired you to take up music?
I grew up surrounded by music - I started playing the piano when I was 8 and took part in various music-related clubs during middle and high school. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college though that I got into music production and songwriting. I found the process really enjoyable, and as my music gained more traction, I began receiving really encouraging and kind messages from fans. My love for music and the positive support I was receiving was what inspired me to take my music career more seriously.
How has the support from your family or acquaintances been like?
They have been so supportive! Well, when I first started producing music, my parents constantly reminded me to treat music purely as a hobby, as they were probably concerned about career prospects within the music industry. However, as my audience grew larger and I gained more recognition, they became more open to the idea of me pursuing music as a career. My friends and acquaintances have also been fully supportive throughout the years - they really believe in me and my music, and I’m extremely grateful for that.
Which musical artists would you like to work with in the future, in K-pop and internationally?
There are a couple of musicians I look up to and would love to work with at some point in the future. I have a lot of respect for DPR Live and DPR Ian (Dream Perfect Regime) as they come from a similar backgrounds (Korean but raised overseas) and have artistic goals that closely align with mine. There are a number of American R&B artists I love listening to, such as Alina Baraz, Bryson Tiller, Jhene Aiko, 6LACK, Frank Ocean, etc - I draw a lot of melodic inspiration from these artists. There are also some music producers whose sounds I really admire, such as Galimatias, Medasin, and Lophiile.
Milky Day's future plans
What's your opinion on the globally increasing interest in Korean music?
I’m really glad that Korean music is gaining global recognition. The K-pop industry, as well as the Korean entertainment industry in general, has been killing it - they have extremely high-quality production value and the music is super catchy, so it’s no wonder that K-pop is becoming a global phenomenon. This positive effect of K-pop has also trickled down to other genres within the Korean music industry and subsequently, as a Korean artist, helped me gain more popularity. On the other hand, I find that sometimes my music is sometimes mislabeled as K-Pop even when it doesn’t really fit into that genre, just because I’m ethnically Korean. But overall, I’m very happy that people from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds have grown an appreciation for Korean music.
Would you ever consider moving to South Korea?
I’ve actually spent a decent amount of time in South Korea - I did an exchange semester here a couple of years ago during college, and my parents live in Korea now so I visit quite frequently. I love visiting South Korea - the food is amazing, the nightlife is unrivaled, and I’ve met all kinds of interesting people there. However, although I really appreciate the things Korea has to offer, it doesn’t fully feel like home to me as I grew up in New Zealand, which is a really different environment - things are a lot more slow-paced, there are a lot more nature spots, and it’s culturally completely different. I could maybe see myself living in South Korea for short periods of time for music-related projects but don’t think I’ll be living there long-term. But who knows - maybe my mind will change later!
When would you say would be the perfect time to listen to your music?
I think a lot of my songs are great to listen to while driving. My warmer, more cheerful songs are great for road trips or sunny days, while my moody, more somber songs are great for late-night drives. Also, more recently, my friends went fishing while listening to my music and they confirmed that it was “the best fishing music”. I’ve never really gone fishing while listening to my music before but maybe you could give that a try.
What would like people to feel/ take away from your songs?
I want my music to be something everyone and anyone can relate to, and for people to listen to my music and feel a sense of comfort. Especially during the low points in life, it’s easy to feel fed up and it can seem like nobody understands how you feel. I’d like my music to be a reminder that you’re not alone in feeling these kinds of ways, and to support people through difficult times!
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