may I be happy?

“So please, please, please, tell me, it’s okay to be happy”

This is the last line of the song, Happy by DAY6. It’s a b-side from their comeback album after 4 years and it’s also holder records for topping South Korea’s music charts. I guess asking for permission to be happy is something that resonates with the public a lot.

I’ve been in a place where my happiness relies on how pleased other people are with me. It’s not a healthy place to be. But that’s where I used to be: always seeking to please everyone that mattered to me. I thank God I’ve moved past that, albeit slowly.

“May I be happy?”

I find myself asking that question now… when there are wars, disasters, and calamities happening all around the world. Is it okay to be happy at a time like this? When there are conflicts, struggles, storms, and crisis out there.

This is one example of how art can provoke us to reflect, to look within and around us… Vocals, melodies, guitar riffs, piano chords, drumbeats, bass grooves—all coming together to communicate a message, a feeling... a question:

May I be happy?

I love how this song expresses a question we’ve all at some point thought but never really voiced out. Young K really has this way with lyrics—of encapsulating a universal longing for happiness, peace, and contentment.

A longing to just be…happy.

Perhaps that’s what moved me to design a shirt based on this song.

This is a digital mockup of the design!

A four-leaf clover has become the main theme of the album where this song is included. Some mydays also see DAY6 as four-clover leaf, a rare and lucky find. So, I designed a clover leaf raising their hands, as if asking for permission to be happy.

It will be available for pre-order soon!

This is my first t-shirt merch so I’m nervous and excited at the same time. I dream of seeing this shirt worn by my favorite k-band, Park Sungjin, Kang Younghyun (otherwise known as Brian Kang), Kim Wonpil, and Yoon Dowoon! See you on your Forever Young World Tour!