Day Wait A Second is the new single from Hong Kong singer Day (許軼), and it examines how people mark time to prove they are alive. In a wide-ranging interview and photo feature, she talks about the small rituals and sensory memories that shape her days.
In an era when social platforms encourage us to break time into images and short clips, many of us have started to treat those captures as proof of existence. Long before smartphones, the late Japanese conceptual artist On Kawara created daily date paintings, producing more than 3,000 works across five decades to record his presence in time.
“Checking in” as a habit is familiar to many, including the next-generation singer Day. Her stage name and her recent solo work remain tightly connected to the idea of time. I asked how she keeps track of her life and time, and how a typical day shapes up for her.
Checking in Daily
There are so many moments worth recording in a day, from the cool of dawn to the heat of late afternoon to a quiet night. On Day’s social channels she often shares choreography and studio work, but when asked what she does without fail each day, she says it is about the small rituals with her pet.
“The thing I always do every day is hug my cat. The first thing I do when I wake up, before I leave the house, and when I come home, is hug it,” she said, describing the gesture as an indispensable ritual.
She laughed when I asked whether she was the sort of person who posts every capture online. “I like taking photos and I often pull out my phone, but I’m not someone who posts everything. My ‘check-ins’ are mostly a record for myself.”
Food and landscapes are the most common subjects in her camera roll. “I especially love sunrises and sunsets. If one happens when I’m leaving for work or waking up, I will photograph it. The most memorable were a sunrise while hiking in Hong Kong and another sunrise I watched from an airplane,” she said, her eyes brightening at the memory.
“My favorite stretch is from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. because that is the transition from dark to light, and the calm of early morning relaxes me. The ‘morning’ I talk about feels more like late night to early morning,” she said with a laugh. She also mentioned a DNA test that identified her chronotype as a morning person, a detail she shared as a small TMI.
Senses and Memory
For Day, more than photos, scent is a key way to preserve memory.
“Memory comes in many forms, and I like to separate them by smell. My kindergarten memory, for example, is the smell of a fast food restaurant because my family used to eat there after school almost every day,” she said. She added that travel leaves specific taste and scent impressions: “Korea to me tastes sweet and spicy; Taipei feels sweet and salty with sea air.”
When I asked what she would do if she had one last minute of life left, she smiled and replied, “I would go live, order takeout or cook instant noodles, and then binge-eat on camera. Wow, it’s been so long since I had instant noodles.” Her answer was full of everyday life, and it underlined how she values the present.
Her sensory approach contrasts with On Kawara’s public, visual record of dates. Kawara fixed time in visible artworks as a public confirmation of existence, while Day stores memories in scent and private notes, a diary for herself rather than for an audience.
Although naturally introverted, Day said her career has changed how she expresses herself. “The biggest growth has been expressing my feelings more with people around me. Performing requires putting your heart and emotions out there,” she said, reflecting on the work of being an artist.
She relieves stress through exercise and time with friends, and she often leans on music for motivation. “Songs from talent shows, or themes from dramas and anime, pump me up. I used to watch audition shows like the Produce series, and hearing those tracks brings back a rush of energy,” she said.
Her change was gradual, shaped by interactions with friends and fans. The most memorable moment came when a friend noticed she was low and organized messages of encouragement from fans. “My friend sent me a lot of uplifting messages and even asked fans to write words to encourage me. Reading them moved me deeply,” she recalled.
Day Wait A Second
In a fast-paced, information-saturated world, many moments slip by unnoticed. Day said this shared sense of haste inspired her new solo single, Day Wait A Second, which urges listeners to pause and feel the present.
“When you are worried, try looking up at the sky or down at the ground. You might see a playful dog or a beautiful sunset. Those small things are worth cherishing,” she said, speaking with warmth. “Many good moments are missed because we rush. If you slow down and notice the scenery and feelings around you, you will discover things worth stopping for.”
She worked with producer Mike Orange on the single and chose arrangements that nod to a Japanese pop sensibility. “The demo sounded very J-pop and matched the feeling I wanted to convey, so we raised the pitch by a half step to challenge myself and to make the song feel a little brighter,” she said.
Day also described small creative habits that help her capture fleeting inspiration. “I like coming up with melodies in the shower, and I enjoy listening to music on airplanes because the quiet lets me hear familiar songs in a different way. If a melody or feeling pops up, I record it instantly in my phone’s notes,” she said.
Both Day and On Kawara remind us, in different ways, to pay attention to existence. Kawara made time visible; Day collects moments through taste, scent, and private notes. When I asked what she would put in a time capsule to be opened in 50 years, she thought for a while and chose a lyric sheet full of markings.
“When I filmed ‘King Maker’ (the talent show that helped launch my career), every lyric sheet was densely annotated with notes. Looking at my current recording sheets, they don’t feel as ‘melted’ with effort as those. Back then it felt like I held every second in my hands, and those marks showed all the hard work. That original drive is precious; I wonder if future me will still remember it,” she said.
Photographs and check-ins can show you were present, but if the heart is not truly feeling the moment, those records become empty. What matters most, she said, is whether you lived with attention. Every day and every moment deserve to be noticed, valued, and felt.
Executive Producer: Angus Mok
Photography: Alexander Yeung
Art Direction: Alexander Yeung and Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong assisted by Yoanah Chan
Videographer: Alvin Kong, Matt
Video Edit: Alvin Kong
Interview: Louyi Wong
Project Coordination: Mia Chau
Hair: Kristy Cheng
Makeup: San Chan @powderclub_hk
Sportswear and Sneakers: Salomon
