D-Hours AM 7:03

The final installment in the D trilogy and time-oriented series, D-Hours AM 7:03 is meant to characterize the "infinite possibilities in dawn's darkness" from 2 a.m. through the "explosive energy" of the morning at 7:03 a.m.[2][3] Kim further elaborated on the title, saying, "I believe that 7:03 a.m. could be thought of as the end of the day or the beginning of the day."[1] The mini-album's title also signifies Kim's birth date on July 3.[4] He contrasted the "sexy feeling" of his first two releases to the "refreshing and powerful" concept of D-Hours AM 7:03.[2] In between D-Night and recording sessions for his third mini-album, Kim took vocal and dance lessons to improve his expertise.[5] In crafting the record, he wanted to present "various charms" and likened it to a food buffet.[6][7]

Due to his travel schedule, Kim found few opportunities to write songs; he took time for songwriting while overseas, on airplanes, and in cars.[8] He contributed to the lyrics of all five tracks.[5] He penned the lyrics for the rap section in "Bebe" and remarked on its "calm, romantic sound".[1] In addition to songwriting for "Focus", Kim contributed to the song's choreography.[7] He wrote the melody for "Make Me So Crazy".[7] It was omitted from D-Night as he felt that it did not coincide with the fall season, but decided to include it on D-Hours AM 7:03 upon revisiting the track.[1] Kim wrote between 80–90% of the lyrics for "Everyday".[1][7] The writing process was the quickest compared to the other pieces, and it was all written in a single session.[9] It was created in dedication to his fans and serves as a love letter to them.[2] He also provided the melody for "Idea" and designed the dance moves for the song's bridge.[7] Calling it a "melodical" and "incredibly great song", it was a candidate for the mini-album's lead single.[1] The tracks were mixed at 821 Sound, Titan Recording Studio, and Cube Studio; the mini-album was mastered at 821 Studio.[10]

D-Hours AM 7:03 opens with "Bebe", a lo-fi hip hop track which expresses love at first sight.[6] With its foundation in a Vox synthesizer and a heavy bass, "Focus" portrays a man whose attention is fixated on a woman.[6] "Make Me So Crazy" encompasses a "trendy" beat and a guitar riff layered over the chorus.[11] Thematically, the song depicts a man that is crazy in love.[6] A piano ballad, "Everyday" is about a person spending day after day thinking about the person they love.[6][11] The mini-album closes with "Idea", an uptempo track that fuses moombahton and EDM coupled with an electric guitar. The lyrics describes infinite love and eternity between lovers.[6]

Kim at the mini-album showcase

During a broadcast in commemoration of the 300th day since his solo debut on live streaming service V Live, Kim announced his forthcoming mini-album scheduled for May 1, 2019.[12] On April 22, two image teasers depicting Kim sat in front of white and red curtains, respectively, were posted across his official social networking service accounts.[4] A video containing an additional four concept photos were shared two days later.[13] The track listing was unveiled layered on a morning-themed image teaser on the following day.[14] A video teaser for the lead single "Focus" filmed in hyperlapse was uploaded on April 26.[15] A highlight medley of D-Hours AM 7:03 was uploaded three days later followed by a performance trailer of the single a day later.[16][17]

D-Hours AM 7:03 and "Focus" were concurrently released.[18] The music video for the track was directed by Hong Won-ki.[10] Hosted by announcer Gong Seo-young, Kim held a showcase for the mini-album at the Blue Square iMarket Hall in the Hannam-dong neighborhood of Seoul that same day.[6][18] Kim began promoting "Focus" on weekly music chart shows the following day.[19] In addition to the single, also performed "Idea" on Mnet's M Countdown,[20] KBS2's Music Bank,[21] SBS MTV's The Show,[22] MBC Music's Show Champion,[23] Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) Inkigayo,[24] and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) Show! Music Core.[25] Kim completed activities on these programs on May 29 to focus on international promotions.[26] He performed "Focus" during the 25th Dream Concert held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and the K-pop World Music Festival 2019 in Manila along with "Idea".[27][28] In support of D-Hours AM 7:03, Kim held fan meetings in Thailand and South Korea in July and September, respectively.[29][30]

On the chart dated April 28 – May 4, 2019, D-Hours AM 7:03 debuted at number six on South Korea's national Gaon Album Chart.[31] It ranked on Gaon's top 100 for seven nonconsecutive weeks.[32] By the end of June, the mini-album shifted 17,407 units domestically.[33] The single "Focus" under-performed on music charts.[34] On the Gaon Social Chart, which collects data from YouTube, Twitter, and YinYueTai, the song debuted and peaked at number 61.[35]

D-Hours AM 7:03 received favorable reviews from all four critics from TV Daily. The album was noted for its "strategic choice of concept" and "sexy colors" by Oh Ji-won and Kim Han-kil, respectively. Kim Ji-ha commented that the singer is "steadily gaining ground", while Kim Ye-na observed its "restrained and powerful appeal".[36] The Korean Broadcasting System banned the "Focus" music video from syndication on its network after deeming it "unfit for broadcast". The company determined that it violated regulations for displaying a specific product.[37]

Credits adapted from the mini-album's liner notes.[10]

• D-Hours AM 7:03 highlight medley on YouTube