And you can solve it, you can conquer it, you can be the Magic Man, you will be that ultimate form of yourself.Preparations for Wang's second full-length studio album began in spring 2020[2] with the aim of publishing it by the end of the year.
[5][11][14] The title was announced in the final credits of the music video for "Drive You Home", a single released on July 29, 2021,[15][16][17] accompanied by the subtitle "The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.
"[15] On April 26, 2022, the last song on the album was replaced and created;[18] the singer decided the entire direction of the record, as well as writing the lyrics and composing every track.
[19] The recording sessions for each song lasted an hour and a half,[20] during which Wang followed his instinct, without aiming for perfection and caring too much about the technical part; instead, he concentrated on delivering the lyrics.
[16] The music video, directed by Daniel Cloud Campos and released on the same day,[24] has a steampunk vibe, with corsets and puff sleeves, which was compared to Dorian Gray and Bridgerton:[16][17][22][25] Wang and a group of party-goers, passed out on the floor, inhale an unknown smoke-like substance and, when they regain consciousness, start dancing in a state of trance.
[29][30] In "Drive it Like You Stole it" he sings of celebrity glamor and the heady rush of stardom with smooth R&B disco beats;[29][30] "Come Alive" is a mix of jazz and rock in which Wang adores and begs for his partner.
[34][35] Jennifer Zhan of Vulture commented that the whole record was permeated with emotional turmoil and complimented Wang's experimentations with his voice, ranging from low tones to falsetto.
[8] Franchesca Judine Basbas of Bandwagon described the new sound as "more grand, dramatic, and impassioned" compared to the expected loud and bold hip hop of Wang's early releases, observing that Magic Man was the pinnacle of the synthwave alt-rock style of music he had been building up since 2021 and concluding that the singer knew exactly how to use his voice.
"[21] For Nandini Iyengar of Bollywood Hungama, listening to Magic Man felt like receiving a comforting hug thanks to Wang's more nuanced and mature sound after his journey of self-discovery, concluding that he managed to both showcase his talent, share an empowering message and carve himself a road for further experimenting.
[1] For Tanu I. Raj of NME, the singer managed to showcase his growth by meshing old and new influences in his sound, stating that the best moments came when Wang combined his cool attitude with a playfulness akin to the "magic man" of the album's title.
[30] Magic Man was featured in IZM's September 2022 Editor's Choice column, for which Son Gi-ho wrote: "The timber of a global artist blossomed amidst endless anxieties and worries," recommending "Drive it Like You Stole it", "Come Alive" and "Blue".