Wikipedia

Keep Your Head Down (song)

"Keep Your Head Down"(Korean:왜Wae;"Why" ), released in Japan as "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)",is a song recorded by South Korean boy groupTVXQ(or Tohoshinki in Japan). Composed byYoo Young-jinand Yoo Han-jin, the Korean-language version of "Keep Your Head Down" was released byS.M. Entertainmenton January 3, 2011 as thelead singlefor the group's fifth Korean studio albumKeep Your Head Down(2011), TVXQ's first album since becoming a two-piece band withU-Know YunhoandMax Changmin.The Japanese-language version of "Keep Your Head Down", which was released on January 26, 2011, byAvex Trax,served as TVXQ's 31st Japanese single in Japan. It was the first single taken from their fifth Japanese studio album,Tone(2011).

"Keep Your Head Down"
Cover for Japanese release
SinglebyTVXQ / Tohoshinki
from the albumKeep Your Head Down
andTone
B-side"Maximum" (Japan)
ReleasedJanuary 3, 2011
Recorded2010
StudioSM Booming System, Seoul
Genre
Length3:58
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Yoo Young-jin
  • Luna
TVXQ / Tohoshinkisingles chronology
"Toki o Tomete"
(2010) 		"Keep Your Head Down"
(2011) 		"Before U Go"
(2011)
Music video
"Keep Your Head Down"onYouTube

The song was met with mixed reviews upon its debut. With lyrics talking about overcoming a relationship breakup, it was claimed that the song was adisstoJYJ,the three former members of TVXQ. "Keep Your Head Down" peaked at number five on Korea'sGaon Singles Chartand sold over 1.3 million digital units in South Korea by the end of the year. In Japan, "Keep Your Head Down" was TVXQ's ninth single to top Japan'sOricon Singles Chart.It was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of Japan(RIAJ), becoming TVXQ's second best-selling single in Japan.

Background and recording

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"Keep Your Head Down", also known by its Korean title "Why" (왜), was composed by brothers Yoo Han-jin andYoo Young-jin,who also wrote the song lyrics. An SMP song,[1]"Keep Your Head Down" has musical influences ofindustrial hip hop,baroque pop,R&B,andrap.The song was originally written for Yunho, who recorded the song in early August 2010 and performed it at theSM Town Live '10 World Tourconcert in Seoul on August 21, 2010. The Seoul concert marked Yunho and Changmin's first comeback appearance together since their split with former TVXQ membersKim Jae-joong,Park Yoo-chun,andKim Jun-suin early 2010. The positive responses in their two-piece performances prompted Yunho and Changmin to return to the studios to finish the recording of TVXQ's fifth Korean studio album.[2]"Keep Your Head Down" was then chosen as the lead single.

The song debuted on South Korea's digital charts on January 3, 2011, the same day as the premiere of the song's music video. The Japanese version of the song was released as aCDandDVD singleon January 26, 2011. With elements ofindustrial hip hopandbaroque pop,"Keep Your Head Down" is labeled as an SMP song, a staple genre in TVXQ's music.[1]

Critical response

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"Keep Your Head Down" received mixed responses upon its release, and its lyrics came under media scrutiny. Starting off with the self-empowering English opening lines "Do you know what time it is? This is return of the King", TVXQ sing about their determination to return stronger after breaking up with a former lover. The song ends with the protagonist claiming that his former lover has "[been] erased, disappeared, died" in his heart, and that she no longer ceases to exist.[3]

The song was interpreted as adissto former members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, who were still in a long-standing legal feud with TVXQ's agencyS.M. Entertainmentat the time of the song's release. Yunho and Changmin clarified that the lyrics of "Keep Your Head Down" were not meant to be directed at the trio, and that the lyrics were written in a style that could be interpreted in different ways.[4]

Promotion and live performances

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A sample of the song's original Korean-language version was first performed by Yunho at theSM Town Live '10 World Tourin August 2010, three months before the official announcement of TVXQ's Korean comeback. The full Korean single was released on January 3, 2011, which was accompanied by the premiere of its music video on TVXQ's official video-sharing websites. The Japanese version was used in the JapaneseWiigameJust Dance Wii.

Formats and track listings

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[19]
Physical single 		Platinum 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[20]
Digital single 		Platinum 250,000*

*Sales figures based on certification alone.
^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Credits

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Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[21]

Studio

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Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ab"TVXQ – The evolution of SMP"(in Korean).Nate.2014-01-10.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-03-22.Retrieved2014-01-26.
  2. ^Catch Me – Production Note(released December 27, 2013)
  3. ^"TVXQ says new song is not a diss to JYJ".Star News via Daum(in Korean). 2011-01-03.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-01-09.Retrieved2014-11-29.
  4. ^"TVXQ: 'We Will Keep Dong Bang Shin Ki and We Want JYJ to Come Back'".HanCinema.2011-01-07.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-12-06.Retrieved2014-01-29.
  5. ^"왜 (Keep Your Head Down) by TVXQ".iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. January 5, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2014.Retrieved2014-01-31.
  6. ^"Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki"(in Japanese). iTunes Store (Japan). Apple Inc. January 26, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-06-09.Retrieved2014-01-31.
  7. ^abc"Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki"(in Japanese). Avex Group.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-01.Retrieved2014-01-31.
  8. ^"Gaon Digital Chart: Week Ending January 8, 2011".Gaon Music Chart(in Korean). Archived fromthe originalon January 11, 2014.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  9. ^"RIAJ Digital Track Chart: Chart issue February 1, 2011"(in Japanese).Recording Industry Association of Japan.Archivedfrom the original on 2011-07-08.Retrieved2014-11-19.
  10. ^"BillboardJapan Adult Contemporary Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011 ".Billboard Japan(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-02.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  11. ^"BillboardJapan Hot Top Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011 ".Billboard Japan(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-02.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  12. ^"G-Music Albums Chart"(in Chinese).G-music.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-12-24.Retrieved2014-02-01.
    • "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)": "2011 năm — đệ 8 chu"
  13. ^"Gaon Download Chart 2011"(in Korean).Gaon Music Chart.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-10-02.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  14. ^"Ｗｈｙ? ( Ｋｅｅｐ Ｙｏｕｒ Ｈｅａｄ Ｄｏｗｎ ) phương đông thần khởi の プロフィールならオリコン vân người tài ba sự điển -ORICON STYLE".Archivedfrom the original on 2011-06-28.Retrieved2011-06-02.
  15. ^"Ｗｈｙ? ( Ｋｅｅｐ Ｙｏｕｒ Ｈｅａｄ Ｄｏｗｎ ) ( ＤＶＤ phó ) phương đông thần khởi の プロフィールならオリコン vân người tài ba sự điển -ORICON STYLE".Archivedfrom the original on 2011-07-24.Retrieved2011-06-02.
  16. ^"Oricon reveals full list for 2011 Yearly Single Ranking".Tokyo Hive.2011-12-19.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-02-02.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  17. ^"Gaon Digital Chart Ranking 2011".Gaon Music Chart(in Korean). Archived fromthe originalon 2013-10-18.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  18. ^"レコード hiệp hội điều べ 2010 năm ngày 15 tháng 12 ～2011 năm ngày 13 tháng 12 “うたフル(R)” 2011 năm có liêu âm lặc xứng tin “Trong năm チャート” ( thường gọi: レコ hiệp チャート ) "[Record Association Analysis: December 16, 2009 – December 14, 2010Full-length Cellphone Download;2011 paid digital sales "Yearly Chart" (RIAJ Chart)](PDF)(in Japanese). RIAJ. December 21, 2010.Archived(PDF)from the original on September 24, 2015.Retrieved2014-11-19.
  19. ^"Certifications of January 2011".Recording Industry Association of Japan(in Japanese). Archived fromthe originalon 2011-02-17.Retrieved2014-02-01.
  20. ^"Japanese digital single certifications – Tohoshinki – Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"(in Japanese).Recording Industry Association of Japan.RetrievedSeptember 11,2021.Select2014 năm 7 nguyệton the drop-down menu
  21. ^TVXQ(2011).Keep Your Head Down(photobook). South Korea: SM Entertainment. Credits.
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