Keep Your Head Down (song) explained

Keep Your Head Down
Cover:Tohoshinki_-_Why_(Keep_Your_Head_Down).jpg
Border:yes
Caption:Cover for Japanese release
Type:single
Artist:TVXQ / Tohoshinki
Album:Keep Your Head Down
and Tone
B-Side:"Maximum" (Japan)
Released:January 3, 2011
Recorded:2010
Studio:SM Booming System, Seoul
Length:3:58
Prev Title:Toki o Tomete
Prev Year:2010
Next Title:Before U Go
Next Year:2011

"Keep Your Head Down" (Korean: 왜 Wae; "Why"), released in Japan as "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)", is a song recorded by South Korean boy group TVXQ (or Tohoshinki in Japan). Composed by Yoo Young-jin and Yoo Han-jin, the Korean-language version of "Keep Your Head Down" was released by S.M. Entertainment on January 3, 2011 as the lead single for the group's fifth Korean studio album Keep Your Head Down (2011), TVXQ's first album since becoming a two-piece band with U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. The Japanese-language version of "Keep Your Head Down", which was released on January 26, 2011, by Avex Trax, served as TVXQ's 31st Japanese single in Japan. It was the first single taken from their fifth Japanese studio album, Tone (2011).

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 a diss to JYJ, the three former members of TVXQ. "Keep Your Head Down" peaked at number five on Korea's Gaon Singles Chart and 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's Oricon Singles Chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), becoming TVXQ's second best-selling single in Japan.

Background and recording

"Keep Your Head Down", also known by its Korean title "Why" (왜), was composed by brothers Yoo Han-jin and Yoo Young-jin, who also wrote the song lyrics. An SMP song,[1] "Keep Your Head Down" has musical influences of industrial hip hop, baroque pop, R&B, and rap. The song was originally written for Yunho, who recorded the song in early August 2010 and performed it at the SM Town Live '10 World Tour concert in Seoul on August 21, 2010. The Seoul concert marked Yunho and Changmin's first comeback appearance together since their split with former TVXQ members Kim Jae-joong, Park Yoo-chun, and Kim Jun-su in 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 a CD and DVD single on January 26, 2011. With elements of industrial hip hop and baroque pop, "Keep Your Head Down" is labeled as an SMP song, a staple genre in TVXQ's music.

Critical response

"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 a diss to former members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, who were still in a long-standing legal feud with TVXQ's agency S.M. Entertainment at 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

A sample of the song's original Korean-language version was first performed by Yunho at the SM Town Live '10 World Tour in 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 Japanese Wii game Just Dance Wii.

Formats and track listings

  1. "왜 (Keep Your Head Down)" – 3:58
  1. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" – 4:00
  2. "MAXIMUM" – 3:41

Disc 1 (CD)

  1. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
  2. "MAXIMUM"
  3. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
  4. "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)

Disc 2 (DVD)

  1. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (Video Clip)
  2. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (Off Shot Movie) (First Press Limited Edition only)
  1. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
  2. "MAXIMUM"
  3. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" -Night Rod Man Regeneration Mix-
  4. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
  5. "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)
  1. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
  2. "MAXIMUM"
  3. "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
  4. "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Korean
South Korea Singles Chart (Gaon)[8] 5
Japanese
Japan Singles Chart (Oricon)1
Digital Track Chart (RIAJ)[9] 1
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)1
Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay (Billboard)[10] 20
Japan Hot Top Airplay (Billboard)[11] 16
Taiwan Albums Chart (G-Music)[12] 9

Sales

Chart (2011)Peak
position		Debut salesSales totalChart run
Korean (Gaon Singles Chart)
Weekly Download Chart1—1,391,468 (digital)[13] —
Monthly Download Chart—
Yearly Download Chart134
Japanese (Oricon Singles Chart)
Daily Singles Chart1133,223285,051[14] [15] 20 weeks
Weekly Singles Chart1231,498
Monthly Singles Chart1231,498
Yearly Singles Chart[16] 16285,051

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Korean
South Korea Singles Chart (Gaon)[17] 108
Japanese
Japan Singles Chart (Oricon)16
Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)30
Japan Digital Track Chart (RIAJ)[18] 31

Credits

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[19]

Studio

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. News: 2014-01-10 . TVXQ – The evolution of SMP . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200322152219/https://news.nate.com/view/20140110n17737 . 2020-03-22 . 2014-01-26 . . ko.
  2. Catch Me – Production Note (released December 27, 2013)
  3. News: Star News via Daum . TVXQ says new song is not a diss to JYJ . 2011-01-03 . 2014-11-29 . ko . 2015-01-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150109052226/http://media.daum.net/entertain/newsview?cateid=1005&newsid=20110103093622782&p=starnews . live .
  4. News: . TVXQ: 'We Will Keep Dong Bang Shin Ki and We Want JYJ to Come Back' . 2011-01-07 . 2014-01-29 . 2013-12-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131206235514/http://www.hancinema.net/tvxq--we-will-keep-dong-bang-shin-ki-and-we-want-jyj-to-come-back--27271.html . live .
  5. Web site: 왜 (Keep Your Head Down) by TVXQ . iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc . January 5, 2011 . 2014-01-31 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140211195022/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wae-keep-your-head-down/id413187205 . February 11, 2014 .
  6. Web site: Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki . iTunes Store (Japan). Apple Inc . January 26, 2011 . 2014-01-31 . ja . 2014-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140609074324/https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/why-keep-your-head-down-single/id414180915?l=en . live .
  7. Web site: Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki . Avex Group . 2014-01-31 . ja . 2014-02-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201234515/http://toho-jp.net/discography/detail.php?id=1003676 . live .
  8. Web site: Gaon Digital Chart: Week Ending January 8, 2011 . . 2014-02-01 . ko . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140111050709/http://gaonchart.co.kr/digital_chart/index.php?nationGbn=T&current_week=03&current_year=2011&chart_Time=week . January 11, 2014 .
  9. Web site: RIAJ Digital Track Chart: Chart issue February 1, 2011. Recording Industry Association of Japan. 2014-11-19. ja. 2011-07-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20110708011338/http://www.riaj.or.jp/data/others/weekly_chart/2011f.html. live.
  10. Web site: Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011 . Billboard Japan . 2014-02-01 . ja . 2014-02-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202093535/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=adult_airplay&year=2011&month=02&day=14 . live .
  11. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Top Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011 . Billboard Japan . 2014-02-01 . ja . 2014-02-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202091956/http://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=top_airplay&year=2011&month=02&day=14 . live .
  12. Web site: G-Music Albums Chart . . zh . 2014-02-01 . 2013-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114754/http://www.g-music.com.tw/GMusicBillboard0.aspx/ . live .
    • "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)": "2011年—第8週"
  13. Web site: Gaon Download Chart 2011 . . 2014-02-01 . ko . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131002114923/http://gaonchart.co.kr/digital_chart/download.php?nationGbn=T&current_year=2011&chart_Time=year . 2013-10-02 .
  14. Web site: Ｗｈｙ？（Ｋｅｅｐ Ｙｏｕｒ Ｈｅａｄ Ｄｏｗｎ） 東方神起のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE . 2011-06-02 . 2011-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628101206/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/348854/products/music/901290/1 . live .
  15. Web site: Ｗｈｙ？（Ｋｅｅｐ Ｙｏｕｒ Ｈｅａｄ Ｄｏｗｎ）（ＤＶＤ付） 東方神起のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE . 2011-06-02 . 2011-07-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110724004731/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/348854/products/music/901289/1/ . live .
  16. News: Oricon reveals full list for 2011 Yearly Single Ranking . Tokyo Hive . 2014-02-01 . 2011-12-19 . 2014-02-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202164220/http://www.tokyohive.com/article/2011/12/oricon-announces-the-2011-yearly-single-ranking . live .
  17. Web site: Gaon Digital Chart Ranking 2011 . . 2014-02-01 . ko . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131018013544/http://gaonchart.co.kr/digital_chart/index.php?nationGbn=T&current_year=2011&chart_Time=year . 2013-10-18 .
  18. Web site: レコード協会調べ 2010年12月15日～2011年12月13日「着うたフル(R)」 2011年有料音楽配信「年間チャート」（通称：レコ協チャート） . Record Association Analysis: December 16, 2009 – December 14, 2010 Full-length Cellphone Download; 2011 paid digital sales "Yearly Chart" (RIAJ Chart) . RIAJ . December 21, 2010 . 2014-11-19 . ja . September 24, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924131932/http://www.riaj.or.jp/release/2011/pdf/pr111221.pdf . live .
  19. Keep Your Head Down. TVXQ. 2011. Credits. photobook. SM Entertainment. South Korea.

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