Review: U-Know (Yunho of TVXQ) - Thank U
I think it is no secret by this point, but I will say it again, I am a massive fan of TVXQ, and have been waiting for Yunho's solo comeback for ages. Thankfully, the whole mini-album Noir is really solid, and cinematic. In the case of title track Thank U, it might be too cinematic.
What I mean by that is that it feels it an accessory to the MV. The MV is fantastic (Yunho has finally learned how to act, and I will cry if I don't see him in a K-Drama soon), and quite cinematic. Still, I feel the song is secondary to the great MV.
Thank U was probably written by Yoo Young-Jin for the 2011 TVXQ album Keep Your Head Down, as it definitely sounds like a b-side from that era. In fact, you can almost tell which lines were meant for Changmin (I think the "I Hate This" ad-lib might actually be Changmin).
U-Know and Yoo Young-Jin are senior enough to know what they want to do with the song, and they let it be a large cinematic song, perfect for a movie. Still, I wish the ambition would be felt in the song. The impish sing-talk by Yunho is good, so is the brass, but something more aggressive and strong could help. The main hook in the chorus is catchy, but I wish it was more developed.
The bridge is solid, focusing on Yunho's great vocals, though the instrumentation feels a little stretched thin.
And finally the lyrics. I love the central "Thank you for dislike me" loop. It is a bit cheesy, but strong nonetheless. Overall a solid effort and a minor grower, I enjoy Yunho's Thank U, though I feel they were better b-sides on the album.
I also thought that I Hate You adlib was very Changmin-like, I can totally imagine them singing this now haha. Agree completely with you, it's alright but it really did feel like just an addition to the music video (which was amazing).
ReplyDeleteWhen they perform this live, I hope they at least once do it as a duo.
DeleteTrue, the MV was fantastic!