"2U" is a song by South Korean singer

Kang Daniel Kang Daniel (; born Kang Eui-geon, December 10, 1996), stylized as KANGDANIEL, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, television host, and businessman who rose to fame in early 2017 as the first-place winner of the Produce 101 Season 2, s ...

. It was released on March 24, 2020, by

Konnect Entertainment Konnect Entertainment (; stylized as KONNECT Entertainment) was an independent South Korean entertainment company founded on June 5, 2019 by Kang Daniel. The company was based in the Gangnam District of Seoul in South Korea. It previously manag ...

and distributed by Sony Music Korea. The song serves as the lead single from his second EP ''

Cyan Cyan () is the color between blue and green on the visible spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength between 500 and 520 nm, between the wavelengths of green and blue. In the subtractive color system, or CMYK c ...

''.

Background and composition

The lead single's name is a play on the English meaning "going to you" and the literal Korean pronunciation sounding similar to the word "reason" (). "2U" contains a message to a weary or lonely person running after their dreams: There are those who stay by your side who love you because you are you. "2U" was written and composed by Korean-American artist

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

with Kang in mind from the onset. Even during Chancellor's initial working stages with the song, Kang thought it matched him well. He described "2U" as a hybrid of pop and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

genres with a "gentle and comfortable" sound well-suited for spring, and

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

pointed out the single had " R&B flourishes" as well. Writing for '' IZM'', Hwang In-ho described it as

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

track incorporating a

synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

-based rhythm, R&B beats and slow

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

. As part of '' Grazia Koreas May cover story, Kang was asked if there was a specific reason for choosing groovy title tracks such as "2U" despite others thinking of him as an artist with powerful, strong performances. He replied that he wanted to show what he is capable of step-by-step to heighten the sense of tension.

Music video

A music video teaser emulating a movie poster composition was revealed on March 20. The full music video directed by VM Project Architecture was released alongside the song. Doug Riggs, Caspar von Winterfeldt, and Brian Scott Robinson headed the US crew. It was filmed in one day at the Los Angeles Theatre. Kang found the filming location's inspiration and vibe to be well-connected to the song's concept and himself.

Commercial performance

"2U" is Kang's first top ten single on the

Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...

, peaking at number 7. According to the Korea Music Content Association, Kang achieved a Gaon triple crown during the thirteenth week of 2020 in part due to "2U" ranking first in the download and BGM charts. Those sales were further reflected in the Gaon monthly charts for March 2020 with "2U" topping the download chart and ranking number 15 in the subsequent BGM chart. The song also took first place on five music shows: '' The Show'', '' Music Bank'', ''

Show! Music Core ''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. I ...

'', ''

Show Champion ''Show Champion'' () is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung (January 30, 2013 – ...

'', and ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leeteuk ...

''.

Charts

Accolades

Music program awards

Release history

References

{{authority control 2020 songs 2020 singles Kang Daniel songs Songs in Korean Sony Music singles