"I Go" is a song by South Korean DJ and producer

Peggy Gou Kim Min-ji (; born 3 July 1991), known as Peggy Gou ( ; ), is a South Korean DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer based in Berlin, Germany. She has released seven Extended play, EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and The Vinyl Fact ...

, released as a standalone single on 9 July 2021 through Gou's imprint Gudu Records. It was included on her 2024 debut album ''

I Hear You ''I Hear You'' is the debut album by South Korean DJ and singer Peggy Gou, released on 7 June 2024 through XL Recordings. It includes the singles " I Go", " (It Goes Like) Nanana", "I Believe in Love Again" with Lenny Kravitz, and "1+1=11". The al ...

''.

Background

When speaking on the song's inspiration, Gou stated that it was inspired by her years as a teenager in Korea and was meant to "a tribute to that era" and her "own reimagination of the sounds I grew up loving". She wrote the Korean lyrics on her phone in 2019, "staring at erelf in the mirror of an airport toilet" as a way to motivate herself.

Critical reception

''EDM.com'' described "I Go" as a "scintillating blend of

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 ...

and

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

, with elements of

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

and

synthwave Synthwave (also called retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with the Film score, film soundtracks of action films, science fiction films, and horror films of the 1980s. ...

folded in along the way". Peter Helman of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' called it "a shimmering, propulsive electronic dance track inspired by Gou's love of '90s club music". Lars Gotrich of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

felt that it "vibrates like a glitter-pink

Walkman is a brand of Personal stereo, portable audio players manufactured by Sony since 1979. It was originally introduced as a portable Compact Cassette, cassette player and later expanded to include a range of portable audio products. Since 2011, ...

on a summer day, its melody effervescent, backed by swagger-jacked

synth-funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mi ...

that turbocharges in the last minute". Chase McMullen of ''

Beats Per Minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

'' wrote that it "is both nostalgic and futuristic at once, recalling the sounds ougrew up loving, with echoes of rave culture and (yep) even

Haddaway Nestor Alexander Haddaway (born 9 January 1965) is a Trinidadian-born German singer best known for his 1993 hit single " What Is Love", which reached number 1 in 13 countries. Early life Haddaway was born in Trinidad and Tobago. His father wa ...

, it's one of the most instantly lovable, endearing tracks she's recorded to date". In a review of the

Soulwax Soulwax are a Belgian electronic band and DJ/production collective from Ghent, who formed in 1995. Centred around brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, other current members include Igor and Laima Cavalera, and Stefaan Van Leuven. The group first ...

remix, Andrew Ryce of ''

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

'' felt the original was "sweet and nostalgic" but the remix "dial dit up to 11", with Soulwax "laying down a frisky beat" and writing that the "remix hinges on a grubby, addictive bassline". ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' ranked it as the 17th best song of 2021, with Evan Minsker calling it "engineered to motivate" and writing that Gou's "vocals are gentle, but her promise of persistence ('I go I go, I go I go') feels powerful. Throbbing drum machines further bolster her energizing message, turning a personal pep talk into a lull-crushing banger". He concluded that it is "a six-minute '90s dance megamix that feels 10 minutes too short".

Track listing

Charts

References

{{Peggy Gou 2021 singles 2021 songs House music songs Songs in Korean Peggy Gou songs Songs written by Peggy Gou