2011 single by TVXQ / Tohoshinki
"
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. Yunho and Changmin had denied the claims.
[1]
"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
[
edit
]
"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,
[2]
"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.
[3]
"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.
[2]
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.
[4]
Korean netizens claimed that the song was a
diss
to former members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, who were still in legal disputes 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 directed at the trio, and that the lyrics were written in a style that could be interpreted in different ways.
[5]
Promotion and live performances
[
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]
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
[
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]
- Korean digital download
[6]
- "왜 (Keep Your Head Down)" ? 3:58
- Japanese digital download
[7]
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" ? 4:00
- "MAXIMUM" ? 3:41
- Japanese CD+DVD single
AVCK-79022
[8]
- Disc 1 (CD)
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
- "MAXIMUM"
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
- "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)
- Disc 2 (DVD)
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (
Video Clip
)
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (Off Shot Movie)
(First Press Limited Edition only)
|
- Japanese CD single
AVCK-79023
[8]
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
- "MAXIMUM"
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" -Night Rod Man Regeneration Mix-
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
- "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)
- Japanese
Bigeast
CD single
AVC1-79024
[8]
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
- "MAXIMUM"
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)" (-Less Vocal-)
- "MAXIMUM" (-Less Vocal-)
|
Charts
[
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]
Weekly charts
[
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]
Sales
[
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]
Chart (2011)
|
Peak
position
|
Debut sales
|
Sales total
|
Chart run
|
Korean (
Gaon Singles Chart
)
|
Weekly Download Chart
|
1
|
?
|
1,391,468 (digital)
[14]
|
?
|
Monthly Download Chart
|
?
|
Yearly Download Chart
|
134
|
Japanese (
Oricon Singles Chart
)
|
Daily Singles Chart
|
1
|
133,223
|
285,051
[15]
[16]
|
20 weeks
|
Weekly Singles Chart
|
1
|
231,498
|
Monthly Singles Chart
|
1
|
231,498
|
Yearly Singles Chart
[17]
|
16
|
285,051
|
|
Year-end charts
[
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]
|
Certifications
[
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]
Credits
[
edit
]
Credits adapted from album's liner notes.
[22]
Studio
[
edit
]
Personnel
[
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]
- SM Entertainment
? executive producer
- Lee Soo-man
? producer
- Kim Young-min ? executive supervisor
- TVXQ
? vocals, background vocals
- Luna ? Japanese lyrics
- Yoo Young-jin
? producer, Korean lyrics,
composition
, vocal directing,
background vocals
,
recording
,
mixing
,
digital editing
, music and sound supervisor
- Yoo Han-jin ? composition,
arrangement
- Jeon Hoon ?
mastering
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"TVXQ explains the meaning behind 'Keep Your Head Down' on 'Entertainment Relay'
"
.
Allkpop
. 2011-01-07.
Archived
from the original on 2014-02-01
. Retrieved
2014-01-26
.
- ^
a
b
"TVXQ ? The evolution of SMP"
(in Korean).
Nate
. 2014-01-10.
Archived
from the original on 2020-03-22
. Retrieved
2014-01-26
.
- ^
Catch Me ? Production Note
(released December 27, 2013)
- ^
"TVXQ says new song is not a diss to JYJ"
.
Star News via Daum
(in Korean). 2011-01-03.
Archived
from the original on 2015-01-09
. Retrieved
2014-11-29
.
- ^
"TVXQ: 'We Will Keep Dong Bang Shin Ki and We Want JYJ to Come Back'
"
.
HanCinema
. 2011-01-07.
Archived
from the original on 2013-12-06
. Retrieved
2014-01-29
.
- ^
"왜 (Keep Your Head Down) by TVXQ"
. iTunes Store (US). Apple Inc. January 5, 2011. Archived from
the original
on February 11, 2014
. Retrieved
2014-01-31
.
- ^
"Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki"
(in Japanese). iTunes Store (Japan). Apple Inc. January 26, 2011.
Archived
from the original on 2014-06-09
. Retrieved
2014-01-31
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Why? (Keep Your Head Down) by Tohoshinki"
(in Japanese). Avex Group.
Archived
from the original on 2014-02-01
. Retrieved
2014-01-31
.
- ^
"Gaon Digital Chart: Week Ending January 8, 2011"
.
Gaon Music Chart
(in Korean). Archived from
the original
on January 11, 2014
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"RIAJ Digital Track Chart: Chart issue February 1, 2011"
(in Japanese).
Recording Industry Association of Japan
.
Archived
from the original on 2011-07-08
. Retrieved
2014-11-19
.
- ^
"
Billboard
Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011"
.
Billboard Japan
(in Japanese).
Archived
from the original on 2014-02-02
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"
Billboard
Japan Hot Top Airplay: Week Ending February 14, 2011"
.
Billboard Japan
(in Japanese).
Archived
from the original on 2014-02-02
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"G-Music Albums Chart"
(in Chinese).
G-music
.
Archived
from the original on 2013-12-24
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)": "2011年?第8週"
- ^
"Gaon Download Chart 2011"
(in Korean).
Gaon Music Chart
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-10-02
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"Why?(Keep Your Head Down) 東方神起のプロフィ?ルならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE"
.
Archived
from the original on 2011-06-28
. Retrieved
2011-06-02
.
- ^
"Why?(Keep Your Head Down)(DVD付) 東方神起のプロフィ?ルならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE"
.
Archived
from the original on 2011-07-24
. Retrieved
2011-06-02
.
- ^
"Oricon reveals full list for 2011 Yearly Single Ranking"
.
Tokyo Hive
. 2011-12-19.
Archived
from the original on 2014-02-02
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"Gaon Digital Chart Ranking 2011"
.
Gaon Music Chart
(in Korean). Archived from
the original
on 2013-10-18
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"レコ?ド協?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?配信「年間チャ?ト」(通?:レコ協チャ?ト)"
[Record Association Analysis: December 16, 2009 ? December 14, 2010
Full-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
. Retrieved
2014-11-19
.
- ^
"Certifications of January 2011"
.
Recording Industry Association of Japan
(in Japanese). Archived from
the original
on 2011-02-17
. Retrieved
2014-02-01
.
- ^
"Japanese digital single certifications ? Tohoshinki ? Why? (Keep Your Head Down)"
(in Japanese).
Recording Industry Association of Japan
. Retrieved
September 11,
2021
.
Select
2014年7月
on the drop-down menu
- ^
TVXQ
(2011).
Keep Your Head Down
(photobook). South Korea: SM Entertainment. Credits.
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Korean singles
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Japanese singles
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