Since their 2019 debut, Dongkiz have been reliable conduits for fun, upbeat pop music. Even though they hail from a comparatively small agency, their comebacks have been surprisingly frequent. Now the group is embarking on a sub-unit project, the first of which sees members Jaechan and Munik forming duo I:KAN for the retro New Jack Swing of Y.O.U.
That entire description is like catnip to me. New Jack Swing is one of my favorite sub-genres, and I’m a sucker for anything that hearkens back to that era. Because of this, I approached Y.O.U with high expectations. And, that was to my own detriment. The song is fine, but quite throwaway when it comes to both melody and performance. Jaechan and Munik are upbeat and amiable, but neither delivers a memorable vocal. The rap is better than the singing, and probably should have formed a more integral part of the track.
I appreciate Y.O.U’s peppy instrumental, which drapes the track’s New Jack Swing beats with hazy summertime synths. It’s especially fun during the bridge’s extended breakdown, where the energy kicks up a notch to deliver the exciting, almost improvisational vibe I expect from this genre. Sadly, there’s just not much to the song’s featherlight melody. The chorus comes and goes with little fanfare. It has a sweet sound, but never grows into anything all that memorable. Strong hooks have been a hallmark of Dongkiz’s discography thus far, so I’m a little surprised at how toothless Y.O.U turns out to be.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
As one of the regular fans of the flavor of kitsch that Dongkiz usually sells, I will freely admit that this morning I clicked away from this song part way through my first and also my second listen to other brighter, shinier suggestions that showed up in the my recommendations feed. That about sums it up.
Its OK, bright and happy with a nice groove but not outstanding. Rating is about right.
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Among the youtube suggestions was Wham! “Freedom”. man oh man I haven’t heard that song in ages, and yet somehow I remembered all the lyrics.
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I’m not into sub-unit in general, but to me it doesn’t make any sense to have a sub-unit of a rookie group whose brand awareness is zero.
Maybe they’d rather promote the duo with a different name as a spin-off project (i.e. Agust-D for Suga) and try to see if it worked better than Dongkiz’s performances so far.
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I actually liked the song. It has its flaws, as well as its ups and downs. Throughout the song, I really enjoyed it. I just wish the song’s hook was stronger, and some memorable melody as well. Even if I enjoyed the song, it seemed to be easily forgettable.
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I like this song. I think I’m just a sucker for retro-influenced songs, especially the 90’s
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About right. I like Dongkiz a lot so I was hoping this would be great. I like the instrumental enough, but the melody and their voices just aren’t doing anything for me…
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