You & I (IU song)

"You & I" (Korean: 너랑 나; RR: Neorang Na) is a song recorded in Korean and Japanese by South Korean singer IU from her second Korean-language studio album Last Fantasy. The original Korean version was released on November 29, 2011 through LOEN Entertainment, and was written and produced by Kim Eana and Lee Min-soo respectively. The song was a major commercial success, achieving the top spot on the Gaon Digital Chart and went on to sell more than 6 million digital units as of July 2016, making it the second best-selling single in South Korea.

"You & I"
Japanese regular edition cover
Single by IU
from the album Last Fantasy
ReleasedNovember 29, 2011 (2011-11-29) (Korean)
July 18, 2012 (2012-07-18) (Japanese)
GenreK-pop
Length3:59
Label
Songwriter(s)Kim Eana
Producer(s)Lee Min-soo
IU singles chronology
"Ice Flower"
(2011)		 "You & I"
(2011)		 "Peach"
(2011)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"You & I" on YouTube
"You & I" (Performance ver.) on YouTube

A Japanese version of the song was released on July 18, 2012 through EMI Music Japan, in conjunction with the single album of the same name. Commercially, "You & I" peaked at number 5 on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart in addition to number 11 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and sold more than 18,000 copies in the country.

Background and composition

The Korean version of "You and I" was released on November 29, 2011 as the lead single off of IU's second studio-album Last Fantasy through LOEN Entertainment.[1] A Japanese version of the song was later included in the single album of the same name, which was released in Japan on July 18, 2012.[2] It was physically distributed in two formats: a CD-only regular edition and limited editions CD+DVD A and CD+DVD B.[3]

The song was composed by Lee Min-Soo and written by Kim Eana. The song possesses a mystic and peculiar concept, with IU playing the role of a teenage girl traveling through time in order to reach the future to meet her boyfriend. Switching to and from the minor and major keys, the arrangement is noteworthy for its diverse and fantasy-like atmosphere, incorporating instrumentals that are rarely used in K-pop, such as the harp and horn.

Reception

The song was a commercial success in South Korea, debuting atop the Gaon Digital Chart with first-week digital sales totaling 1,129,761 units.[4] It stayed at the summit for two more weeks. The song also achieved the number one position on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, becoming IU's first number one song on the K-pop Hot 100 and became the longest running number-one song on the chart.[5] In the United States, the song marked IU's first entry onto the US Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, peaking at number 3 in the week of December 16, 2011, and charted for six weeks.[6]

Music video and promotion

On November 28, 2011, the music video for "You and I" was uploaded to LOEN Entertainment's official YouTube channel, one day prior to the release of Last Fantasy. The music video stars actor Lee Hyun-woo and tells the story of a girl (played by IU) traveling into the future in order to meet her boyfriend. The 19 year-old IU is shown to live with Hyunwoo—a boy who has fallen into deep sleep—in a workshop inside a clock tower inherited by her grandfather. IU does not leave his side and while waiting for him to wake up, decides to make a time machine in order to meet him. Both afraid yet excited, the long-awaited moment arrives as she leaves for her time machine as the two miss each other. Hyunwoo wakes up the moment he reaches age 20.

IU promoted the song on several South Korean music programs throughout December and early January, including Music Bank, Inkigayo, and Music on Top. She received received 10 music show wins during the course "You & I" promotions, including a "triple crown", or three total wins, on Inkigayo.

Track listing
Korean version
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."You & I" (너랑 나; Neorang Na)Kim EanaLee Min-soo3:59
Total length:3:59
Japanese single album (CD)
No.TitleLength
1."You & I" (Japanese version)4:01
2."Shounen Jidai" (少年時代; Boyhood)3:50
3."You & I" (Instrumental)4:01
Total length:12:52
Japanese single album (CD+DVD A)
No.TitleLength
1."You & I" (Japanese version)4:01
2."Shounen Jidai" (少年時代; Boyhood)3:50
3."You & I" (FPM Technorchestra Mix)5:41
4."2012年4月～5月全国5大都市にて開催された｢IU Friendship Showcase～Spring2012～｣の模様を追ったドキュメンタリー" 
5."You & I –Making of Music Video-" 
Japanese single album (CD+DVD B)
No.TitleLength
1."You & I" (Japanese version)4:01
2."Shounen Jidai" (少年時代; Boyhood)3:50
3."You & I" (Japanese Music Video) 
4."Every End Of The Day" (Music Video) 

Accolades
Awards for "You & I"
Year Organization Award Result
2011 Gaon Chart Music Awards Song of the Month (December) Won
Cyworld Digital Music Awards Won
2012 Melon Music Awards Song of the Year Nominated
Netizen Popularity Award Nominated
Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Vocal Performance – Solo Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Music program wins
Program Date
Music Bank (KBS) December 9, 2011
December 16, 2011
December 23, 2011
December 30, 2011
January 6, 2012
January 13, 2012
Inkigayo (SBS) December 18, 2011
December 25, 2011
January 1, 2012
Music on Top (JTBC) January 12, 2012

Chart performance

Sales
Country Sales
South Korea (digital)[13] 6,065,321
Japan[14] 18,068

Release history
Release dates and formats
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various November 29, 2011
LOEN Entertainment [1]
Japan July 18, 2012 CD single EMI Music Japan [2]
CD + DVD

References
  1. "Last Fantasy by IU". Apple Music. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  2. "You & I (Japanese Version) - Single by IU". Apple Music. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  3. "You & I (Japanese Version)". Oricon. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  4. Hong, Dong-hee (December 8, 2011). "아이유 2집 발매 첫주에만 다운로드 700만 건 (IU's "Last Fantasy" Sold 7 Million Downloads for Its First Week)". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  5. Benjamin, Jeff (May 5, 2014). "IU Earns Fifth K-Pop Hot 100 No. 1, Becomes All-Time Chart Leader". Billboard. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  6. "IU Chart History: World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  7. "Oricon Singles Chart" (in Japanese). Oricon Chart. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  8. "IU Chart History: Japan Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  9. "Digital Chart – Week 50 of 2011" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  10. "Korea K-pop Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  11. "2011년 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  12. "2012년 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  13. Cumulative sales for "You & I":
  14. オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 －CD・ブルーレイ・DVD・書籍・コミック－ (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
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