Why Can't You Love Me? Explained

Why Can't You Love Me?
Artist:Wendy
Album:Like Water
Language:Korean
Released:April 5, 2021
Studio:SM Studios, Seoul, South Korea
Genre:R&B
Length:2:48
Label:
Lyricist:Koo Tae-woo
Composer:
  • Jamie Jones
  • Matt Wong
  • Paulina Cerrilla
  • Lamont Neuble
  • Tim Stewart

"Why Can't You Love Me?" is a song recorded by South Korean singer Wendy. The song was released on April 5, 2021, by SM Entertainment for her first extended play, Like Water. Composed by Jamie Jones, Matt Wong, Paulina Cerrilla, Lamont Neuble, and Tim Stewart, and written by Koo Tae-woo, it is a medium R&B pop song that expresses the excitement of unrequited love. It debuted at 200 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.

Composition

"Why Can't You Love Me?" was composed by Jamie Jones, Matt Wong, Paulina Cerrilla, Lamont Neuble, and Tim Stewart and was written by Koo Tae-woo.[1] Wendy revealed that the song is "quite difficult and requires a lot of singing skills".[2] Musically, the track was described as a medium R&B pop song.[3] Ruby C of NME described the track as an '80s soul-influenced' song with hints from upbeat version of Annie Lennox's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale".[4] Wendy described the track for being the "brightest" on the album.[5] It is composed in the key of F minor with a tempo of 81 beats per minute.[6] Lyrically, the song expresses the excitement of unrequited love.[7]

Reception

Following its initial release, "Why Can't You Love Me?" was met with positive reviews from music critics. JT Early of Beats Per Minute described the song as "unabashedly romantic", further praising its "incredibly cute and the type of wholesome pop that always feels absent from the music landscape".[8] Erin Han of Idology called the track as it is "filled with excitement and loveliness in harmony with rhythmical band performances and vocals".[9] Ruby C of NME described the song as "bright, cheerful sounding" track further noting the song for Wendy's "uniquely enunciated words and melismatic riffs, even rounding it off with a vocal run that slightly mirrors the late Whitney Houston's hit "I Will Always Love You".

"Why Can't You Love Me?" debuted at number 200 on the 15th weekly issue of South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for 2021 during the period dated April 4–10.[10] In addition, it also debuted at number 33 on Gaon Download Chart.[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Like Water.[12]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peakposition
South Korea (Gaon)200

Notes and References

  1. Web site: April 5, 2021. Credits / Like Water - The 1st Mini Album. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602150627/https://listen.tidal.com/album/178922878/credits. June 2, 2021. June 2, 2021. Tidal. en.
  2. News: Chamnankarn. Pornnaphat. April 5, 2021. th:Wendy Red Velvet ปล่อยโซโล่อัลบั้มแรก Like Water วันนี้ พร้อม 5 แทร็กอบอุ่นใจที่ไม่ควรพลาดฟัง!. th. Wendy of Red Velvet Released Her First Solo Album Like Water Today with Five Heart-warming Tracks that You Shouldn't Miss!. The Standard. April 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210405092338/https://thestandard.co/wendy-red-velvet-solo-album-like-water/. April 5, 2021.
  3. News: Kim. Hee-seo. April 5, 2021. ko:레드벨벳 웬디, 오늘(5일) 첫 솔로 앨범 'Like Water' 발매. ko. Wendy of Red Velvet Released Her First Solo Album 'Like Water' Today at April 5. The Celuv. live. April 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418032244/http://www.theceluv.com/article.php?aid=1617584282372290007. April 18, 2021.
  4. Web site: C. Ruby. April 9, 2021. Wendy – 'Like Water' review: navigating the ebbs and flows of emotions with vocal fluidity. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210409102621/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/red-velvet-wendy-like-water-review-2917338. April 9, 2021. April 18, 2021. NME. en-GB.
  5. News: Jung. Byung-geun. April 5, 2021. ko:레드벨벳 웬디, 울림 있는 보컬과 이야기. ko. Red Velvet's Wendy, Resonant Vocals and Stories. The Fact. live. April 18, 2021. https://archive.today/20210418030449/http://news.tf.co.kr/read/entertain/1852282.htm. April 18, 2021.
  6. Web site: Key & BPM for Why Can't You Love Me? by Wendy. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412055437/https://tunebat.com/Info/Why-Can-t-You-Love-Me-WENDY/0CyydmXI4QhgUWrZsPOTXA. April 12, 2021. April 12, 2021. Tunebat.
  7. News: Park. Dong-sun. April 5, 2021. ko:레드벨벳 웬디, '봄을 닮은 온화한 첫 울림' (Like Water 간담회). ko. Red Velvet's Wendy, 'A Gentle First Resonant Resembling Spring' (Like Water Conference). The Electronic Times. live. April 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412055429/https://www.etnews.com/20210405000221. April 12, 2021.
  8. Web site: Early. JT. April 8, 2021. Album Review: Wendy – Like Water. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414190637/https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-wendy-like-water/. April 14, 2021. June 3, 2021. Beats Per Minute. en-US.
  9. Web site: Han. Erin. May 16, 2021. ko:Monthly : 2021년 4월 – 앨범. Monthly: April 2021 – Albums. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210516132937/https://idology.kr/15827. May 16, 2021. June 3, 2021. Idology. ko.
  10. Web site: ko:2021년 15주차 Digital Chart. 2021, Week 15 Digital Chart. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415032844/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=15&hitYear=2021&termGbn=week. April 15, 2021. April 15, 2021. Gaon Music Chart. ko.
  11. Web site: ko:2021년 15주차 Download Chart. 2021, Week 15 Download Chart. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415025821/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=S1020&targetTime=15&hitYear=2021&termGbn=week. April 15, 2021. April 15, 2021. Gaon Music Chart. ko.
  12. Like Water. Red Velvet. 2021. Credits. photobook. SM Entertainment, Dreamus. South Korea.

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