Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
“You Make Me” isn’t only DAY6’s first comeback in almost a year, it’s also JYP Entertainment’s first release since November 2020. That’s a surprisingly long hiatus for one of K-pop’s biggest agencies, and this album feels weightier than normal. With leader/main vocal Sungjin enlisted in the military, any upcoming DAY6 releases will likely sound quite different. “You Make Me” is the closing of a chapter, and the song leaves us on a wistful note.
This feels like an odd choice to promote as title track. The song is not particularly catchy in the way we expect of singles. I appreciate its variety of textures — from the glitchy keyboards in the pre-chorus to the hip-hop touches in the verses — but I think “You Make Me” is easier to admire than fully embrace. I love the choral moments that pop up here and there, and the bridge harnesses an unexpected melodic flourish to great effect. Technically, it’s all very impressive.
However, the track is missing a strong chorus. The centerpiece of “You Make Me” is a series of power notes, each impressive and emotive on their own. Taken together, they don’t create much of a melody — at least not compared to DAY6’s best work. The percussive post-chorus chant is more memorable, and given some of its instrumental choices, I wonder if the song should have leaned heavier toward this rhythmic approach. All in all, it’s an indulgent track, recalling many of the group’s strongest elements but struggling to forge them into a work that’s mightier than the sum of its parts.
