Why Can't You Love Me?

"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 an medium R&B pop song that expresses the excitement of unrequited love. It debuted at 200 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart.

"Why Can't You Love Me?"
Song by Wendy
from the album Like Water
LanguageKorean
ReleasedApril 5, 2021
StudioSM Studios, Seoul, South Korea
GenreR&B
Length2:48
Label
Composer(s)
  • Jamie Jones
  • Matt Wong
  • Paulina Cerrilla
  • Lamont Neuble
  • Tim Stewart
Lyricist(s)Koo Tae-woo
Audio video
"Why Can't You Love Me?" on YouTube

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]

Promotion and 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".[4]

"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

  • Recorded at SM Blue Cup Studio
  • Engineered for mix at SM Lvyin Studio
  • Mixed at SM Concert Hall Studio
  • Mastered at 821 Sound Mastering

Personnel

  • Wendy – vocals, background vocals
  • Koo Tae-woo – songwriting
  • Jamie Jones – original writer, composition, arrangement
  • Matt Wong – original writer, composition, arrangement
  • Paulina Cerrilla – original writer, composition, arrangement
  • Lamont Neuble – original writer, composition, arrangement
  • Tim Stewart – original writer, composition, arrangement
  • ButterFly – vocal director, Pro Tools operator
  • Jung Eui-seok – recording
  • Lee Ji-hong – mixing engineer
  • Namgoong Jin – mixing
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts
Chart performance for "Why Can't You Love Me?"
Chart (2021) Peak

position

South Korea (Gaon)[10] 200

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Why Can't You Love Me?"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various April 5, 2021
[13]

References
  1. "Credits / Like Water - The 1st Mini Album". Tidal. April 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  2. Chamnankarn, Pornnaphat (April 5, 2021). Wendy Red Velvet ปล่อยโซโล่อัลบั้มแรก Like Water วันนี้ พร้อม 5 แทร็กอบอุ่นใจที่ไม่ควรพลาดฟัง! [Wendy of Red Velvet Released Her First Solo Album Like Water Today with Five Heart-warming Tracks that You Shouldn't Miss!]. The Standard (in Thai). Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  3. Kim, Hee-seo (April 5, 2021). 레드벨벳 웬디, 오늘(5일) 첫 솔로 앨범 'Like Water' 발매 [Wendy of Red Velvet Released Her First Solo Album 'Like Water' Today at April 5]. The Celuv (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  4. C, Ruby (April 9, 2021). "Wendy – 'Like Water' review: navigating the ebbs and flows of emotions with vocal fluidity". NME. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  5. Jung, Byung-geun (April 5, 2021). 레드벨벳 웬디, 울림 있는 보컬과 이야기 [Red Velvet's Wendy, Resonant Vocals and Stories]. The Fact (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  6. "Key & BPM for Why Can't You Love Me? by Wendy". Tunebat. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  7. Park, Dong-sun (April 5, 2021). 레드벨벳 웬디, '봄을 닮은 온화한 첫 울림' (Like Water 간담회) [Red Velvet's Wendy, 'A Gentle First Resonant Resembling Spring' (Like Water Conference)]. The Electronic Times (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  8. Early, JT (April 8, 2021). "Album Review: Wendy – Like Water". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  9. Han, Erin (May 16, 2021). Monthly : 2021년 4월 – 앨범 [Monthly: April 2021 – Albums]. Idology (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  10. 2021년 15주차 Digital Chart [2021, Week 15 Digital Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. 2021년 15주차 Download Chart [2021, Week 15 Download Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  12. Like Water (photobook). Red Velvet. South Korea: SM Entertainment, Dreamus. 2021. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. 곡 정보 - Why Can't You Love Me? [Song Information - Why Can't You Love Me?] (in Korean). Melon. April 5, 2021. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
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