"You" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian disc jockey Regard, Australian singer Troye Sivan and Canadian singer Tate McRae. It was written by the performers along with Frederik Castenschiold Eichen, Koda, Sakima and Tom Mann, and produced by Regard. Marking the first collaboration between the artists, the song was released as a single for digital download and streaming by Ministry of Sound on 16 April 2021. It is an '80s-inspired English-language dance-pop and electro-pop song, blending deep house, retro-pop and synth-pop influences. Focused on heartbreak, the song is about the difficulties over a failed relationship and how hard it is to move on from someone you love. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who highlighted its music and lyrics as well as Regard's production and Sivan and McRae's vocal delivery.
"You" entered the top 50 in several countries, among others in Canada, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It further peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Dance/Electronic Songs as well as number 38 on the Canadian Hot 100. The song attained a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States and a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the UK. The accompanying music video was uploaded to Regard's YouTube channel on 27 May 2021, featuring scenes filmed in Australia, Kosovo and the US. In 2022, the song received a nomination for the Top Dance/Electronic Song at the Billboard Music Awards and for the Dance Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Background and composition
Ministry of Sound released "You" as a single for digital download and streaming in various countries on 16 April 2021. Leading up to its release, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae teased "You" on their respective TikTok accounts by posting snippets and singing along to it, with Regard also uploading a 30-second teaser on his YouTube channel on 31 March 2021. Marking the first collaboration between the artists, McRae elaborated, "Collaborating with Troye and Regard was an amazing experience. It’s a totally different vibe than any of my usual songs, but still has the emotional and lyrical depth that I always try to write." The song was written by Regard, Sivan and McRae along with Frederik Castenschiold Eichen, Koda, Sakima and Tom Mann, and produced by Regard. "You" is an English-language '80s-inspired dance-pop and electro-pop song, with a synth-pop sound and a deep house hook, while fusing electronic and retro-pop elements in its chorus. Touching on the theme of heartbreak, Sivan and McRae sing about the difficulties over a failed relationship and how hard it is to move on from someone you love and get off your mind. On the chorus, they sing, "When I try to fall back, I fall back to you / When I talk to my friends, I talk about you / When the Hennessy's strong, all I see is you."
Reception
Viewing it as an "anthem", a writer for Radio Luz highlighted the song's "sophisticated, euphoric and effortless" sound as well as Sivan and McRae's vocal interaction that, according to him, creates an "aesthetic" atmosphere. For L'Officiel, Mina Dragani dubbed it as "catchy", employing "breathy" vocals from the singers and an "expert" mixing from Regard. On a similar note, Philip Logan for CelebMix declared the song "sexy", appreciating the "sultry and flirtatious" lyrics as well as their "glorious and silky smooth" voices. Writing for his website, Thomas Bleach called the song an "infatuation" and summer anthem that "you're going to want to hear over and over again". He further opined that "['You'] is [a] great definition of what a collaboration should be [with] each artist fusing their artistries together and finding a new medium to co-exist within".
