Without U (2PM song)

"Without U" is a Korean song by South Korean boy band 2PM. It is the title track of the group's single album Don't Stop Can't Stop. It premiered digitally on April 19, 2010 and was released as a CD single in South Korea on April 22, 2010, via JYP Entertainment. The release is supported by the B-side tracks "Don't Stop Can't Stop", "Maza", and "I Will Give You My Life".

"Don't Stop Can't Stop"
File:2PMDontstopcantstop.jpg
Single by 2PM
from the album Hands Up
A-side	"Without U"
B-side	"Maja" "I Will Give You My Life"
Released	April 19, 2010
Recorded	2009–2010
Genre	K-pop, pop, R&B, hip hop, dance
Length	21:09
Label	JYP Entertainment
Composers	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul", Tommy Park
Lyricist	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"
Producer	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"
2PM singles chronology
"Heartbeat" (2009) "Don't Stop Can't Stop" (2010) "Thank You" (2010)

"Without U" was 2PM's first song to top the newly-launched Gaon Singles Chart, despite also being the group's first single since the controversial announcement that former member Jaebeom would not return to the group following the termination of his contract with JYP Entertainment. The song was also included in the group's second studio album, Hands Up (2011).

Background

"Without U" is a contemporary R&B song composed and written by Park Jin-young. The song runs 3 minutes and 21 seconds in length and combines piano instrumentation with the synthesizer. The lyrics of the song are from the perspective of a man who resolves to get over an ex-partner who broke his heart.

Two months prior to the release of "Without U", JYP Entertainment announced that Jaebeom would not return to 2PM following his hiatus due to controversy over his social media posts, as his contract with the company had been permanently terminated for an undisclosed reason, with the agreement of all 6 members.^[1] Following a combined fan meeting and press conference with the six remaining members of 2PM and JYP Entertainment CEO Choi Jungwook in attendance, various 2PM fansites were shut down and boycott movements were started as a protest of Jaebeom's termination.^[2]

On April 14, 2010, pictures of the group's comeback were released. On April 16, 2PM released a teaser for the music video of "Without U" on YouTube. On April 19, Don't Stop Can't Stop was released digitally, along with the music video for "Without U".^[3][4] A music video for the B-side track "I Will Give You My Life" (목숨을 건다) was also released on June 10, 2010, although the song was not released as a single.^[5]

The track would later be included in 2PM's second studio album, Hands Up, released on June 20, 2011.^[6] A Japanese version of the song was included as the B-side track of 2PM's second Japanese single, "I'm Your Man", released on August 17, 2011.^[7]

Music video

The music video, filmed in either black-and-white or sepia tones, features the members dressed in sleeveless black tops and black skinny jeans dancing in heavy rain in dark, muddy sets built to look like a ruined factory or empty alleyways.^[8]

Promotion

2PM performed "Without U" for the first time on the April 22 episode of M Countdown.^[8] After accumulating a total of seven music show wins on M Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo, 2PM also performed "Without U" and "Don't Stop Can't Stop" at the 2010 Dream Concert on May 22,^[9] as well as on the 100th episode of Kim Jung-eun's Chocolate which aired on May 29.^[10] 2PM then embarked on their first solo concerts titled Don't Stop Can't Stop, the same name as their single album, with shows in Seoul on July 31 and August 1, in Busan on August 7–8, and in Seoul again on September 4–5, where they performed tracks from Don't Stop Can't Stop.^[11][12]

Track listing

All editions track listing^[13]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Mixer	Length
1.	"Don't Stop Can't Stop"	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul", Tommy Park	Mun Ho Yun "Moonworker"	4:09
2.	"Without U"	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul", Tommy Park	Manny Marroquin, Christian Plata, Erik Madrid	3:21
3.	"Maza" (Korean: 마자; RR: maja)	Super Changddai	Super Changddai	Hong Seong Jun, Shim So Yeon	3:15
4.	"I Will Give You My Life" (Korean: 목숨을 건다; RR: moksumeul geonda)	Super Changddai	Super Changddai	Yang Gwang Ho, Kwon Hae Hun	3:08
5.	"Without U" (explorer mix)	J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"	Moonworker, Tommy Park, J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"	Moonworker, Tommy Park, J.Y. Park "The Asiansoul"	4:00
6.	"Space Maza" (Korean: Space 마자; RR: Space maja)	Super Changddai	Super Changddai	Yoon Wong Won, Choi Ja Uk	3:17
Total length:					21:10

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Don't Stop Can't Stop Chart (2010) Peak position Ref. South Korea (Gaon Album Chart) 1 [14] Chart (2011) Peak position Ref. South Korea (Gaon Album Chart) 4 [15] Year-end chart performance for Don't Stop Can't Stop Chart (2010) Peak position Ref. South Korea (Gaon Album Chart) 20 [16]

Weekly chart performance for "Without U" Chart (2010) Peak position Ref. South Korea (Gaon Singles Chart) 1 [17] Year-end chart performance for "Without U" Chart (2010) Peak position Ref. South Korea (Gaon Singles Chart) 50 [16]

Accolades

Music show wins

Program	Date	Ref.
M Countdown	April 29, 2010	[18]
	May 6, 2010
	May 13, 2010
Music Bank	May 7, 2010	[19]
	May 14, 2010
Inkigayo	May 16, 2010	[20]
	May 23, 2010

Release history

Country	Release date	Format	Label	Ref.
South Korea	April 19, 2010	Digital download	JYP Entertainment	[4]
	April 22, 2010	CD
Philippines	August 21, 2010	CD	PolyEast Records
Thailand	December 14, 2010	CD	Sony Music Thailand	[21]