UAU Creates Summer Tunes Through Playlist #Your Youth
Photo: Dreamcatcher Official X
It’s been over a year since Dreamcatcher sub-unit UAU made their debut, but they are back for the summer. JiU, SuA, and Yoohyeon show that they are built differently through their new title track “GENE.” Through their Playlist #Your Youth EP, “GENE” continues to set UAU’s discography apart from Dreamcatcher’s usual sound.
TRACKLIST:
“Tuesday”
“GENE”
“Stand By Me”
“Cause I Wanna Feel Your Face”
“Echo”
“Comma 9999”
“GENE”
UAU released “GENE” on July 1, just in time for the summer. Just like how UAU’s debut title tracks “2 Months” and “Attitude” give the sub-unit a separate identity through mixing genres like pop, Afrobeats, and hip-hop, “GENE” using the deep house genre also deviates from the rock-centric music Dreamcatcher built a brand around. The trio sings about how their star quality lies within their genes. The music video for "GENE" takes a similar approach to "2 Months," implementing dark humor.
The music video showcases the UAU members unaffected by scorching heat, despite everyone else around them collapsing one by one. Conceptually, “GENE” pulls even more inspiration from science. The members may actually carry specific genes that give them special protection. In biology, “UAU” represents one of the many sequences that create genes. Genes use these three-letter codes, called codons, to tell the body’s DNA how to make essential proteins—in this case, the trio gains immunity from the sun's rays.
The B-Sides
Playlist #Your Youth consists of mostly laid-back songs. The first B-side, “Tuesday,” is a relaxed R&B song that makes a usually unexciting day more interesting. “Stand By Me” channels emotional pop with lyrics that tell a story opposite of its title: UAU tells an indifferent partner to leave. The members' vocals make the bubbling anger apparent. “Cause I Wanna Feel Your Face” returns to the EP’s beginning relaxed sound. The soft synth-pop instrumental and its romantic lyrics create an image of two partners dancing under dim lights.
Playlist #Your Youth takes yet another turn through “Echo,” an electro-pop song. The electronic chirps and distorted sounds transition the intimate slow dancing from “Cause I Wanna Feel Your Face” into a wild, carefree dance. “Comma 9999” ends the EP with the gentle beats of the U.K. garage genre. Much like a comma, the song signals more to come in the future.