What Are You Up To

"What Are You Up To" (Korean: 뭐해; RR: mwohae; stylized "What are you up to") is a song by South Korean singer Kang Daniel. It was released on July 25, 2019 by Konnect Entertainment and distributed by Sony Music Korea. The song serves as the lead single from his debut EP Color on Me with lyrics co-written by Kang and resulted in his first music show win as a soloist on KBS2's Music Bank on August 9, 2019.[1]

"What Are You Up To"
Single by Kang Daniel
from the album Color on Me
ReleasedJuly 25, 2019 (2019-07-25)
Recorded2019
GenreK-pop
Length3:02
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Yorkie
  • Thama
  • Kang Daniel
  • Devine-Channel
Producer(s)Devine-Channel
Kang Daniel singles chronology
"What Are You Up To"
(2019)		 "Touchin'"
(2019)
Music video
"What Are You Up To" on YouTube

Background

Shortly after Kang established his one-man agency Konnect Entertainment, Konnect confirmed on June 27 Kang finished recording songs for his debut EP and would finalize the title song and complete promotional content and choreography in preparation for a solo debut in late July.[2] "What Are You Up To" was confirmed as the title track on July 19 and is said to be a trendy song as a gift to reward fans who have been waiting.[3]

When asked during a Billboard interview why he did not pick a high-energy K-pop debut, Kang answered that "What Are You Up To" was selected because he wanted to do something he had not done before and wanted it to be different as his first title track as a solo artist.[4] He expressed that it is a song that represents him well and shows what he can be capable of.[5]

Composition

"What Are You Up To" has a minimalist bell theme with 808 and synth sounds.[3] At Kang's debut showcase, he stated that the title's phrase could come across as "strong, but also heartwarming" and described the song as having a bright synth sound with a hip-hop feel.[6] The lyrics contain what he wanted to convey to fans and lingering experiences from everyday life, including instances of waiting for a delivery and small talk from family and friends he had not talked with in a while. Kang added, "Everyone has experiences with waiting for something."[4]

Music video

The music video teaser featuring colorful sets and outfits was revealed on July 24.[7] The full music video directed by VM Project Architecture was released alongside the song on the 25th. Throughout the music video, Kang is cut off from others but attempts to reach them through his means, such as a disconnected phone, loudspeaker, and typewriter. The video concludes with imagery of a small lit doorway amidst closed doors.[8] International choreographer Antoine worked on the title song's choreography with Kang's team in three days, highlighting groove and rhythm.[6][9] The music video exceeded 10 million views on August 2 within a week of the release and later won Best Music Video at the Melon Music Awards on November 30.[10][11]

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[12] 15
South Korea (Kpop Hot 100)[13] 1

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2019 11th Melon Music Awards Best Music Video Won [14]

Music program awards
Program Network Date Ref.
Music Bank KBS2 August 9, 2019 [1]

Release history
Region Date Format Label
Various July 25, 2019
  • Konnect Entertainment
  • Sony Music

See also

References
  1. "'뮤직뱅크' 강다니엘, 방송출연 없이 1위…로켓펀치 데뷔-세븐틴 컴백[종합]". Sports Chosun (in Korean). August 9, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  2. "강다니엘, '1인 기획사 설립'→7월 말 솔로 데뷔 확정[공식]". Sports Donga (in Korean). June 27, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. "강다니엘, '컬러 온 미' 트랙리스트 공개..타이틀곡은 '뭐해'[공식]". OSEN (in Korean). July 19, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  4. "Watch Kang Daniel Go Deep on Debut Album, React to Billboard Chart Debut & Preview New Music". Billboard. October 29, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  5. "Kang Daniel Embraces Fans with Heartfelt Messages at 1st Solo Fanmeeting in Singapore". HallyuSG. August 22, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  6. "[Q&A] Kang Daniel makes much-anticipated solo debut". Kpop Herald. July 25, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  7. "'솔로 데뷔 D-1' 강다니엘, '뭐해' MV 티저 공개". SBS funE (in Korean). July 24, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  8. Beomjin (July 25, 2019). "Kang Daniel - What are you up to". Vimeo.
  9. "강다니엘, 25일 솔로 데뷔 확정..월드클래스 안무가와 작업[공식] 본문듣기 설정". OSEN (in Korean). July 12, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  10. "강다니엘, 첫 솔로 '뭐해' 뮤비 유튜브 조회수 1000만뷰 돌파 [공식]". OSEN (in Korean). August 3, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  11. "'MMA 2019' 강다니엘, 베스트 뮤직비디오상‥벌써 솔로 4번째 트로피". Herald Pop (in Korean). December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. "Digital Chart – Week 30 of 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  13. "Billboard Korea K-Pop 100 (week of August 3, 2019)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  14. "'MMA 2019' 방탄소년단 4개 대상+8관왕…있지·투모로우바이투게더 신인상". Newspim (in Korean). December 1, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
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