You

"You" delves into the emotional turmoil of being unable to move on from a past relationship. The lyrics, sung by Troye Sivan and Tate McRae, articulate a story of heartbreak and obsession. The central theme is the struggle of being haunted by the memory of an ex-lover, where every attempt to forget and move forward is unsuccessful. The song captures the feeling of a love that was so consuming that it colors every aspect of the narrator's current life. It touches on the confusion and lack of closure that often follows a sudden breakup, as the singers question why the relationship ended without a clear reason. The recurring line, "When I try to fall back, I fall back to you," encapsulates this cyclical and frustrating experience. The mention of Hennessy amplifying these feelings suggests how substances can sometimes lower inhibitions and bring painful, unresolved emotions to the surface. Ultimately, the song is a portrayal of post-breakup infatuation and the difficulty of reclaiming one's mind from someone who has left a permanent mark.

The narrative unfolds from the perspective of someone grappling with the aftermath of an unexpected breakup. The protagonist is caught in a loop of confusion and longing, questioning the reasons behind their partner's departure. They express a sense of injustice, feeling unable to even apologize because they don't know what they did wrong ("How can I be sorry if I don't know the crime?"). Despite feeling that they should be angry, the overwhelming emotion is an inability to let go and say goodbye.

This internal conflict is the song's central theme. The chorus powerfully illustrates how the memory of their former lover permeates every aspect of their life. Every attempt to move on or distract themselves proves futile. Socializing with friends inevitably leads to conversations about their ex. The intoxicating effect of Hennessy doesn't offer an escape but instead sharpens the focus, making their ex's image the only thing they can see. This refrain, "When I try to fall back, I fall back to you," acts as the story's thesis, highlighting a magnetic pull back to the past relationship.

The second verse, voiced by another perspective, reinforces this sense of entrapment. It describes a mind consumed by thoughts of the other person, metaphorically stuck in the backseat of their ex's Corvette. This imagery conveys a loss of control and agency. The singer admits to being captivated, even by their ex's negative traits ("should be fed up with your bullshit"), revealing a deep-seated infatuation that logic cannot overcome. The pull is irresistible, a combination of the ex's best and worst qualities holding them completely in their thrall.

The bridge amplifies this sense of haunting. The ex-lover's presence is not just a thought but a constant phantom, their face appearing in strangers and their voice echoing in everyday conversations. This demonstrates the profound psychological imprint the relationship has left. The protagonist is aware of the need to move on, admitting to nearly blocking their number multiple times, yet they remain paralyzed, unable to take the final step of severing the connection. The song concludes by reiterating the chorus, solidifying the idea that the narrator is, for now, hopelessly and completely tethered to the memory of this person, with every thought and action leading back to 'you'.

"You" is a collaboration between Kosovan DJ Regard, Australian singer Troye Sivan, and Canadian singer Tate McRae. The song was released on April 16, 2021, by Ministry of Sound. It was written by the three artists along with Frederik Castenschiold Eichen, Koda, Sakima, and Tom Mann, with Regard handling the production. The collaboration was teased by Sivan and McRae on their TikTok accounts prior to its official announcement. For Tate McRae, who was 16 at the time of writing, the process was a new experience. She was sent the chorus and tasked with writing the verses, which she approached as a "songwriting challenge" as she had never taken on a partially written song before or worked on a dance record of this style. McRae noted that while the song has a different vibe from her usual work, it maintains the "emotional and lyrical depth" she strives for. Troye Sivan mentioned that the creation process was a global effort, with the artists filming parts for TV performances and the music video in three different continents: Tate in Los Angeles, Troye in Melbourne, and Regard in Kosovo. The song marked the first collaboration between the three artists.

The song "You" utilizes a relatively straightforward rhyme scheme and rhythmic structure to enhance its pop accessibility and emotional directness. In the verses, the rhyme scheme tends to follow an AABB or ABCB pattern, such as in the first verse with "try" (A), "crime" (B), "why" (A), and "goodbye" (B). This simple, consistent rhyming helps to create a sense of lyrical cohesion and flow.

The rhythm of the song is built around a steady, mid-tempo dance beat, characteristic of the dance-pop and deep house genres. This consistent pulse provides a hypnotic, almost relentless, backdrop that mirrors the inescapable nature of the narrator's thoughts. The vocal melody often employs a syncopated rhythm that plays against the main beat, adding a layer of rhythmic interest and reflecting the internal emotional turmoil. The tempo remains constant throughout, creating a feeling of being caught in an emotional loop, which is a core theme of the song. The interplay between the upbeat, danceable rhythm and the melancholic, longing lyrics creates the song's signature bittersweet atmosphere. The song is written in the key of C Major.

"You" blends musical and lyrical techniques to create its distinctive, emotive dance-pop feel. Musically, the track is characterized by its '80s-inspired synth-pop production, which infuses a sense of nostalgia into a modern electronic framework. Regard's production features a deep house hook and a bouncy, synth-driven beat that creates a contrast between the melancholic lyrics and the danceable rhythm. The vocal delivery is a key feature, with the intertwining harmonies of Troye Sivan and Tate McRae creating a dynamic and "angelic" duet. Their voices provide a light and shade contrast, enhancing the emotional depth of the track.

Lyrically, the song employs a direct, confessional narrative voice. The use of rhetorical questions ("How could you ever leave me without a chance to try? / How can I be sorry if I don't know the crime?") highlights the narrator's confusion and search for answers. Repetition is used extensively, particularly in the chorus, to emphasize the obsessive and cyclical nature of the narrator's thoughts. The structure of the lyrics, with verses detailing specific feelings and a powerful, recurring chorus, follows a conventional pop song format, making the central message highly memorable.

"You" achieved significant cultural impact as a major collaboration between three popular artists from different corners of the globe. The song performed well commercially, entering the top 50 in several countries including the UK, Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In the United States, it peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, most notably, reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart, a first for all three artists. It received a gold certification from the RIAA in the US and a silver certification in the UK. The song was also nominated for Top Dance/Electronic Song at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards and Dance Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The promotion included high-profile live performances, such as one on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2021. The music video, a creative endeavor filmed across three continents due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, also garnered attention. The track was seen as a perfect "infatuation anthem" for the summer of 2021, blending heartbreak with a danceable beat.

The lyrics of "You" employ several powerful symbols and metaphors to convey the song's themes of inescapable memory and lingering attachment.

• The Corvette Car: Tate McRae's line, "All I know is that my mind is in the backseat of your Corvette car," serves as a potent metaphor. The car, often a symbol of freedom and control, is here an enclosed space owned and driven by the ex. The narrator's mind being in the "backseat" signifies a complete loss of agency and direction in their own thoughts, which are being passively taken for a ride by the memories of their former partner.
• Hennessy: The mention of "When the Hennessy's strong, all I see is you" uses the alcoholic drink as a symbol for lowered inhibitions and heightened emotions. It's not just a casual drink, but a catalyst that breaks down the narrator's attempts to suppress their feelings, bringing the image and memory of their ex into sharp, unavoidable focus.
• Crime Without a Name: The line "How can I be sorry if I don't know the crime?" is a metaphor for the confusion and lack of closure following the breakup. The end of the relationship is framed as a legal proceeding where the narrator is the accused but has never been told of their transgression. This highlights the injustice and helplessness they feel.
• Recurring Phantom: The bridge, which describes seeing the ex's face in strangers and hearing their voice in conversations, uses the metaphor of a haunting. It suggests that the ex's presence has transcended mere memory and has become a spectral, omnipresent force in the narrator's life, making it impossible to engage with the world without being reminded of them.

The most significant recurring phrase in "You" is the chorus itself: "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." This lyrical motif acts as the song's thesis, powerfully and memorably summarizing the central theme of being unable to escape the memory of a past lover. Its repetition after each verse drills home the cyclical and obsessive nature of the narrator's thoughts. Each line in this hook presents a different scenario—solitude, socializing, and intoxication—and shows that the outcome is always the same, emphasizing the ex's complete omnipresence in the narrator's mind.

Another key recurring line is "all I see is you," which appears in the chorus and serves as its emotional climax. This phrase distills the song's entire meaning into a simple, potent declaration of obsession. A secondary recurring idea is the search for a reason for the breakup, expressed in the lines "How could you ever leave me without a chance to try? / How can I be sorry if I don't know the crime?" This motif of unanswered questions underscores the narrator's lack of closure and contributes to their inability to move on.