Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IU (Singer)
IU (Singer)
IU
IU in April 2023
Singer-songwriter
Occupations
actress
composer
Musical career
Genres K-pop
R&B
soul
Instrument(s) Vocals
Universal Japan
Warner Taiwan
Korean name
Hangul 이지은
Hanja 李知恩
McCune–Reischauer Yi Chiŭn
Website edam-ent.com
Signature
Lee Ji-eun (Korean: 이지은; born May 16, 1993[1]), also known by her stage
name IU (아이유), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actress. She signed
with LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao Entertainment) in 2007 as a trainee and debuted
as a singer at the age of fifteen with Lost and Found (2008), her first extended play
(EP). Although her follow-up albums, Growing Up and IU...IM, brought mainstream
success, it was only after the release of "Good Day", the lead single from her 2010
album Real, that she achieved national stardom. "Good Day" went on to spend five
consecutive weeks at the top of South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart, and in 2019, it was
ranked number one on Billboard's "100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s" list.[2]
With the success of her 2011 albums, Real+ and Last Fantasy, IU established herself
as a formidable force on the music charts of her native country and further cemented
her girl next door image as Korea's "little sister".[3][4] 2011 also saw her first foray into
songwriting with "Hold My Hand", which was written for the television series The
Greatest Love. IU's third studio album, Modern Times (2013), showcased a more
mature musical style that marked a departure from her earlier girlish image, with several
tracks reaching the top 10 on the Gaon Digital Chart. The album was ranked number
two on Billboard's "25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s" list.[5] IU subsequently
exerted more creative control over her music; Chat-Shire marked the first time she was
credited as the sole lyricist of her own album.[6] IU's fourth studio album, Palette (2017),
became her first to reach number one on Billboard's World Albums chart. While her
following records Love Poem and Lilac continued to deviate from mainstream K-
pop styles, exploring and mixing various music genres, IU consistently retained her
dominance on South Korean music charts.[7][8][9] Her 2020 single "Eight" became her first
to reach number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.[10]
Aside from her music career, IU has ventured into acting and hosting radio and
television shows. Following her supporting role in teen drama Dream High (2011) and
minor appearances in several television series, she was cast in leading roles in
television drama series You Are the Best! (2013), Pretty Man (2013–14), The
Producers (2015) and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016). IU's role as a desperate
office worker in My Mister (2018) received critical acclaim, and she earned her first Best
Actress in Television nomination at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2019, she
starred in anthology film series Persona and fantasy television series Hotel del Luna,
the latter of which led to her second Best Actress nomination at the Baeksang Arts
Awards. In 2022, IU starred in Hirokazu Kore-eda's film Broker alongside Song Kang-
ho, Bae Doona and Gang Dong-won.
IU has released a total of five studio albums and nine EPs, five of which have reached
number one on the Gaon Album Chart, and thirty number-one singles, making her
the artist with the most number-one songs in South Korea. One of the best-selling solo
acts in the group-dominated K-pop industry,[11] IU became the first solo female K-pop act
to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena during the Seoul leg of her 2019 Love,
Poem concert tour [12] and also the first Korean female artist to hold a solo concert, The
Golden Hour, at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul on September 17 and 18, 2022.
[13]
Rolling Stone named her the 135th greatest singer of all time in a 2023 ranking.[14] She
has been included five times in the top ten of Forbes magazine's annual Korea Power
Celebrity list since 2012 and attained a peak ranking of number three that year.[15] In
2014, Billboard recognized IU as the all-time leader of its K-pop Hot 100 with the most
number-one songs and the artist with the most weeks at the number-one position on the
chart.[16] She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017.[17][18]
Early life[edit]
IU was born Lee Ji-eun on May 16, 1993, in Songjeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea.[19]
[20]
According to IU, she was born into the Jeonju Yi clan, the same clan as the former
Korean monarchy.[21] At an early age, IU showed interest in pursuing a career in the
entertainment industry and began attending acting classes.[22] Following her elementary
school years, her family's financial situation deteriorated, and they eventually moved to
the nearby Uijeongbu, in Gyeonggi Province.[23] She and her younger brother lived apart
from their parents in a studio room with their grandmother and cousin for over one year
in conditions of great poverty.[24][25] IU had little contact with her parents over this period of
time, but felt reassured under her grandmother's care.[25]
During her middle school years, IU found her passion for singing and decided to
become a singer after being applauded for a performance she gave at her school's
sports competition.[26] She attended 20 auditions but failed to succeed in any of them,
and was also scammed by fake entertainment companies.[27][28] She later trained at Good
Entertainment with Uee, Yubin, Heo Ga-yoon, and Jun Hyo-seong.[29] After signing
with LOEN Entertainment in 2007, she moved to Bangbae, Seoul.[30] Due to her poor
living conditions at the time, IU stated that she "loved being at the studio", where she
could eat as much as she wanted and had a place to sleep.[25]
Her burgeoning career led to her decreased attendance at school and declining grades,
with the exception of Korean literature.[31] After graduating from Dongduk Girls' High
School [ko] in 2012, IU decided not to pursue post-secondary education in tandem with
her singing career.[32]
Career[edit]
2008–2009: Career beginnings[edit]
After training for ten months, IU made her debut in 2008 under her stage name,
conceived by LOEN to mean "I and You become one through music."[33] She performed
her debut single, "Lost Child" (Korean: 미아), live for the first time on the music
program M Countdown on September 18, 2008, making it her debut performance as a
professional singer.[34] IU recalled the crowd had hurled insults at her during the
performance and initially felt discouraged by it, although she now considers it a
beneficial experience.[35] "Lost Child" is the lead single from her debut extended play
(EP) Lost and Found, which was released on September 24, 2008. For the album, IU
was awarded the "Rookie of the Month" by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism in November that same year.[36] However, the album did not do well
commercially. During an interview in 2011, IU said, "My first album failed, but I'm
grateful for that. If I had become successful as soon as I made my debut, I wouldn't
appreciate my staff members and the popularity that I'm enjoying now."[31]
"Good Day"
Duration: 22 seconds.0:22
A 21-second sample of "Good Day", the lead single from Real. IU was noted for the "wide range" of her voice, while
the song's popularity was ascribed to its lyrics and high-pitched climax.[51][52]
IU's third EP, Real, was released on December 9, 2010. Produced by Jo Yeong-cheol
and Choi Gap-won, Real debuted at number four on the Gaon Album Chart.[53][54] The
lead single, "Good Day", reunited IU with lyricist Kim Eana and composer Lee Min-soo
after "Nagging", whom she would work with again on the lead singles of her next two
studio albums. The uptempo song, as explained by Kim Eana, is about "a shy girl who is
nervous about expressing her feelings to the boy she likes."[55] During the album's
promotional period, IU also topped the charts on the music programs M
Countdown, Music Bank, and Inkigayo.[56][57][58] Both Kim Eana and Lee Min-soo
considered the main factors of the song's success to be the use of the word oppa (오빠)
in the chorus, as well as the three high-pitched notes that IU sings
in semitone increments during the climax of the song.[59] In addition to receiving praise
for her vocal abilities, IU's fan base also expanded to a more varied demographic as
compared to other K-pop groups.[52][60] Billboard magazine ranked "Good Day" at number
one on their list "100 Greatest K-pop Songs of the 2010s".[2]
To maintain public visibility, IU joined the cast of the variety show Heroes, which aired
from July 18, 2010, to May 1, 2011.[29] Speaking fondly of the show, IU recalled the
camaraderie she built with the other regular cast members despite the hectic two-day
shooting schedules which only allowed them two-three hours of sleep.[61] Shortly after
joining Heroes, IU was cast in teen drama Dream High. Filming ran from December
2010 to February 2011, during which time she remained committed to Heroes and her
existing promotions for "Good Day".[62] In her first acting role, IU played Kim Pil-sook, a
shy and overweight school girl who dreams of becoming a professional singer.
Admitting that she was doubtful about her readiness to take on acting, IU remarked that
she gained confidence in learning that the part would require singing and would later
describe the experience as a tremendously enjoyable one.[33][60] For the series'
soundtrack, she released the single, "Someday", which achieved number-one position
on the Gaon Digital Chart on the week of January 30 – February 5, 2011.[63] By the end
of 2011, the single had sold 2,209,924 digital copies and is one of IU's best-selling
singles for a soundtrack.[64]
A follow-up extended play to Real was released on February 16, 2011, with the
title, Real+, containing three songs.[65] The lead single, "Only I Didn't Know" (나만 몰랐던
이야기), was composed by singer-songwriter Yoon Sang with lyrics written by Kim
Eana. Yoon Sang wrote the song for IU after spotting her momentary sad expression on
a television broadcast.[66] The ballad's tone was a departure from her more recent
releases, with IU describing it as dark, sad and sentimental, which is closer to her music
preference.[22][60] The song performed well commercially, debuting at number one on the
Gaon Digital Chart.[67]
IU took on various side-projects after the end of Dream High. On March 10, 2011, IU
performed as the opening act for British singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae's first
solo concert in Seoul with two songs, before joining Bailey Rae during her performance
of "Put Your Records On".[68] Bailey Rae, whom IU described as her role model, said of
IU, "It's incredible that her voice is so soulful even though she's young."[69] In the same
month, IU was appointed as one of the new hosts of the music program, Inkigayo, a
position which she held until July 2013.[70] In May 2011, IU recorded her first self-
composed song, "Hold My Hand" (내 손을 잡아), for the romantic-comedy television
series, The Greatest Love.[71] The song peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart
and sold 2,031,787 digital copies in 2011.[64][72] Between May and July 2011, IU took part
in the reality ice-skating competition series, Kim Yuna's Kiss & Cry, as a celebrity
contestant until she was eliminated in the eighth episode.[73][74] During this time, she also
participated in Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend but eventually withdrew after
recording one episode due to her overwhelming schedule.[75][76] On her wide-ranging
activities in entertainment, IU remarked that while singing, acting, and variety are all
difficult, she finds variety to be the most tiring.[77]
IU performing at a Disney Channel and Disney
Junior launching event in South Korea on June 29, 2011.
IU's second studio album, Last Fantasy, was released on November 29, 2011.
[78]
The Korea JoongAng Daily described the album as one that would "suit all kinds of
musical tastes and fans", while Billboard noted the "cinematic feel" of the album as set
by the opening track, "Secret".[79][80] Produced by Jo Yeong-cheol, whom IU worked with
on Real, the album contains collaborative works with singer-songwriters such as Yoon
Sang, Lee Juck and Ra.D. The total number of download sales made from the album's
tracks exceeded 10 million within the first two weeks.[81] Eight out of the album's thirteen
songs debuted in the top ten on the Gaon Digital Chart, while the album debuted at
number one on the Gaon Album Chart.[82][83] The main single, "You & I", became IU's
most commercially successful single with almost 5.5 million digital copies sold by the
end of 2012.[84] It topped the Gaon Chart as well as the newly established Billboard K-
pop Hot 100 chart at the time of release.[83][85]
Shortly before the release of Last Fantasy, IU signed with EMI Music Japan (now part
of Universal Music Japan) as a precursor to her entry into the Japanese market.[86] A
selection of her previously released songs was compiled into an extended play
called I□U that was released in Japan on December 14, 2011.[87]
2012: Japanese debut and first solo concert tour[edit]
As promotions for Last Fantasy and its main single "You & I" continued into 2012 in
South Korea, IU began preparations for her debut in Japan by playing two shows at
the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo to an audience of about 4,000 people
on January 24, 2012.[34] She performed six songs including her debut single, "Lost
Child", and the Japanese version of "Good Day" with the support of either a live
orchestra or her own acoustic guitar accompaniment.[34][88] Subsequent to the concert,
both "Good Day" and "You & I" were released as new singles in Japan with translated
lyrics to moderate success. According to Japan's Oricon Singles Chart, the single album
of Good Day sold 21,000 physical copies on the first week of release with the single
debuting on the chart at number six.[89] On the Billboard Japan Hot 100, "Good Day"
peaked at number 5.[90] "You & I" peaked at number four on the Oricon Singles Chart and
number eleven on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.[91][92] In support of her Japanese single
releases, IU toured five cities—Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka—in a
mini-concert series called IU Friendship Showcase - Spring 2012.[93]
Endorsements[edit]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IU_(singer)