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116-558: The Winning is the sixth extended play by South Korean singer-songwriter IU , released on February 20, 2024, through Edam Entertainment . It is her first release since the EP Pieces in December 2021. The EP was preceded by the single " Love Wins All " on January 24, 2024. The follow-up "Holssi" was released on February 16, while " Shopper " was released alongside the EP on February 20, 2024. After

232-528: A comedy drama about a group of people participating in the Homeless World Cup . Filming was completed in Hungary on April 13, 2022. Commenting on the experience, she said: "It was my first feature film shooting. It has accumulated more memories than any other work, so I think it will remain in my memory for a long time." The movie was released on April 26, 2023. On April 4, 2023, Big Hit Music announced

348-556: A "cute" image. Although it drew a favorable response from the public, IU, who was fifteen years old at the time, admitted that the image made her feel awkward. Several songs from Lost and Found were featured on her debut studio album Growing Up , including "You Know" ( 있잖아 ); a new rock-style arrangement of the song was released as the follow-up single to "Boo". Towards the end of 2009, IU released her second EP, IU...IM . She began promoting its lead single, "Marshmallow" ( 마쉬멜로우 ), on music programs from November 13, 2009. Recalling

464-589: A "mid-tempo, bossa nova number", "Friday" held the number one position on the Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100 chart for two weeks after release. The lead single was successful on the Gaon Digital Chart, peaking at number one, and became the tenth best-selling digital single of 2014. IU released her sixth Korean extended-play and first cover album , A Flower Bookmark , on May 16, 2014. The album contains seven renditions of tracks that hailed from

580-518: A "sprightly stage presence, and as a solo female singer, she's breaking the molds for K-pop stardom." IU expressed her anxiety performing at the event in her interview with Billboard : "I always get nervous when I'm performing at international shows... I think I need to study English for the next visit to the U.S. It's suffocating not being able to communicate with fans..." Throughout 2014, IU's collaborations with other artists spawned top-ten hits: "Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms" ( 봄, 사랑, 벚꽃 말고 ),

696-558: A Twenty Year Old , which was released on May 11, 2012. The album, named to celebrate IU turning the Korean age of 20, contains three songs with the lead single being " Peach ". Self-composed by IU, "Peach" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and number three on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100. The second single released from the album was "Every End of the Day" ( 하루 끝 ), which topped

812-461: A capacity of 450 people. Tickets to all eight shows were sold out within 10 minutes of release on May 7, 2014. As well as playing the keyboard for the first time on stage, IU performed all the seven songs from A Flower Bookmark among various new arrangements of her earlier songs. Guest acts included Kim Jong-hyun , Jung Yong-hwa , Hwang Kwanghee , Kim Bum-soo , Lim Seul-ong , Jo Jung-suk , Ha Dong-kyun and Akdong Musician . Profits made from

928-664: A career in the entertainment industry and began attending acting classes. Following her elementary school years, her family's financial situation deteriorated, and they eventually moved to the nearby Uijeongbu , in Gyeonggi Province . 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. IU had little contact with her parents over this period of time, but felt reassured under her grandmother's care. During her middle school years, IU found her passion for singing and decided to become

1044-571: A careful balance between preserving the song's original sentiments and altering the original with her own color and arrangements." Billboard highlighted the track, "Pierrot Smiles at Us" ( 삐에로는 우릴 보고 웃지 ), as the "most ambitious tune she tackled" and one that proved her diversity as a singer. IU's wish to conduct a more intimate and smaller scale concert was fulfilled in her third solo Korean concert series, "Just One Step... That Much More". The concert series took place over eight nights from May 22 to June 1 at Sogang University 's Mary Hall, which had

1160-696: A digital single on May 18. "Heart" topped the charts upon its release and went on to become the tenth best-selling digital single of 2015 in South Korea. "Heart" was among a slew of K-pop songs used by South Korea's Defense Ministry in its propaganda broadcasts to North Korea during the two countries' tense standoff in August 2015 , with the aim of advertising the "South Korean youth culture". Through The Producers , IU's popularity in China soared—reportedly receiving offers for several projects from Chinese companies. After

1276-427: A digital track and on the official festival album. "Leon" reached number one on all of South Korea's music charts upon release. IU's seventh Korean extended play, Chat-Shire , was released digitally on October 23, 2015, prior to its physical release on October 27. IU asserted greater creative control on the album, writing the lyrics for all seven tracks (as well as the physical album's two bonus tracks) and composing

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1392-402: A laboratory and then laying down on an examination table. The song was released for streaming and digital download on May 6. "Eight" was written and composed by IU and its producer Suga who also featured on the track. In an interview, IU said that she decided to work with Suga to deliver music that feels different from the music style that was previously presented to fans. Talking about

1508-496: A mini-concert series called IU Friendship Showcase - Spring 2012. IU embarked on her first concert tour, Real Fantasy , in June 2012. She played shows in six different cities across South Korea, starting with two shows in Seoul . The opening shows on June 2–3 were sold out within 30 minutes of the tickets going on sale on April 17. It was reported that 43.8% of ticket purchasers were between

1624-417: A more varied demographic as compared to other K-pop groups. Billboard magazine ranked "Good Day" at number one on their list "100 Greatest K-pop Songs of the 2010s". To maintain public visibility, IU joined the cast of the variety show Heroes , which aired from July 18, 2010, to May 1, 2011. Speaking fondly of the show, IU recalled the camaraderie she built with the other regular cast members despite

1740-411: A new digital single on May 6, 2020, which would be a collaboration with Suga from BTS . The agency also reported that IU was involved in several aspects of the song, such as its composition and concept. It is IU's first single to be released after six months, following her fifth EP Love Poem in 2019. On April 28, the first teaser photo was revealed via the singer's official Twitter along with

1856-498: A new single titled " Celebrity " and that the new song would have a refreshing and cheerful pop sound. Two days later, Edam Entertainment confirmed her return with the pre-release single "Celebrity" on January 27, 2021. On March 3, she announced her fifth studio album, Lilac , which was released on March 25 to immediate commercial success; the album debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart , and all tracks had simultaneously charted in

1972-575: A nomination for Best New Actress at the 27th Chunsa International Film Festival . On July 27, 2022, it was announced that IU would hold a concert, The Golden Hour: Under the Orange Sun , at the Seoul Olympic Stadium on September 17 and 18, becoming the first Korean female artist to perform there. On January 3, 2020, it was announced that IU would star in the Lee Byeong-heon 's Dream ,

2088-430: 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. 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. By

2204-421: A recording with her co-star Jo Jung-suk of her self-composed duet, "Beautiful Song" ( 예쁘다송 ), which was not included on the official soundtrack. In the same period, IU released her second Japanese extended-play album, Can You Hear Me? , featuring her first original Japanese songs. Two tracks from the album were released as singles; "Beautiful Dancer" and "New World" peaked at number 66 and 76 respectively on

2320-432: A singer after being applauded for a performance she gave at her school's sports competition. She attended 20 auditions but failed to succeed in any of them, and was also scammed by fake entertainment companies. She later trained at Good Entertainment with Uee , Yubin , Heo Ga-yoon , and Jun Hyo-seong . After signing with LOEN Entertainment in 2007, she moved to Bangbae , Seoul . Due to her poor living conditions at

2436-755: A solo artist) first number one on the ranking. The song sold 6,965 copies and entered the US Digital Songs chart at number 13, making it one of the highest-charting Korean-language songs in the chart's history. In the United Kingdom, the song entered the OCC 's Singles Downloads component chart at number 42. Six months after its release, "Eight" was certified Platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) on November 12, 2020, for surpassing 100 million domestic streams. It ended 2020 as

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2552-449: A solo concert, The Golden Hour , at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul on September 17 and 18, 2022. Rolling Stone named her the 135th greatest singer of all time in a 2023 ranking. 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. In 2014, Billboard recognized IU as

2668-660: A television broadcast. 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. The song performed well commercially, debuting at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. 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 ". Bailey Rae, whom IU described as her role model, said of IU, "It's incredible that her voice

2784-483: A television presenter for the first time, hosting a weekly music chart show on Gom TV, while appearing as a fixed guest on multiple radio programs such as Kiss the Radio , Volume Up , MBC Standard FM 's Starry Night and MBC FM4U 's Best Friend Radio . On June 3, 2010, IU released " Nagging ", a duet which she recorded with 2AM 's Lim Seul-ong . The single debuted at twelve on the Gaon Digital Chart and shot up to

2900-449: A tribute to the late singer. The EP's eponymous lead single was released as planned, subsequently peaking at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, and at number nine on Billboard ' s World Digital Songs Chart. On November 2, 2019, IU began her second Asian tour, titled Love Poem, in Gwangju . Nearly 90,000 fans attended her two-month tour during which she visited 10 cities. For

3016-533: A typical 20-year-old". The Korea Herald wrote: "...vintage sounds and modern effects are put together artfully, forming a fresh but familiar compilation of songs. Modern Times has a distinct carefree feel that is reminiscent of jazz during the Roaring Twenties." Modern Times debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, while seven of its tracks achieved top ten positions on the Gaon Digital Chart with

3132-413: A virtual figure and various metaphors". It has a theme of "self-reflection." Teen Vogue ' s Sara Delgado described "Eight" as "a narration between two characters in soliloquy form" that "dwells on memories and past encounters" and felt that the various analogies in the song are used "to transmit a sense of longing, all through the lens of youth and loss." Reviewing for IZM , Hwang Sun-up gave

3248-512: 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 EP . Although her follow-up albums in 2009, 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

3364-402: Is composed in the key of C♯ major with a tempo of 120 beats per minute . It runs for two minutes and forty-seven seconds. It derives from piano and guitar instrumentation and incorporates Suga's characteristic "airy" synths in its production for which the song invokes "feel-good" and "nostalgic" vibes. According to IU, the lyrics are a confession of a twenty-eight year old "using

3480-477: Is seemingly average in every way except for her daring and bright personality, which helps her to overcome hardships. Despite the worries of casting someone who is better known as a singer in the role, director Yoon Sung-sik decided to cast IU after seeing her performance in Dream High and thought that she suited the image he had envisioned for the character. Her co-stars Go Doo-shim and Lee Ji-hoon , as well as

3596-473: Is so soulful even though she's young." 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. 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 . The song peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and sold 2,031,787 digital copies in 2011. Between May and July 2011, IU took part in

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3712-564: The Billboard Japan Hot 100 , ranking significantly lower than her Japanese-translated versions of "Good Day" and " You & I ", which were top 10 releases. Rolling Stone Japan gave the album a positive review, highlighting "Beautiful Dancer" and "Truth" as stand-out tracks. In an interview with Oricon , IU recalled how shocked and touched she was to receive "Beautiful Dancer" and "Truth" from R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis . Her next Japanese single, "Monday Afternoon",

3828-405: The 1980s and 1990s with a mixture of genres that included ballad, dance, folk and rock. The album came about at the request of fans and due to the positive feedback she had previously received for her cover songs. Three tracks debuted in the top ten of the Gaon Digital Chart on the week of release, with the main single, "My Old Story" ( 나의 옛날 이야기 ), ultimately peaking at number 2. However, it

3944-509: The 55th Baeksang Arts Awards . In 2019, she starred in anthology film series Persona and dark fantasy Hotel del Luna , the latter of which led to her second Best Actress nomination at the 56th 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

4060-700: The Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo to an audience of about 4,000 people on January 24, 2012. 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. 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 ,

4176-482: 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, IU became the first solo female K-pop act to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena during the Seoul leg of her 2018 dlwlrma concert tour for her 10th anniversary and also the first Korean female artist to hold

4292-558: The Gaon Digital Chart . On April 11, 2019, IU made her film debut in the Netflix anthology series Persona . She portrayed different characters in each of the four short films which were written and directed by the critically acclaimed directors Lee Kyoung-mi , Yim Pil-sung , Jeon Go-woon and Kim Jong-kwan . It was the sixth most popular program on Netflix in Korea in 2019. During

4408-546: The Tokyo International Forum to a crowd of over 5,000 people. With Sunny Hill as a guest act, IU performed a mixture of her own songs and covers of Korean and Japanese songs such as " Juliette " by Shinee , "Friend" by Anzen Chitai and "Aishiteru" from the Natsume's Book of Friends anime series . Live recordings of "Friend" and "Aishiteru" from the event were later released as promotional digital singles. Nearing

4524-530: The 'orange island' where we felt freedom rather than sadness. "Eight" follows IU's previous singles " Twenty-three " (2015) and " Palette " (2017) which together comprise her "coming-of-age" series. The song's title derives from the last digit of the Korean age "twenty-eight" of both singers. Musically, "Eight" has been described as pop rock song that fuses acoustic EDM and trendy rock sounds with "delicate and emotional" vocals and "soothing rapping". The song

4640-639: The 15th Korean Music Awards , "Album of the Year" at the Melon Music Awards, and "Record of the Year (Album)" award at the 27th Seoul Music Awards ; IU herself was awarded the Best Female Artist at the Mnet Asian Music Awards . The album also earned IU a "Best Songwriter" award at the Melon Music Awards, a "Lyricist of the Year" award at the seventh Gaon Chart Music Awards and a "Producer of

4756-401: The Gaon Album Chart. 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." During the album's promotional period, IU also topped

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4872-512: The Gaon Digital Chart for two weeks and the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 for four weeks. In place of the usual 4–5 minute music video that usually accompanies a single release, a 26-minute-long documentary-style music film was shot in Venice and Burano and released alongside the album, featuring both "Peach" and "Every End of the Day". IU returned to Japan on September 17, 2012, to perform one show, titled IU Friendship Special Concert — Autumn 2012, at

4988-541: The Gaon Digital Chart. After "Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms" topped Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100 chart, IU became its "all-time chart leader" with five number-one songs and the artist who has spent the most weeks at number one since the chart's creation in September 2011. In 2015, two years after her last acting role, IU starred alongside Kim Soo-hyun , Cha Tae-hyun , and Gong Hyo-jin in The Producers , which

5104-422: The Gaon Digital Chart. IU's collaboration with Sung Si-kyung on "It's You" ( 그대네요 ) for his album, The First , debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. On October 6, 2010, she released the theme song "My Dream Patissiere" for the Korean dub of Yumeiro Patissiere . 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

5220-489: The Night " and " Can't Love You Anymore ". Palette ( 팔레트 ) debuted atop Billboard World Albums chart, a first for the singer, and topped local charts in both album sales and downloads. Billboard highlighted and complimented IU's stronger creative control on the album, saying that it successfully allowed listeners to learn more about her and ultimately paving way for greater success both in Korea and internationally. Palette

5336-526: The Year" award for herself and her production team. IU also received the "Song of the Year" award at the 32nd Golden Disc Awards for her hit song " Through the Night ". Billboard magazine listed "Palette" at number six on its list of "Best K-Pop Songs of 2017", explaining "The mellow-dy belies a topsy-turvy world of self-satire, idiosyncratic sound effects and throwbacks to older eras." The New York Times Magazine also featured "Palette" on its list of "25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going", making IU

5452-606: The Year". In September 2016, IU starred as the lead role, Hae Soo, in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo , a Korean adaptation of the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin . IU published her fourth studio album, Palette , on April 21, 2017, of which she served as the primary lyricist and executive producer. Three singles from the album were released earlier; the lead single of the same name featuring G-Dragon from Big Bang ; as well as two pre-release tracks " Through

5568-481: The ages of 20 and 29, while 71% were male, which was considered uncommon for a K-pop concert. The tour continued to Ulsan , Jeonju , Suwon , Busan and Daegu , before returning to Seoul with two encore concerts that ended on September 23, 2012. Guest performers included Ra.D , Lim Seul-ong and Lee Seung-gi . Due to her commitments towards preparing for her first solo tour, IU was unable to make broadcast promotions for her fifth Korean extended play, Spring of

5684-436: The album's 13 tracks, which ranged from swing to jazz, bossa nova, Latin pop and folk genres. The diversity of jazz styles and the mix of collaborative tracks were highlighted in reviews by Billboard and The Korea Herald . Billboard described the album as one that features "throwback vibes with a modern twist a la Christina Aguilera 's Back to Basics record", with IU proving to have "musical sensibilities well beyond

5800-458: The album's tracks exceeded 10 million within the first two weeks. 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. 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. It topped the Gaon Chart as well as

5916-592: 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. 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." On April 23, 2009, IU launched her first studio album, Growing Up , with

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6032-428: The album. IU was also featured in the title song, "Love Story", of Epik High 's ninth album, We've Done Something Wonderful , which was released on October 23, 2017. Gallup Korea ranked her the most popular K-pop artist of 2017 (she previously topped the ranking in 2014) and also the most popular K-pop idol of the year. In March 2018, IU starred in tvN's My Mister , playing the character Lee Ji-an. The series

6148-568: 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. She was named Gallup Korea's Singer of the Year in 2014 and in 2017. IU was born Lee Ji-eun on May 16, 1993, in Songjeong-dong, Seoul , South Korea. According to IU, she was born into the Jeonju Yi clan , the same clan as the former Korean monarchy . At an early age, IU showed interest in pursuing

6264-417: The charts on the music programs M Countdown , Music Bank , and Inkigayo . 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. In addition to receiving praise for her vocal abilities, IU's fan base also expanded to

6380-426: The completion of The Producers , IU participated in the biennial music festival event hosted by the variety show, Infinite Challenge , in which each participating singer-songwriter is partnered with one of the six hosts to create a song for the festival. The preparation process and festival event were aired over the course of seven episodes. She was partnered with Park Myeong-su , with whom she recorded and performed

6496-664: The concerts were donated to the victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster . Two months after her solo concerts ended, IU made her debut performance in the United States at the KCON music festival held in Los Angeles on August 9–10. IU was the only female act to perform on the first day of KCON and for the event, she performed "The Red Shoes", "You & I", "Friday", and "You Know". In their review, Los Angeles Times opined that IU had

6612-421: The debut single of High4 , which featured IU as lyricist and vocalist, reached number one on both the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard Korea K-pop Hot 100; "Anxious Heart" ( 애타는 마음 ), recorded by Ulala Session and IU in 2012 but was released more than a year later out of respect for the death of Ulala Session's lead vocalist, peaked at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart; "Sing for Me" ( 노래 불러줘요 ), which

6728-456: 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. A follow-up extended play to Real was released on February 16, 2011, with the title, Real+ , containing three songs. 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

6844-461: The end of 2015, IU hosted SBS's annual end-of-year music program, Gayo Daejeon , with Shin Dong-yup . The program's producers said of their host selection, "IU has been deeply acknowledged for her musical talents, moving beyond the image of 'Korea's cute younger sister'." For her accomplishments in 2015, Ize listed IU as one of the "Persons of the Year", while GQ Korea named her as the "Woman of

6960-425: The end of her Real Fantasy tour and promotions in Japan, IU resumed her hosting duties on Inkigayo after taking a three-month leave due to concert commitments. She also became the host of MBC's short-lived television quiz show, Quiz Show Q , alongside Park Myeong-su and Sun Bom Soo. On December 29, IU hosted the 2012 SBS Gayo Daejeon , an annual music program, alongside Bae Suzy and actor Jung Gyu-woon . She

7076-491: The first teaser. On May 2, a 17-second moving teaser of the song was released through IU's SNS account. It shows a round reel tape playing constantly and a snippet of the song's lyrics "So are you happy now" was heard towards the end of the teaser. On May 5, a 40-second music video teaser of the song was released through the YouTube channel, 1theK Originals . Set in a "futuristic" backdrop, it shows IU dressed in white, entering

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7192-457: The first time in a solo concert. A repackaged version of Modern Times , titled Modern Times — Epilogue , was released on December 20, 2013, with two additional tracks: "Friday" ( 금요일에 만나요 ) and "Pastel Crayon" ( 크레파스 ). Her self-composed track, "Friday", was originally intended to be included in Modern Times but was later released as the lead single of Modern Times — Epilogue . Described as

7308-562: The first time in nine years, IU participated in a soundtrack album with the song " Give You My Heart " for the hit romantic comedy Crash Landing on You . Released on February 15, 2020, it debuted at number 71 on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart , 2020, rising and reaching number one the following week. On May 6, 2020, IU released the single " Eight " featuring and produced by BTS 's Suga . It follows IU's previous singles "Twenty-Three" (2015) and "Palette" (2017) which together comprise her "coming-of-age" series. The song's title derives from

7424-432: The first time on the music program M Countdown on September 18, 2008, making it her debut performance as a professional singer. 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. "Lost Child" is the lead single from her debut extended play (EP) Lost and Found , which was released on September 24, 2008. For

7540-696: The first time she was credited as the sole lyricist of her own album. 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 (2019) and Lilac (2021) continued to deviate from mainstream K-pop styles, exploring and mixing various music genres, IU consistently retained her dominance on South Korean music charts. Her 2020 single " Eight " (prod. by Suga ) became her first to reach number one on Billboard 's World Digital Song Sales chart. Aside from her music career, IU has ventured into acting and hosting radio and television shows. Following her supporting role in

7656-503: The five-year-old protagonist as a "sexual object". Two days later, IU issued a public statement: "I did not mean to turn Zeze into a sexual object... but I realize that my lyrics have offended many, and for this I apologize." On November 10, the publisher released an apology for its failure to acknowledge "diversity of interpretation." For the bonus track "Twenty Three", voice samples from Britney Spears ' " Gimme More " were allegedly used without permission. Billboard ranked Chat-Shire

7772-480: The following week on the chart issue for the period dated May 10–16. It topped the monthly digital charts for both May and June. In the United States, with only two days of activity counted—the song was released on a Wednesday, just before the end of the weekly tracking period—"Eight" debuted atop the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart issue dated May 16, becoming both IU and Suga's (as

7888-420: The hectic two-day shooting schedules which only allowed them two to three hours of sleep. 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". In her first acting role, IU played Kim Pil-sook, a shy and overweight school girl who dreams of becoming

8004-567: The hit teen series Dream High (2011), she was cast in leading roles in melodrama You Are the Best! (2013), romantic comedy Bel Ami (2013–14), comedy drama The Producers (2015) and historical fiction 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

8120-502: The last digit of the Korean age "twenty-eight" of both artists. On June 19, 2020, IU released the song "Into the I-LAND" as the signal song for the survival reality show I-Land . On January 9, 2021, IU won Song of the Year at the 35th Golden Disc Awards for " Blueming ", becoming the first female soloist to win two grand prizes in the award show's history. While onstage accepting her award, she hinted that she would be soon returning with

8236-471: The lead promotional single, "Boo". She began her album promotion the next day, performing "Boo" on KBS2 's Music Bank . The song was noted for its stark contrast in musical style to "Lost Child", which was described as a "heavy" and "dark" ballad compared to the 1980s "retro sound" of "Boo". Deemed as a "strategic" transformation, the dance choreography, stage costume and hairstyle shown in live performances were used to emphasize her youthfulness and project

8352-452: The lead single, "The Red Shoes" ( 분홍신 ), placing in the number one position. Similarly, the album debuted number four on Billboard ' s World Albums Chart, with twelve tracks in the K-pop Hot 100 chart. The album was ranked number two on Billboard 's "25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the 2010s" list. On the second week of her promotional activities for Modern Times , IU decided to join

8468-812: The midst of her concert tour for Chat-Shire in South Korea, IU also increased promotional activities in Hong Kong , China and Taiwan, hosting fan-meetings and concerts in various cities as well as releasing a compilation album, Smash Hits , to the Taiwanese market on December 11, 2015. Containing 16 previously released songs, Smash Hits was published by Warner Music Taiwan and topped the K-pop album chart of Taiwan's leading online music store, KKBOX , on its first week of release. Tickets to her concert of January 10, 2016, in Taiwan also sold out within two minutes of going on sale. Towards

8584-519: The most tiring. IU's second studio album, Last Fantasy , was released on November 29, 2011. 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". 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

8700-458: The music charts, the album became controversial due to the lyrics of "Zezé" and the audio samples used in the bonus track "Twenty Three" (not to be confused with the similarly titled lead single). On November 4, the Korean publisher of the novel My Sweet Orange Tree , from which IU drew inspiration for the song "Zezé", stirred debate in the entertainment industry on freedom of interpretation when it leveled criticisms at IU for her interpretation of

8816-583: The music for five tracks either individually or collaboratively. She was also credited as the album's executive producer. The lead single, " Twenty-Three ", topped the national music charts upon release with several of the album's tracks also ranking in the top ten. The album reached a peak position of number four on Billboard ' s World Albums chart. Billboard described the album as a "must-hear" release, containing "some of [IU's] most personal music yet", and named "The Shower" ( 푸르던 ) as its stand-out track. Despite positive critical reviews and success in

8932-574: The newly established Billboard K-pop Hot 100 chart at the time of release. 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. 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. 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

9048-497: The number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart. To commemorate her tenth debut anniversary, IU released a single titled " Bbibbi " in October 2018. The music video was released alongside the single on October 10, 2018. The following day, Kakao M confirmed that "Bbibbi" had surpassed one million unique listeners on Korea's largest music site, Melon , only 16 hours after its release. They stated that by 23 hours in, it had already broken

9164-406: The number-one position the following week, where it remained for three weeks. Written by Kim Eana and composed by Lee Min-soo, the pop ballad duet was used as one of the theme songs for the second season of the variety show We Got Married . Soon after, IU released "Because I'm a Woman" ( 여자라서 ), one of the theme songs of MBC's historical drama, Road No. 1 . The song peaked at number six on

9280-439: The only Asian artist to make the list while appreciating IU's ability as a singer-songwriter to project authenticity in K-pop. Furthermore, Billboard ranked Palette the best K-pop album of 2017, explaining that "An album as impressive and sonically diverse as Palette proves why injecting an artist's personal experiences into their music can lead to their greatest work yet." During the promotional period of Palette , IU joined

9396-710: The performances, IU stated on a 2013 episode of Happy Together that she disliked having to wear the girlish costumes and hairstyle fashioned for the song promotions. The performances were well-received and were once again labelled "cute", reminiscent of reviews for "Boo". As her popularity began to rise, IU made more frequent appearances on variety shows, performing on Star Golden Bell , Kim Jung-eun's Chocolate , and You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook . Her acoustic covers of other artists' songs such as Girls' Generation 's " Gee ", Super Junior 's " Sorry, Sorry ", and Big Bang 's " Lies " featured in these live performances gained tremendous interest online. In late 2009, she became

9512-414: The premier but both the viewership and critical response improved over the course of the series, peaking at 17.7% viewership for the last episode. She performed two songs in character, "Twenty Three" and "Heart" ( 마음 ), both of which were later included as bonus tracks on her 2015 album, Chat-Shire . While she wrote the lyrics for both songs, she also composed the music for "Heart", which was released as

9628-532: The previous 24-hour unique listener record set by her duet "Leon" with Park Myung-su in 2015. "Bbibbi" went on to record a total of 1,462,625 unique listeners in the first 24 hours of its release. The single peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, and at number five on the Billboard 's World Digital Songs Chart. Billboard magazine listed "Bbibbi" at number 87 on its list of "Best Songs of 2018", explaining "The single not only comments on IU's experiences in

9744-524: The production crew, praised her performance, especially during emotional scenes. As the series progressed, IU's performance garnered positive critical reviews despite early reservations shown about her casting, with the viewership ratings reaching a peak of 30.8%. She was nominated for the Excellence in Acting Award (Best Actress in a Serial Drama) at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards . For the drama, she released

9860-439: The production process behind the song in a V Live broadcast, Suga stated that it was very smooth. He recalled, "There wasn’t a lot of back-and-forth. Shortly after I sent the (song’s) beats to her, she sent it back with the melody." While I'm not sure whether it’s from my personal emotion or from the overall social atmosphere coming from the disaster, my 28 would be remembered by the recurring feeling of lethargy and longing for

9976-416: The public life, but it doubles as a universal empowerment anthem, knowing and acknowledging one's worth and personal rights." The single was also listed at number 4 on Billboard 's list of "The 20 Best K-pop Songs of 2018". IU began her first Asian tour, titled IU 10th Anniversary Tour Concert, on October 28, 2018. Two months later, IU featured on Kim Dong-ryul 's "Fairytale", which peaked at number four on

10092-577: The reality ice-skating competition series, Kim Yuna's Kiss & Cry , as a celebrity contestant until she was eliminated in the eighth episode. During this time, she also participated in Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend but eventually withdrew after recording one episode due to her overwhelming schedule. On her wide-ranging activities in entertainment, IU remarked that while singing, acting, and variety are all difficult, she finds variety to be

10208-433: The reality program Hyori's Homestay . IU released her second cover album, A Flower Bookmark 2 on September 22, 2017. Like its predecessor, the album contained renditions of tracks released from the 1960s to the early 2000s with a mixture of genres such as folk , retro , ballad and nu-disco . Prior to the album's release, a single titled " Autumn Morning " was released without prior notice on September 18 to mark

10324-477: The release of Lilac , IU began working on her next album. In February 2023, she said that the album would be about the feeling of wandering, but later in September she stated that the direction of the project had significantly changed and that the album's main theme would be desire. IU appeared on BTS member Suga 's talk show Suchwita in December 2023, where she hinted that her then-upcoming EP would contain songs about her age. The lead single " Love Wins All "

10440-768: The romantic-comedy series Bel Ami . She played the "quirky" and "playful" role of Kim Bo-tong, a carefree girl in her twenties who has had an unrequited crush on the male protagonist since high school. For her performance, IU was nominated in the Outstanding Korean Actress category at the 2014 Seoul International Drama Awards . In support of Modern Times , IU held her second concert tour with three shows which took place on November 23–24, 2013, at Kyung Hee University 's Peace Hall in Seoul and ended on December 1, 2013, at KBS Hall in Busan. Promotions for Modern Times progressed into 2014 with IU performing in Hong Kong for

10556-530: The second collaboration between IU and BTS member Suga , under his moniker Agust D, for the song titled " People Pt. 2 ". The song was released on April 7 as a pre-release track for Suga's first solo album D-Day . IU released the single " Love Wins All " on January 24, 2024. This would be part of her sixth EP The Winning which was released on February 20. Eight (song) The song received generally positive reviews from music critics , who not only praised its lyrics and production, but also compared

10672-471: The singer's ninth anniversary. The album was originally intended to include Kim Kwang-seok 's track "With the Heart to Forget You", however, due to recent events surrounding the singer's family, it was ultimately decided that the track would be removed out of respect for the ongoing investigations. She later went on a tour in various cities around Korea as well as Hong Kong from November to December 2017 to promote

10788-570: 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. On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 , "Good Day" peaked at number 5. "You & I" peaked at number four on the Oricon Singles Chart and number eleven on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. In support of her Japanese single releases, IU toured five cities—Tokyo, Sapporo , Nagoya , Osaka and Fukuoka —in

10904-496: The sixth best K-pop album of 2015, explaining that "IU knows how to take the sounds of yesterday and update them to stunning results." Prior to the release of Chat-Shire , LOEN announced that IU would not be partaking in broadcast promotions for the album and would instead be holding a national tour from November to December 2015. The Chat-Shire tour began in Seoul on November 21 and continued to Busan, Daegu and Gwangju, before returning to Seoul, where it ended on December 31. In

11020-431: The sixth most-downloaded and streamed song in South Korea, and was the sixth best-performing digital single overall. The song's accompanying music video premiered simultaneously with the release of the single. Directed by Kim Woogie (GDW), its synopsis follows IU as the protagonist, "growing out of her youth". The video opens with IU walking into a futuristic sci-fi room. She activates a mysterious machine and lies on

11136-503: The song a positive review, praising the lyrics and production and likened its musical direction to Avicii 's " Wake Me Up " and Zedd and Alessia Cara 's " Stay ". "Eight" debuted at number one on the week 19 issue of South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart for the period dated May 3–9, 2020. The song also took first place on the component Download chart for the same period, and entered the Streaming chart at number two, peaking at number one

11252-554: The song to the works of musicians such as Avicii , Zedd and Alessia Cara . Commercially, the single debuted at number one on the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart . It also entered the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at number one. The accompanying music video for "Eight" was directed by Kim Woogie (GDW) and features IU revisiting various phases of her youth through her memories. On April 27, 2020, EDAM Entertainment announced that IU would release

11368-427: The song's name, "Eight". The teaser contains a close-up image with one hand and a white dress adorned with colorful accessories. A second teaser photo was released on IU's official SNS accounts on April 30. The photo shows the singer in a faded Medieval dress, staring outside the window anxiously with blank eyes. The style of the second teaser image is in contrast to the lighting, costumes and nail tips depicted in

11484-400: The song, "Leon" (as inspired by the film Léon: The Professional ). The live performance event on August 13, 2015, attracted an estimated crowd of 40,000 at Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium as shown in the final episode, which achieved a 21.1% viewer's rating on its August 22 airdate. Subsequent to the final episode's broadcast, "Leon" was released along with the other songs from the festival as

11600-581: The summer, IU starred in the fantasy mystery drama Hotel del Luna , written by the Hong Sisters . She also sang one of the songs on the soundtrack, "Happy Ending". The drama was a commercial success, recording the highest ratings in its timeslot throughout its run. IU was set to release her ninth extended play, Love Poem , on November 1. However, she decided to postpone the EP's release to November 18 following her close friend Sulli 's death. Her single "Peach" (2012), inspired by Sulli, re-entered charts as

11716-642: 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. Her burgeoning career led to her decreased attendance at school and declining grades, with the exception of Korean literature. After graduating from Dongduk Girls' High School  [ ko ] in 2012, IU decided not to pursue post-secondary education in tandem with her singing career. 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." She performed her debut single, "Lost Child" ( Korean : 미아 ), live for

11832-456: The top 30 of the Gaon Digital Chart. In October, IU announced that her digital single " Strawberry Moon " would be released on October 19. IU later teased a special album titled Pieces , which was released on December 29. IU's first project of 2022 was the collaborative single " Ganadara " with Jay Park , which peaked at number one on both the Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard K-pop Hot 100. Her first documentary, Pieces:29th Winter ,

11948-468: 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. 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" . 2011 also saw her first foray into songwriting with "Hold My Hand", which

12064-452: Was a commercial success, with all three singles from the album peaking at the top of the Gaon Digital Chart , with the main single, "Palette" spending a total of two weeks at number 1. However, it was her first pre-release track, "Through the Night" that became the best-selling track from the album and also her best-selling single of 2017. Palette was also critically acclaimed and received multiple accolades, including "Best Pop Album" at

12180-403: Was commercially and critically successful with peak audience ratings of 7.3% making it one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history , and positive reviews for IU's performance. IU then contributed her vocals to Zico 's "Soulmate", which was released on July 23, 2018. Upon release, the single topped the daily and real time charts of all 6 major Korean music sites and claimed

12296-408: Was her collaboration with Kim Chang-wan on the remake of his 1984 song, "The Meaning of You" ( 너의 의미 ), that became the best-selling track from the album and also her best-selling single of 2014. The album was well received by The Korea Times for providing "a pleasant, calming respite from the mainstream music of today's times", and praised IU for her reinterpretations: "For every track, IU keeps

12412-417: Was issued on January 24, 2024, along with its music video. IU officially announced the EP on January 29, 2024, posting a 21-second teaser clip containing close-ups of the singer "accompanied by sombre music", showing her with bleached blonde hair and wearing a red outfit. She is also shown spraying a red-colored spray at the camera before appearing in front of a green background. The track listing of The Winning

12528-458: Was named Female Musician of the Year (Netizen Vote) . Billboard magazine named IU as one of the hottest musicians under 21 years old in 2012 for her "unique charm and undeniable hits [that] have made her into a bona fide superstar". IU started 2013 by taking on her first leading role in a television series, playing the title role in You Are the Best! . Her character was described as a "loser" who

12644-434: Was named as one of the most anticipated TV series of the year in South Korea. She played Cindy, a diva-like singer who decides to participate in a variety show to improve her public image. Analysing her character's perceived icy demeanor, IU commented that she could relate to her character's "biting attitude" and how similar her character was to herself. The series and IU's portrayal of Cindy were met with lukewarm reviews at

12760-432: Was released as part of g.o.d 's eighth studio album, peaked at number nine on the Gaon Digital Chart; "Sogyeokdong" ( 소격동 ), written by Seo Taiji for his Quiet Night album and sung by IU in the October 2 release version, debuted at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart; and "When Would It Be" ( 언제쯤이면 ), a duet with her labelmate Yoon Hyun-sang for his debut album, Pianoforte , which also peaked at number nine on

12876-449: Was released on September 11, 2013, debuting at number 27 on Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart and number 9 on Japan's Oricon Daily Chart. Almost two years after Last Fantasy , IU released her third studio album, Modern Times , on October 8, 2013. It was described to be "a big shift from the young singer's K-pop roots" that showcased a "more mature and sophisticated sound and image" than her previous work. IU composed and wrote two out of

12992-440: Was revealed on February 5, confirming "Shopper" and "Holssi" as the EP's second and third singles, and guest appearances from NewJeans ' Hyein , Wonsun Joe, and an undisclosed narrator on the third track "Shh..". All lyrics are written by IU . Shipments figures based on certification alone. IU (singer) Lee Ji-eun ( Korean :  이지은 ; born May 16, 1993 ), also known by her stage name IU ( 아이유 ),

13108-461: Was scheduled to release on March 16 but was later postponed to March 23. The following month, IU starred in the film Broker , playing single mother So-young, who initially decides to leave her newborn at a baby box but later changes her mind and tries to retrieve her child. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda choose to cast IU after seeing her moving performance in My Mister (2018), as he felt that she

13224-532: Was selected by the program's producer for her MC skills that she demonstrated on Inkigayo . For her accomplishments over the past year, IU won two awards at the 2012 Seoul Music Awards ; Last Fantasy was named Record of the Year , while she was among the ten musical acts who were awarded the Main Prize . At the Korean Music Awards , "Good Day" was named Song of the Year and Best Pop Song , while she

13340-468: Was the only actress who could embody So-young's character. Broker was chosen to compete for the Palme d'Or , and its premiere was held at the 75th Cannes Film Festival . Film critic Ben Rolph praised IU's performance, writing that "it is K-pop singer-turned actor Lee Ji-eun who leads the ensemble down its path of brilliance as she performs her heart out, she is the soul of the film." The performance earned her

13456-460: 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. IU subsequently exerted more creative control over her music; Chat-Shire (2015) marked

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