Lee Ji-eun(born May 16, 1993), professionally known asIU, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actress. While still in middle school, IU auditioned for various talent agencies with ambitions of becoming a singer. She signed with Kakao M (formerly LOEN Entertainment) in 2007 as a trainee and began her music career at the age of 15 with her debut album,Lost and Found. Her follow-up albums,Growing UpandIU...IM, brought her mainstream success, but it was through "Good Day" ( Korean :좋은 날), the lead single from her 2010 albumReal, that she achieved national stardom. "Good Day" spent five consecutive weeks at the top position of South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart , a joint record along with Psy 's " Gangnam Style ".With the success of her 2011 albums,Real+andLast 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 song-writing with "Hold My Hand", which was written for the television seriesThe Greatest Love. IU's third full-length album release,Modern Times(2013), showcased a more mature style that was a departure from her established girlish image, with several tracks reaching the top 10 positions on Gaon Digital Chart.While her subsequent releases, including albumsA Flower Bookmark,Chat-Shire, andPalettecontinued to deviate from the mainstream K-pop style, IU retained her dominance on music charts.Chat-Shiremarked the first time she is credited as the sole lyricist and producer of her own album.IU has released four studio albums and nine extended plays , scoring three number-one albums and eighteen number-one singles on the Gaon Music Charts . As one of the best-selling solo artists in the K-pop industry, which is dominated by boy and girl groups ,she has been included onForbesmagazine's annual Korea Power Celebrity list since 2012, reaching a peak ranking of number three in 2012.Billboardrecognized IU as the all-time leader of its Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart with the most number-one songs and the artist who has held the number-one position for the most number of weeks.According to a Gallup Korea survey, she was the most popular idol and artist among South Koreans in 2017.Aside from her music career, IU has also ventured into hosting radio and television shows, as well as acting. Following her supporting role in teen dramaDream Highand minor appearances in several television series, IU starred inYou're the Best, Lee Soon-shin,Pretty Man,The Producers,Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart RyeoandMy Mister.
Singer IU and actor Lee Jun Ki will be one week, and with more 'know my brother. " Two people who played an active part in broadcasting last week. This time, I am interested in what I will show. IU and Lee has appeared as a new student in the school of the last 20 days Brother broadca…
Actor and singer Lee Joon Gi accompanied IU appeared on 'know my brother. " 11 days OSEN covering the results and Lee IU is participating in the 'know your brother' record currently JTBC. Lee and 'know your brother' Friendly appearance of IU's SBS drama aired in 2016 - was close to "lo…
Solo 'sound Queen IU, October comeback ... Open and add 10 years to the singer IU comeback in October. Com IU East covering the results are released a new album in October. The specific album release date is not yet decided, but it seems to be coordinated from the 10th anniversar…
IU had little contact with her parents over this period of time but felt reassured under her grandmother's care.
Due to her 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.Prior to her debut, LOEN coined her stage name "IU", deriving it from the phrase "I and You" to symbolize the unifying force of music between people.
Regarding the performance, IU recalled the crowd had hurled insults at her and though she felt discouraged by it, she now considers it a beneficial experience."Lost Child" is the lead single from her debut extended playLost 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 2008.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."
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.The song was nominated as a number-one contender on the popular music program,Inkigayo. Along with several songs fromLost and Found, "You Know" ( Korean :있잖 아) was also featured inGrowing Up; a new rock-style arrangement of the song was released as the follow-up single to "Boo".
Recalling the performances, IU stated on a 2013 episode ofHappy Togetherthat 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".
( Korean :선덕여왕). She also collaborated with artists such as Mighty Mouth and The Three Views on their albums. As her popularity began to rise, IU made more frequent appearances on variety shows, performing onStar Golden Bell,Kim Jung-eun's ChocolateandYou 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 " ( Korean :거짓말) featured in these live performances gained tremendous interest online.In late 2009, she became a TV 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 asKiss the Radio,Volume Up, MBC Standard FM'sStarry Nightand MBC FM4U'sBest Friend Radio.
.The song was popular on music programs, where it won the Mutizen award onInkigayoand was placed first onMusic Bank.Soon after, IU released "Because I'm a Woman" ( Korean :여자라서), one of the theme songs of MBC's historical period drama,Road No. 1( Korean :로드 넘버원). The song peaked at number six on the Gaon Digital Chart.IU's collaboration with Sung Si-kyung on "It's You" ( Korean :그대네요) for his album,The First, debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart.
 | "Good Day" |
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Music Bank,andInkigayo.Both Kim Eana and Lee Min-soon considered the main factors of the song's success to be the use of the word "oppa" ( Korean :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 a more varied demographic as compared to other K-pop groups.
). Filming ran from December 2010 to February 2011, during which time she remained committed toHeroesand 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 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 the end of 2011, the single had sold 2,209,924 digital copies and is one of IU's best-selling single for a soundtrack.
The ballad's tone was a departure from her more recent releases, with IU describing it as "dark", "sad" yet "nostalgic", which is closer to her music preference.The song performed well commercially, debuting at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart.
최고의 사랑).Since it was the first time she had written a song not for herself but at the behest of the drama's producers, IU found the experience difficult as she had to match the drama's cheerful tone.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 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 inImmortal Songs: Singing the Legendbut 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 the most tiring.
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 and I" ( Korean :너랑 나), 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 the newly establishedBillboardKorea K-Pop Hot 100 chart at the time of release.
A selection of her previously-released songs was compiled into an extended play album calledI□Uthat was released in Japan on December 14, 2011.
On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 , "Good Day" peaked at number 5."You and 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 a mini-concert series called "IU Friendship Showcase - Spring 2012".
Guest performers included Ra.D , Lim Seul-ong and Lee Seung-gi .
The second single released from the album was "Every End of the Day" ( Korean :하루 끝), which topped 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".
Live recordings of "Friend" and "Aishiteru" from the event were later released as promotional digital singles. Nearing the end of her "Real Fantasy" tour and promotions in Japan, IU resumed her hosting duties onInkigayoafter 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 2012SBS Gayo Daejeon, an annual music program, alongside Bae Suzy and actor Jung Gyu-woon . She was selected by the program's producer for her MC skills that she demonstrated onInkigayo.
At the Korean Music Awards , "Good Day" was named Song of the Year and Best Pop Song , while she was named Female Musician of the Year (Netizen Vote) .Billboardmagazine 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".
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 a recording with her co-star Jo Jung-suk of her self-composed duet, "Beautiful Song" ( Korean :예쁘다송), which was not included on the official soundtrack.
Her next Japanese single, "Monday Afternoon", was released on September 11, 2013, debuting at number 27 on Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart and number 9 on Japan's Oricon Daily Chart.
The Korea Heraldwrote: "... vintage sounds and modern effects are put together artfully, forming a fresh but familiar compilation of songs.Modern Timeshas a distinct carefree feel that is reminiscent of jazz during the Roaring Twenties."Also giving a positive review,Seoul Beatswrote: "With its jazzy, big band sound, IU provided a breath of fresh air to the K-pop scene... The album’s real strength is how seamlessly the tracks flow together."Modern Timesdebuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, while seven of its tracks achieved top ten positions on the Gaon Digital Chart with the lead single, "The Red Shoes" ( Korean :분홍신), placing in the number one position.Similarly, the album debuted number four onBillboard's World Albums Chart, with twelve tracks in the Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart.
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.The series aired from November 20, 2013 to January 9, 2014 on KBS2 and suffered from low ratings.For her performance, IU was nominated in the Outstanding Korean Actress category at the 2014 Seoul International Drama Awards .
Promotions forModern Timesprogressed into 2014 with IU performing in Hong Kong for the first time in a solo concert.
but was later released as the lead single ofModern Times - Epilogue.Described as a "mid-tempo, acoustic swing-pop 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 10th best-selling digital single of 2014.Its popularity was also demonstrated by its simultaneous number one ranking on all three of Korea's major music programs without any live performances.
However, it was her collaboration with Kim Chang-wan on the remaking of his 1984 track, "The Meaning of You" ( Korean :너의 의미), that became the best-selling track from the album and also her best-selling single of 2014.The album was well received byThe Korea Timesfor providing "a pleasant, calming respite from the mainstream music of today's times", and praised IU for her reinterpretations: "For every track, IU keeps a careful balance between preserving the song's original sentiments and altering the original with her own color and arrangements."Billboardhighlighted the track, "Pierrot Smiles at Us" ( Korean :삐에로는 우릴 보고 웃지), as the "most ambitious tune she tackled" and one that proved her diversity as a singer.Furthermore,A Flower Bookmarkwas listed at number three onBillboard's Best K-Pop Albums of 2014 and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2014 MelOn Music Awards .
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 the concerts were donated to the victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster .
The 2014 KCON event was attended by approximately 42,000 people.IU expressed her anxiety performing at the event in her interview withBillboard: "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..."
"Sogyeokdong" ( Korean :소격동), written by Seo Taiji for hisQuiet Nightalbum and sung by IU in October 2 release version, debuted at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart;and "When Would It Be" ( Korean :언제쯤이면), a duet with her labelmate Yoon Hyun-sang for his debut album,Pianoforte, which also peaked at number nine on the Gaon Digital Chart.After "Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms" toppedBillboard's 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 number of weeks at number one since the chart's creation in September 2011.
She performed two songs in character, "Twenty Three" and "Heart" ( Korean :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 a digital single on 18 May. "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".ThroughThe Producers, IU's popularity in China soared—reportedly receiving offers for several projects from Chinese companies.
, 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 the song, "Leon" (as inspired by the filmLéon: 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, 2015 airdate.Subsequent to the final episode's broadcast, "Leon" was released along with the other songs from the festival as a digital track and on the official festival album. "Leon" reached number one on all of South Korea's music charts upon release.
s World Albums chart.Billboarddescribed the album as a "must-hear" release, containing "some of [IU's] most personal music yet", and named "The Shower" ( Korean :푸르던) as its stand-out track.Seoul Beatsalso highlighted the "personal quality" showcased in many of the album's tracks and praised IU's "growing maturity as an artist" and her willingness to experiment musically.
BillboardrankedChat-Shirethe sixth best K-pop album of 2015, explaining that "IU knows how to take the sounds of yesterday and update them to stunning results."
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 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,Izelisted IU as one of the "Persons of the Year", whileGQ Koreanamed her as the "Woman of the Year".
, a Korean adaptation of the Chinese novelBu Bu Jing Xin.
Billboardhighlighted and complemented the singer's stronger creative control on the album, saying that it successfully allowed listeners to learn more about the singer and ultimately paving way for greater success both in Korea and internationally.Palettewas 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.
Billboardmagazine 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 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 rankedPalettethe best K-pop album of 2017, explaining that "An album as impressive and sonically diverse asPaletteproves why injecting an artist's personal experiences into their music can lead to their greatest work yet."During the promotional period ofPalette, IU joined the reality programHyori's Homestay.
She later went on a tour in various cities around Korea as well as Hong Kong from November to December 2017 to promote 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. The song achieved a "Perfect All-Kill", topping the daily and real time charts of all 6 major Korean music sites.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 2012, IU was identified as one of the most influential people in South Korea by theForbesKorea Power Celebrity list, and has since been mentioned five times.IU has also won several awards for her work as an actress, earning the title of "Best New Actress" at the 2014 KBS Drama Awards for her performance inYou're the Best, Lee Soon-shin.
IU later established a scholarship at her high school alma-mater in 2016 after regularly donating there for a few years prior. The scholarship, dubbed the "IU Scholarship", is designed to help four graduates from underdeveloped families.
Alicia: The Story of My Horse and I, in November 2010.In addition to the game's advertisements, IU also participated in its soundtrack.In 2012–13, IU was a spokesmodel and in-game model for NCsoft 'sAion: Upheavalvideo game.She was also part of Nexon 's promotions forDungeon Fighter Onlinein 2014.
She was appointed as the face of SK Planet online store, 11st,and appeared in commercials for The Saem cosmetic brand as well as Nongshim 's Shin Ramyun and Hoo Roo Rook products (with Park Bo-gum ).Along with Yim Si-wan and Hwang Kwanghee , IU starred in a three-part drama commercial for Samsung Wave 3 , titled "20, Start of a Wave".Additionally, IU was chosen to be the ambassador for Expo 2012 held in Yeosu .
Both Unionbay and ISOI sponsoredThe Producers, a 2015 television series in which IU had a leading role, through product placement .
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Region | Shows | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | IU Japan Premium Special Live | Japan | 2 | |
| IU Friendship Showcase - Spring 2012 | Japan | 5 | ||
| Real Fantasy | South Korea | 13 | ||
| IU Friendship Special Concert - Autumn 2012 | Japan | 1 | ||
| 2013 | Modern Times | South Korea | 3 | |
| 2014 | Modern Times Showcase In Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 1 | |
| Just One Step... That Much More | South Korea | 8 | ||
| 2015 | Chat-Shire | South Korea | 7 | |
| 2015–2016 | I&U | Hong Kong | 1 | |
| China | 2 | |||
| Taiwan | 1 | |||
| 2016 | IU Good Day China Tour | China | 7 | |
| 24 Steps: One, Two, Three, Four | South Korea | 2 | ||
| IU Concert 24 Steps In Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 1 | ||
| 2017 | IU Concert 24 Steps In Taipei | Taiwan | 1 | |
| IU 2017 Tour Concert〈Palette〉 | South Korea | 5 | ||
| Hong Kong | 1 |
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