2008: Debut
IU debuted on a Korean music program called M! Countdown in September 18, 2008. On September 23, 2008, she released her first mini-album, Lost and Found, in which the most famous song was the title track, "Missing Child." However, the album was not commercially successful. It wasn't until her follow-up album that she succeeded in breaking into the mainstream.
2009
On April 16, 2009, IU launched her first full album, titled Growing Up, with the lead promotional number "Boo." Within three weeks, "Boo" went up to the #1 contenders for SBS Inkigayo, and her name also went up twice on Take 7 together with other notable artists like SG Wannabe and Younha. The song also did well on KBS Music Bank K-Chart, on Mnet M!Countdown chart, and on various online music charts.
In 2009, IU sang the ending title song, "Araro", for the acclaimed MBC drama Queen Seon Duk, where she was recommended by the director, Sam Kim, citing her "clear tone and her lyrical sensibility." She was also featured on Mighty Mouth's album Love Class in the song "희망사항." In late 2009, IU recorded MC Mong's song "Love Letter For You (Neoyege Sseuneun Pyeonji)," featuring SHINee's Key as a rapper in the song.
2010
IU recorded the song "잔소리" (Nagging / Scolded) with 2AM's Seulong for the TV show We Got Married. On June 27, 2010, IU won her first award since her debut on SBS Inkigayo for "Nagging." On July 2, 2010, she won another award for that song on KBS Music Bank K-Chart. Soon after, IU was chosen to sing the main OST song for the MBC drama Road No.1 titled "여자라서" (Because I'm A Woman). IU's other collaborations include duets with Yoo Seung Ho ("사랑을 믿어요" (Believe in Love)), Sung Shi Kyung ("그대네요" (It's You)), and Big Bang's Seungri ("I Know").
IU worked with some of South Korea's most famous musicians and producers for her third mini-album, REAL, released in December 2010. Lee Min Soo and Kim Eana, the creators of IU's previous hit "Nagging", helped produce her award-winning song "좋은 날" ("Good Day"). IU received three SBS Inkigayo Mutizen awards for her performances of the song (on December 18 and December 26, 2010, and January 2, 2011), three awards from KBS Music Bank K-Chart (on December 24 and December 31, 2010, and January 7, 2011), and one award from Mnet M!Countdown on December 23, 2010.
2011
IU often covers other pop artists' songs with her guitar and features her friend Thunder from MBLAQ, most notably renditions of SHINee's "Juliette," Big Bang's "Lies," Super Junior's "Sorry, Sorry" and Girls' Generation's "Gee."
Soribada, an online music service, combined the music downloads and streams from January 1 to March 30, 2011, to name IU's song, "Good Day" as the number one song of the first quarter. Her song "Someday" from the KBS Drama Dream High OST and her ballad "The Story Only I Didn't Know" placed 4th and 7th place, respectively – showing that IU got 3 of the top 10 digital spots for the first quarter. Her first original composition, "Dreaming" was used in the drama "Dream High", but not released officially.
On June 18, 2011, IU held her first official fanmeeting and mini-concert at AX-Korea. It also marked the 1004th day since she debuted.
IU also sang a self-composed OST called "Hold my Hand" for drama series The Greatest Love.
On November 29, 2011, IU's second full length album Last Fantasy was released and achieved an ‘all-kill’ as all 13 songs immediately swept most of all the charts. The track list was revealed on November 22, 2011.
2012
On January 24, 2012, IU held a live showcase at Tokyo's Bunkamura Orchard Hall. On March 1st, 2012, she released a promotional video for the Japanese version of "Good Day", the title track of her Japanese single album. The album, which includes DVD footage from the showcase, was later released on March 21, 2012.
In early April, 2012, it was announced that IU will be holding her first solo tour, "Real Fantasy", starting in June. The tour features performances in six different cities across South Korea, including Seoul and Busan.
IU released the single album, "Spring of a Twenty Year Old" ("스무 살의 봄"), on May 11th, 2012.[16] The album contains three songs, one of which is self-composed by IU. This song, entitled "Peach" ("복숭아"), was digitally released before the album, on May 4th, 2012. A 26-minute-long documentary-style music video film was released alongside the album, featuring several interviews with IU that showcase her personal thoughts and experiences. This film contains footage of IU as she visits Venice, Italy.
2021
On January 11, 2021 IU, and her agency EDAM Entertainment, officially announced that they will be releasing a single from her upcoming album on January 27, 2021.
On January 27, 2021 at 18:00 KST (UTC+9) EDAM Entertainment globally released IU's comeback single entitled "Celebrity". The track was released in major online streaming platforms in South Korea and worldwide and achieved multiple All-Kills in Korean charts every hour.
Twenty-three
IU Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
뭐게요 맞혀봐요
I'm twenty three 틀리지 말기 because
난 몹시 예민해요
맞혀봐
한 떨기 스물셋 좀
아가씨 태가 나네
얄미운 스물셋
아직 한참 멀었다 얘
덜 자란 척해도 대충 속아줘요
난, 그래 확실히 지금이 좋아요
아냐, 아냐 사실은 때려 치고 싶어요
아 알겠어요 난 사랑이 하고 싶어
아니 돈이나 많이 벌래
맞혀봐
어느 쪽이게?
얼굴만 보면 몰라
속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일
아주 간단하거든 (어느 쪽이게?)
사실은 나도 몰라
애초에 나는 단 한 줄의
거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든
여우인 척, 하는 곰인 척, 하는 여우 아니면
아예 다른 거
어느 쪽이게?
뭐든 한 쪽을 골라
색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든
Check it out
겁나는 게 없어요
엉망으로 굴어도
사람들은 내게 매일 친절해요
인사하는 저 여자
모퉁이를 돌고도 아직 웃고 있을까
늘 불안해요
난, 영원히 아이로 남고 싶어요
아니, 아니 물기 있는 여자가 될래요
아 정했어요 난 죽은 듯이 살래요
아냐, 다 뒤집어 볼래
맞혀봐
어느 쪽이게?
얼굴만 보면 몰라
속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일
아주 간단하거든 (어느 쪽이게?)
사실은 나도 몰라
애초에 나는 단 한 줄의
거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든
여우인 척 (여우인 척), 하는 곰인 척 (곰인 척),
하는 여우 아니면 (여우 아니면) 아예 다른 거
어느 쪽이게?
뭐든 한 쪽을 골라
색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든
난 당신 맘에 들고 싶어요
아주 살짝만 얄밉게 해도 돼요?
난 당신 맘에 들고 싶어요
자기 머리 꼭대기 위에서 놀아도 돼요? 맞혀봐
어느 쪽이게?
얼굴만 보면 몰라
속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일
아주 간단하거든 (어느 쪽이게?)
사실은 나도 몰라
애초에 나는 단 한 줄의
거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든
여우인 척 (여우인 척), 하는 곰인 척 (곰인 척),
하는 여우 아니면 (여우 아니면) 아예 다른 거
어느 쪽이게?
뭐든 한 쪽을 골라
색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든
The song "Twenty-Three" by IU talks about the struggles and insecurities of growing up and becoming an adult. The lyrics depict a young woman who is just turning twenty-three and feeling confused about her identity, her desires, and her place in the world. She struggles to reconcile her aspirations with societal expectations and her own fears, and often hides behind different masks and personas to cope with the pressure.
Throughout the song, IU uses metaphors and wordplay to convey her message. For instance, she compares herself to a riddle that needs to be solved, highlighting her complexity and unpredictability. She also refers to herself as a fox and a bear, two animals known for their cunning and trickery, suggesting that she is trying to deceive herself and others with her actions and words. Additionally, IU uses the phrase "난 몹시 예민해요" (I'm very sensitive) as a refrain, emphasizing how vulnerable and fragile she feels despite her facade of confidence and maturity.
Overall, the song "Twenty-Three" is a poignant and honest reflection on the challenges of growing up and finding one's own identity. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost, confused, or alone, and reminds us that it's okay to be unsure of ourselves and to make mistakes along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm twenty three 난 수수께끼 (question)
I'm twenty-three years old, but I'm still trying to figure out who I really am.
뭐게요 맞혀봐요
Can you guess who I am?
I'm twenty three 틀리지 말기 because
Don't get it wrong when you guess, because...
난 몹시 예민해요
...I'm very sensitive.
맞혀봐
Try to guess.
한 떨기 스물셋 좀
I'm barely past my early twenties.
아가씨 태가 나네
But people still treat me like a young lady.
다 큰 척해도 적당히 믿어줘요
Even if I act like I'm all grown up, please believe me just enough.
얄미운 스물셋
I'm still an immature twenty-something.
아직 한참 멀었다 얘
I still have a long way to go.
덜 자란 척해도 대충 속아줘요
Even if I pretend I'm less mature than I really am, please just go along with it.
난, 그래 확실히 지금이 좋아요
I'm happy right now, I can say that for sure.
아냐, 아냐 사실은 때려 치고 싶어요
No, no, I actually want to lash out.
아 알겠어요 난 사랑이 하고 싶어
Oh, I understand now. I want to love someone.
아니 돈이나 많이 벌래
Or, I guess I could just make a lot of money.
어느 쪽이게?
Which one should I choose?
얼굴만 보면 몰라
Just by looking at my face, you can't tell.
속마음과 다른 표정을 짓는 일
The act of wearing a different expression on the inside than on the outside.
아주 간단하거든 (어느 쪽이게?)
It's really not that complicated (which one should I choose?).
사실은 나도 몰라
Actually, I don't even know.
애초에 나는 단 한 줄의
From the very beginning, I have never told a single lie.
거짓말도 쓴 적이 없거든
Not even once.
여우인 척, 하는 곰인 척, 하는 여우 아니면 아예 다른 거
Whether I'm pretending to be a fox, a bear, or someone else entirely.
뭐든 한 쪽을 골라
I have to choose one side or the other.
색안경 안에 비춰지는 거 뭐 이제 익숙하거든
Looking at everything through colored glasses is something I'm used to by now.
Check it out
Check this out.
겁나는 게 없어요
I'm not scared of anything.
엉망으로 굴어도
Even if everything falls apart,
사람들은 내게 매일 친절해요
People are still kind to me every day.
인사하는 저 여자
That woman who greets me every day.
모퉁이를 돌고도 아직 웃고 있을까
I wonder if she's still smiling after turning the corner.
늘 불안해요
I'm always anxious.
난, 영원히 아이로 남고 싶어요
I want to stay a child forever.
아니, 아니 물기 있는 여자가 될래요
No, no, I want to become a woman with some bite.
아 정했어요 난 죽은 듯이 살래요
Oh, I've decided. I want to live like I'm dead.
여우인 척 (여우인 척), 하는 곰인 척 (곰인 척), 하는 여우 아니면 (여우 아니면) 아예 다른 거
Pretending to be a fox, a bear, or someone else entirely.
난 당신 맘에 들고 싶어요
I want to be someone you like.
아주 살짝만 얄밉게 해도 돼요?
Is it okay if I'm just a little bit annoying?
자기 머리 꼭대기 위에서 놀아도 돼요? 맞혀봐
Can I play on top of your head? Guess.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Ji Eun Lee, Chae Kyu Lee, Jong Hoon Lee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ij7xl8hv3p
이 땐 23살이 엄청 큰 어른처럼 느껴졌었는데 23살이 되어보니 정말 하고 싶은 게 많고 변덕이 심한 아이와 다를 게 없더라
@sasumchan
22살로서 이젠 30살도 어른 같아보이지 않네요
@c1osercome2me5
스물다섯으로써 , 이 세상에 어른은 없다는 생각이 드네요. 그냥 어른은 없고요 나이만 먹은 어린아이들만 있다는 생각.
@user-mw5mx6ut5u
@@c1osercome2me5 멋있는 말이네요
@yammers70
그러게요.
@chajoo6539
@@c1osercome2me5 일찍 진리를 깨달으셨네요 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
@bichbyeol
스물셋에 스물셋 들으러온 02생 친구들아 손들어줘 2024 하고픈 거 다하고 사랑하고픈 거 맘껏 해보자 제발 우리 언니 아이유랑 다들 꼬옥 행복해줘 제발 꼭옥^^
@Winter_beauty3grade
저 02!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 어제 딱 아이유 노래 생각났었어옄ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 2024년 지나면 아이유 스물셋 꼭 들어야지 하구용ㅎㅎㅎ
@bichbyeol
❤❤❤
@bichbyeol
🤞🫰❤