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| Singer IU during the 35th Golden Disc Awards at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. Courtesy of Golden Disc Awards |
By Dong Sun-hwa
IU has again etched her name into K-pop history.
The singer, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, became the first female soloist to clinch two grand prizes at the Golden Disc Awards, one of the most prestigious music awards in Korea launched in 1986.
The Edam Entertainment star, 27, won the Digital Song of the Year (grand prize) and Best Digital Song Award, Saturday, with her hit "Blueming." She went head-to-head with big-name stars including BTS and BLACKPINK.
"Blueming" is the lead track off her fifth EP "Love Poem" dropped in November 2019. The electro pop-rock song swept multiple music streaming charts including Melon immediately after its release and is still ranked 30th on Melon's daily chart as of Saturday.
"I am truly honored to receive two prizes in three years. Thank you for showing your ongoing support for Blueming for more than a year," IU said as she accepted the award at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. "I would also like to express my appreciation to the song's composers, all the other musicians and industry insiders who have contributed to making music amid this tough time."
She also hinted at her upcoming release, saying, "My new album, which might be able to energize listeners, will come out soon. One of the songs might be unveiled in January."
The singer took home her first grand prize at the Golden Discs in 2018 with "Through the Night," a nostalgia-evoking release from her fourth studio album "Palette."
IU, renowned for her inimitable velvety voice and music producing skills, debuted with the ballad "Mia" in 2008 at the age of 15. In the beginning, she did not find instant stardom ― but she still won the hearts of acclaimed musicians such as Yoo Hee-yeol and Jung Jae-hyung for being a young but talented singer-songwriter with much potential.
Since then, IU has released a string of bubbly and vibrant pieces including "Boo" (2009) and "Marshmallow" (2009), gradually carving out a presence on the music scene. The singer marked a turning point in her career only a year later with "Nagging" and "Good Day." The former track, in which she teamed up with Seulong of K-pop act 2AM, reigned atop Melon's daily chart for 18 days and led IU to win music shows in Korea for the first time since her debut.
Her smash-hit "Good Day" also came out in the same year. IU's marvelous three high notes at the end of the song and its catchy lyrics generated a big buzz among listeners, bringing IU into the public spotlight. The track secured No. 1 spot on Melon for 29 consecutive days.
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| IU's most popular songs include "Good Day" (2010) and "Twenty-three" (2015). Courtesy of Edam Entertainment |
Her latest full-length album "Palette," fronted by the namesake lead single featuring BIGBANG's G-Dragon and "Dear Name," ranked No. 1 on U.S. magazine Billboard's list of "Best K-Pop Albums of 2017." She also collaborated with BTS rapper Suga on "Eight" last year.
Today, IU is not only known for her vocal skills, but also for her abilities to craft sentimental and relatable music that resonates with listeners.
A plethora of experts think highly of IU, too.
Vocal coach Kim Sung-eun, who taught numerous K-pop stars including BTS, praised IU during an interview with The Korea Times last April for her capabilities to "get into the rhythm and skillfully epitomize her emotions in a song."
Versatile IU is also poised to make her feature film debut this year in the sports movie "Dream." In fact, she began forging an acting career in 2011 by appearing in the KBS TV drama "Dream High" and has starred in a series of TV hits including "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" (2016), "My Mister" (2018) and "Hotel Del Luna" (2019).
