Thirty-year-old IU, earned the title ‘Korean Hip Hop’… Baekmi participates in Patty Kim's 'Shh..'
≪Choi Ji-ye’s Some Stars≫
Reporter Choi Ji-ye of Ten Asia interprets pop content in her own way and gives a star rating. ‘The Winning’ few stars = ★★★★

Singer IU, who was a teenager, has now turned 30. IU confesses that although she is still as greedy as when she was younger, she now desires something different from then. Furthermore, it emphasizes the victory of love and strengthens the bond between itself and the fandom.

IU cleverly deployed her talents and growth through challenges through her 6th mini album 'The Winning', which was released on the 20th. He can truly be called an artist because he has incorporated the stories he wants to tell throughout the new album.

The first title song, 'Shopper', which opens the new album, is of the electro pop rock genre, and is cheerful and refreshing. It's as exciting as holding a card in your hand that can be scratched infinitely. IU cheerfully included the message, 'Desire what you want to your heart's content' in this song. IU's voice bursts like cider. The music video has a rich narrative as it tells the story of IU, who participated in an auction in the middle of the night, stealing a golden bat and running away.

Thirty-year-old IU, earned the title ‘Korean Hip Hop’… Baekmi participates in Patty Kim's 'Shh..'
Thirty-year-old IU, earned the title ‘Korean Hip Hop’… Baekmi participates in Patty Kim's 'Shh..'
'Hole' is the second title song and is a song that contains IU's hip charm. Some music fans who heard this song, half seriously and half jokingly, gave him the title ‘Kukhip Top’ (a slang term for the best rapper in Korea). IU, who showed hip vocals in line with the so-called 'MZ style', captivated ears with her mid-low-pitched rapping. Hip-hop and electro sounds exchange the baton on a heavy drum base. In particular, the message that there is no need to become a flower and 'I will live as a fluttering spore seed' stands out. The music video featuring Tweety Bird from Warner Bros.' 'Looney Tunes' animation gives off a free and fantastic mood.

The highlight of this new album is ‘Shh..’. IU's musical challenges and growth are captured in this song. This is the song that IU put the most effort into in this album. It is meaningful in that it contains the voices of singers Patty Kim, Cho Won-seon, and group New Jeans Hye-in in one song. The image of a woman with overwhelming charm was created through the voices of female vocalists representing each generation, such as Hyein in her teens, IU in her 30s, Won-seon Cho in her 50s, and Patti Kim in her 80s. The atmosphere that changes depending on the color of each vocal doubles the pleasure of listening. It is captivating as vocals that do not seem to match at all are mixed together to create a unique mood that has never been felt before. Although it has not been released yet, public expectations are high for the music video featuring actor Tang Wei.

Thirty-year-old IU, earned the title ‘Korean Hip Hop’… Baekmi participates in Patty Kim's 'Shh..'
'Love wins all' is an extension of IU's major ballads that she always sings in every album. The warm piano melody touches the heart, and the sound, enriched by the addition of strings and a band, penetrates the song. This song reminds me of the 4th full-length album 'To the Name' (2017) and the 5th mini-album 'Love poem' (2019). The melody's highs and lows stand out, and the magnificent sound is excellent at the climax. IU said she hoped that the message of the song's title, 'Love Wins,' would receive the most attention in this album.

The last track, 'I Stan U', is IU's tribute to her fandom, Uaena. The messages ‘I believe in you’ and ‘You believe in me’ are heartbreaking. It is suitable as a concert song.

Through this new album, IU incorporated various keywords such as 'desire', 'freedom', 'magic', 'victory', and 'faith' into a variety of music genres. Artist IU is maturing at the age of 30.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr
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