South Korean
Lee Ji-eun
A singer-songwriter, producer, model, and actress from Korea, Lee Ji-eun (Korean: 이지은; Hanja: 李知恩; born May 16, 1993) is also known as IU (Korean: 아이유). His stage name is derived from the phrase "I and You," which stands for the idea that through music, "we" can unite as one. UAENA, the name of her fan club, has three different meanings for each of the three syllables: "you (you)" is English, "ae" is Sino-Korean for "love," and "na" is Korean for "me.". With the release of her first mini album, Lost and Found, in 2008, IU made her singing debut at the age of 15 under LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao M). However, follow-up albums by IU, Growing Up, and IU. The release of "Good Day," the lead single from her 2010 album Real, brought success to the singer. The song is in Korean and is titled "Good Day." (좋은 날). She became famous throughout South Korea because of this. In addition to being ranked first on Billboard magazine's list of the "100 Best K-Pop Songs of the 2010s" in 2019, "Good Day" spent five weeks straight at the top of South Korea's Gaon Digital Singles Chart.
With the success of her 2011 albums Real (IU's EP) and Last Fantasy, IU firmly established herself as a dominant force on the South Korean music charts and solidified her reputation as Korea's "little sister.". She is now referred to as "The Nation's Sweetheart.". Her debut as a songwriter came in 2011 with the song "Hold My Hand," which she wrote for the television program The Greatest Love. Modern Times (IU album), IU's third full-length album, debuted in 2013 and showcased a more mature style than her previous boyish persona. Several songs from the album reached the top 10 on the Gaon Digital Chart. The album was listed as the second-best K-Pop album of the 2010s on Billboard magazine's list of "25 Greatest K-Pop Albums of the Decade.". Following the release of A Flower Bookmark in 2014, Chat-Shire in 2015, Palette (an IU album) in 2017, Love Poem in 2019, and Lilac in 2021, K's style continued to diverge. -mainstream pop, IU was able to continue to rule the Korean music charts. A first for her own album, Chat-Shire also marks the beginning of her role as the sole lyricist and primary composer for all of IU's subsequent albums.
In her career, IU has put out five studio albums and nine extended plays. She has also had 29 number-one singles on the Gaon Music Chart and 17 on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100, making her the Korean artist with the most number-one singles. She has been featured on Forbes magazine's yearly Korea Power Celebrity list since 2012 as one of the best-selling solo artists in the K-pop sector, which is dominated by both boy and girl groups, peaking at number three in 2012. IU was a leader, according to Billboard. the artist with the most number one positions that week and the most songs in the history of the Korea K-Pop Hot 100. In 2014 and 2017, Gallup Korea named her the best singer. IU was rated No. 1 in 2012. "The 23rd Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces" ranks her as number 19.
IU has dabbled in acting, hosting radio and television shows, and other endeavors outside of music. After making brief cameos in a number of TV shows and playing a supporting role in the teen drama Dream High, IU made appearances in the shows You're the Best, Lee Soon-shin, Pretty Man, The Producers, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, My Mister, and Hotel del Luna.
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