IU – LILAC (Random Version) (5th Album)
‘IU’ 5th Regular Album [LILAC
“Goodbye like a petal”
“I don’t have any doubts in my heart, I’m going next”
IU, who predicted a colorful ‘goodbye’ to the end of her 20s, returned with her fifth studio album [LILAC] with the sound of spring. Unlike her first album in her 20s, “Spring of 20s,” which was released with the honest and youthful emotions of a 20-year-old, “LILAC” is a 10-track album that reflects her matured emotions in a variety of ways.
Once again, IU, who participated in the production as well as composing and writing all the songs, tried new collaborations with various top artists at home and abroad, and presented songs of high quality and perfection, raising expectations for what IU’s ongoing musical evolution will look like in her new 30s.
In addition, VM Project (Celebrity, Flu), Flipable (Lilac, Epilogue), and Sunny Visual (Coin), Korea’s top music video production companies, participated in this album, creating a strong synergy between IU’s music and each of their unique and sensual videos.
The meaning of the flower ‘lilac’, which is used in the title song along with the album name, is ‘first love’ and ‘memories of young days’. This is IU’s colorful and slightly bittersweet greeting to all those who watched over her from the first page of her 20s to the last.
1. Lilac
After 10 years of passionate love
In the elasticity of spring
A story of a lover who happily parted ways after 10 years of passionate love. // IU
The title track “Lilac,” which opens the album, brings the excitement of spring with its bright and cheerful sound. Starting with a rhythmic bass line, the song has a 70s and 80s disco sound with funky rhythms and pop elements. The song was composed by Lim Suho, Dr.JO, Ungkim, and N!ko.
2. Flu
When I write lyrics about ‘love’, the sensation that I typically put in the forefront is ‘pain’. When I finally realize that this uncomfortable feeling that has been bothering me for a while is love, I feel like everything in my body is being rearranged in a jumbled way, and it’s not a very refreshing feeling.
This is the story of my last stand against the germ of love, a germ that, no matter how much I deny it, sooner or later, completely incapacitates me. // The New York Times
Written by hit songwriter Ryan Jeon and his team of collaborators, “Flu” is brought to life by an infectious hook and dreamy melody that unfolds over a minimalist urban beat. IU’s witty and detailed lyrics and precarious voice maximize the song’s appeal.
3. Coin
Stimulating things are irresistibly attractive but ultimately unhealthy.
I’ll play one more round of my unhealthy game just this once //
Starting with a sample sound reminiscent of a gaming center, Poptime’s funky groove band soundtrack meets IU’s melodic line to create a new genre that hasn’t been tried before. From IU’s colorful rapping to the unconventional drop part, it’s a concept song that she hasn’t tried since her debut, and it’s been a big hit since the teaser video was released.
4. Goodbye Spring
There are still times when you’re the first name that pops into my subconscious mind,
I still have some sleepless nights like this,
I don’t think it’s a mistake anymore.
It’s just a name I remember on a bad day.
A coincidence I’d like to see again.
Early in the morning, I feel like going out to see if there’s a chance
I want to reach out and touch the wind as it gently passes by.
The cat’s eyes that met the water shyly, I wonder if it’s you, I call your name
You’ve become a butterfly
Still pretty
You’ve become a bird
I’m finally free
You came like this today without forgetting
Thank you.
I’m glad I can wait for tomorrow.
See you again on a good day. // IU
A gift to IU from South Korea’s leading singer-songwriter Na-ul, the song’s simple, understated melody gently leads the listener through the EP and nylon guitar melody. The melodic, breathy verses and Na-ul’s unassuming chorus add depth to the song, while the lingering bridge and direct, keyed-up final chorus add a touch of honesty and sophistication. The lyrical spring-like string melody is accompanied by warm electric guitars, creating a quintessentially emotional contemporary pop sound.
5. Celebrity
I have a friend who has often been treated as an oddball because of his eye-catching outfits, slightly unique tastes, diverse talents, defense mechanisms against strangers, and his outgoing personality.
I love her all the more because of her quirks, and I know that she’s been on the receiving end of a lot of hate for the same reasons.
The lyrics started out as a list of things I wanted to say to my ‘weird friend’, but as I worked on it, I realized that it was also about me. Once I finished the lyrics, I realized that it wouldn’t be unnatural to put anyone in the main character, not just my friend or myself. We’ve all felt marginalized at some point in our lives because we don’t fit the mold that others have created for us.
I want to tell my friends, and anyone else who was born clunky and unique.
You’re not a weirdo, you’re a star.” //
The album’s first single, “Celebrity,” topped the music charts upon its release, signaling a spectacular comeback. It is an electronic pop music with a tropical house flavor that stands out for its light and sophisticated sound, and the drop-type hook mixed with synthesizers and Auto-Tune adds freshness to IU’s voice.
6. Dolim Song (Feat. DEAN)
It’s pathetic, but
If it’s love even this far, love. // IU
The much-awaited meeting between IU and DEAN was realized. Park Woo-sang, JUNNY, DEAN, and jane participated in the composition, and in a genre based on reggae and bossa nova, IU and DEAN exchange honest stories about the relationship between lovers like a dolly song.
7. Empty Cup (Empty Cup)
A man who sits pale in his seat, unable to catch the woman who gets up first, finds his cup overflowing with aromatic coffee, but instead of a messy coffee stain on the floor. // Producer WOOGIE WOOGIE
Producer WOOGIE, hip-hop artist PENOMECO, and IU. A fresh collaboration between artists with a wide musical spectrum, “Empty Cup” has been the talk of the town since the track list was released, and IU’s toned-down, lonely voice, lo-fi guitar sound, and R&B-based band sound combine to maximize the song’s chic emotional line.
8. I and My Sea
I can’t love me fully
Past the nights when my heart was poor,
I’ve finally gotten my sea back. // The combination of
The duo of ‘Night Letter’, composers Jehwi and Kim Hee Won, teamed up again for a ballad track. The song starts off calmly, but the grand sound and IU’s energetic vocals come together to capture the listener’s attention for 5 minutes and 16 seconds. The rich performance of the 20-piece string session adds to the beauty of the song, and IU’s explosive high notes in the second half and the quartet with composer Jehwi’s friends bring the song to a dramatic climax.
9. Ah puh (어푸)
I’m tired of seeing you in that ocean //
The cool and aggressive sound of surfing on the waves, the stuttering rhythm and dynamic melody, as if taking a picture, make the fun lyrics written by IU and Lee Chan-hyuk stand out. Lee Chan-hyuk also commented, “It would be appropriate to say that this is a modern interpretation of IU’s refreshing early songs,” which adds an extra point of appreciation.
10. Epilogue
Throughout my chatty twenties, I’d like to sincerely thank all the listeners who didn’t mind my ramblings and were willing to talk with me.
I’m not the IU of twenty-three, I’m not the IU of twenty-five, I’m not the IU of last year, and I move on without question.
Bye.
– Built Dream //
Composer Shim Eunji, who was responsible for the final track of IU’s first album in her twenties, “Spring in My Twenties,” will once again collaborate with singer-songwriters Kim Sooyoung, SUMIN, and WageBee for the final track on the album that wraps up her twenties. It is a ballad with a retro sensibility, with a fond greeting from IU and a lo-fi textured sound that sounds like it could have come from an old electric shaft.
* Album Specifications
– PHOTO BOOK: 72P (Image varies by version)
– CD: DISC1 (Image varies by version)
– LYRIC BOOK: 1 type / 16P (Same image for each version)
– AR PHOTO CARD: 1 type insert (image differs by version)
– PHOTO CARD: Insert 1 random out of 3 types (image varies by version)
– ID PHOTO KIT: Insert 1 type (image varies by version)
– ARTWORK STICKER: Insert 1 type (Image varies by version)
