IU aims to succeed in the world tour in her 30s

Will IU, now in her 30s, surpass the 17-year-old IU from 'Good Day' during the IU World Tour Winner on September 30th? Despite her efforts as an actress in works like the drama 'My Mister' and the movie 'Broker,' IU has returned to her primary role as a singer. Taking a risk with her new album 'The Winning' and embarking on a world tour titled 'IU H.E.R.,' where the new album stage was introduced for the first time.

The performance, held at the KSPO Dome in Songpa-gu, Seoul, one year and six months after IU's historic solo concert at the Olympic Stadium in 2022, showcased four parts: Hypnotic, Energetic, Romantic, and Ecstatic, aligning with the concert theme 'H.E.R.' It portrayed IU's narrative as she "decided to become a gamete (holssi) instead of blooming into a flower."

The performance's first part commenced with 'Holssi (gamete),' and the impactful final song, 'Obliviate,' left a lasting impression. Prior to singing this song, which carries lyrics about erasing memories, IU humorously remarked, "When I recite the spell, please erase everyone’s memories." While a witty introduction to the song, it also seemed to be a plea to forget the person associated with her representative songs 'Good Day' and 'Palette.'

IU's tour will progress to Yokohama, Japan, Taipei, Taiwan, Jakarta, Indonesia, and North America (six locations). Additionally, an encore concert is scheduled at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul on September 21 and 22. IU holds the distinction of being the first female K-pop singer to have a solo concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com