From a young and cute girl, IU has matured into a musician with a deep look in her eyes, singing lyrics that tell stories. Seemingly someone who doesn’t reveal her inner thoughts readily, as singer IU in her 8th year since her debut, she shared stories about her life recently.

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Q: IU is a very dififcult star to get an interview with. But of course, it’s because we really want to see you.
I really like doing interviews, but I don’t have that many opportunities to do them. I don’t get many interviews outside of the big media-frenzied ones that I do for my album releases. I’m also not like othes who often do magazine shoots. Maybe it’s also because my company’s goal is that since I am a solo artist, my image has to be able to be quickly taken in and consumed and it’s better that I show who I am through my albums instead.

Q: Lyricist Kim Eana has said that, “IU is a child with a huge natural born talent”. Accoridng to the editor, IU seems to be someone who doesn’t especially love nor hate anything, like someone who seems to have transcended above everyday, trivial emotions. You’re someone who’s really cute and sings with such a bright smile but I also feel that you have a really cool energy about you.
Now and then, there are people who say that about me. To be honest, I don’t really know myself very well. It’s also because since I’m stil young, I change my mind frequently. It’s also because of this reason that I’m very careful about what I say in interviews. Even though I might have been very truthful in my interview at that time, but because I change my mind so often, people might misunderstand me. There are people who remember me as a really bright person, but there are also people who see me as someone who is really shadowy and sad. I am both of those things and more. In the eyes of others, I am an agreeable person who doesn’t have a lot of hate.

Q: How similar and different are “Lee Jieun” and “IU”?
Even though it’s difficult to just pick one example, the biggest would be that “Lee Jieun” acts really randomly and impulsively and simply, but “IU” acts a bit more cautiously and considers things more carefully. (That’s because of the public, right?) Yes, that’s right. That’s how they are different, but lately, it’s starting to get a little tiring. But anyways, they’re both me so I wonder if I’m torturing myself too much by dividing the two so clearly. Am I not living with too much pressure on myself?

Q: What misunderstandings do the public have of you?
Well… Like what I said just now, in the past, I wanted to clarify things like “I’m not such a bright and cheery person” or that “I’m not such a gloomy and depressed person”. Now that I acknowledge all that instead of letting it bother me, I feel a lot better. If I really have to pick one to talk about, it will be that “IU has a determined spirit” or that “She has great ambition”. I’m not that strong really. (Laughs)

Q: In what ways are you strict towards yourself?
In many aspects. As a star, I need to look good, so I need to watch my weight. What I’m the most strict towards myself is writing lyrics. When it comes to composing, I put in so much effort to the extent that I even wonder to myself, “Perhaps I’m being too hard on myself.” Compared to being judged by others, I have the highest standards for myself and I don’t get swayed easily by others’ comments. Even if some people around me give worried reactions, I’m the kind to strive on as long as I have confidence in myself. The same goes if the situation is the opposite. If there’s something that I’m just slightly not satisfied with, I don’t care about the reactions of those around me, I’ll hang in there until I find the solution for myself. (That’s because you believe in your own intuition right?) Yes, it seems so. I’m not sure about the reason or the basis, but I trust my feeling in that moment, which only I know about. Especially when I’m composing.

Q: They say that those look soft and gentle on the outside but are strong inside are ‘oe yu nae gang (外柔内刚)’. Are you the ‘nae gang oe yu (内刚外柔)’ type? It means stubborn and firm inside, but soft and gentle on the outside. Teenagers nowadays want to become like IU the most.
Haha! Is that so? It’s my first time hearing that. I’m flattered, but well… I’m not as strong as people think I am though. I’m just barely strong enough to keep myself from crumbling. I’m not that weak either, but everyone leads their lives protecting themselves like this. There are some people that would make others go, ‘This person is really nice and always smiling brightly.’ Actually, my unni is like that. She has a strong will on the inside, just that she’s different on the outside and protects herself in her own way.
(Although you make it sound like nothing much, you’ve left a pretty awesome legacy for youself. Like during ‘Infinity Challenge’ too. Not just the song itself, but seeing you actually producing it so perfectly really surprised us.)
I was very lucky this time. Of course, I put in effort to make the song sound good as well. I wanted to bring out Park Myungsoo ssaem (teacher)’s vocal tone and overlay my own voice on top of it in perfect symmetry. For it to be the one and only male/female duet on ‘Infinity Challenge’ and because I had to dance and include a storyline in the lyrics as well, it was certainly a challenge for me. There wasn’t a day that went by without me complaining and going, ‘Ah~! This is really no ordinary feat.’ On top of that, I’m not a singer with a reputation for composing songs. I’m just starting to take baby steps, yet I was up against some ‘music chart gangsters’ (singers who take over the charts the moment they release new songs), so whenever I looked at the strong lineup, I felt discouraged.
(From the perspective of the viewers, from the start it felt as if the sunbaes were chasing your footsteps. You shone with your sharp sense of hearing during the ‘masked singer’ segment and all of them trusted your sense of hearing in the end.)
Ah, that was a stroke of luck as well. All the singers that I’ve been listening to recently happened to appear on the show.

Q: I heard about the IC music festival and post-festival party from those who appeared on the show. In particular, Zion.T being jealous of Hyukoh became a hot topic online. Do you have anything to say about this?
I’ve known Zion.T for quite a while. Between us, we often talk about our music too. But wouldn’t it be too random to suddenly! go, ‘I’m listening a lot to this song recently’? (Haha) Both Zion.T and Hyukoh are top musicians with excellent vocals and they suit my music taste the best. Zion.T sings really well and he’s good at conveying the meaning in the lyrics and he even writes his own lyrics. Right from the start when I saw him, I thought to myself “he’s a genius”. When I first heard Oh Hyuk’s music, I was really surprised by how well he sang and when I found out that he’s my age, I was once again taken aback. During the ‘Infinity Challenge’ recording, I wasn’t close to Oh Hyuk at all, but was already quite close with Zion.T, so I probably didn’t make any comments*. Zion.T could have been just joking around when he said that anyway.
(*Note: Zion.T was jealous and complained that IU didn’t make special mention of his music during IC, but mentioned Oh Hyuk’s music in particular.)

Q: Have you ever felt that you need to take heavy responsibility over your words in retrospect?
I often feel that way. I need to think a lot before I speak. Perhaps because of that, my language skils are gradually deteriorating. Sometimes, I wonder to myself, “Why am I so terrible at speaking?” I might as well just organise my thoughts properly and write them into lyrics instead.

Q: Recently, you did a performance at “Jebidabang” with Hykoh. I’m curious how that got started.
It was quite simple. One day, I got a call from Oh Hyuk.
Oh Hyuk: What’s up?
IU: Nothing much.
Oh Hyuk: What are you doing on 1st September?
IU: Nothing.
Oh Hyuk: Oh yeah~! Oh yeah~~!
IU: Why?
Oh Hyuk: Let’s do a gig at Jebidabang.
That’s all there was to it. (Laughs) So I went to search ‘Jebidabang’, found the ambience not bad, quite pretty and thought it would be quite fun. The thought of “Why am I suddenly performing there?” did cross my mind. That was around the time when I was packed with schedules in China, CF shoots and so on. But one sentence from Oh Hyuk - “Show us the power of the 93-liners!” - was enough to help me make up my mind. (Haha) I have a great pride at stake when it comes to my sense of belonging. Oh Hyuk skilfully attacked that part of me. (Laughs)

Q: Many people miss Cindy from the drama ‘Producer’. You can act quite well too.
Enough for me to feel quite shameless (about confessing) that. The thing that gives me a different thrilling sensation from singing is none other than acting. Although everything happens so quickly that it feels as if my soul is sucked in and I lose my senses, I’m really happy during the time I concentrate on acting. In particular, Cindy’s role was that of a celebrity and many aspects of her were quite similar to my real self. Separating from a girl group and succeeding as a singer of 10 years experience and solo singer IU with 8 years of experience. Full of animosity, putting up walls to defend herself and so on, her character closely resembles what people commonly perceive as the celebrity image. Cindy has great appeal. The look she has that’s full of confidence and dignity.
(Degree of similarity with the real IU…?)
70%.

Q: Based on your music so far and your recent performance at the “IC Music Festival”, you’ve gone through a great transformation and it seems like there’s a story behind that. Seems like you have other plans too. Are you shaping (your music direction) intentionally?
There’s nothing in particular that I want and am planning specifically for. Somehow by working hard in life, thanks to some nice people and the right timing, I managed to get to where I am today. Before I realised it, I turned 23. Including my debut song ‘Mia’ and other high quality songs were readily recommended to me by two Producers and staff, who generously fed me the nutrients I needed in order to grow up well. Kim Eana lyricist told me that in order for me to receive praise like ‘IU is a singer who tells many different stories’, I have to dissolve my own precious thoughts into the lyrics of my songs.

Q: Yang Hui-en sunbaenim gave you the advice, ‘Don’t trust your own voice too much.’ What kind of impact do you think that advice had on you? And what do you think it means to you?
She probably means I need to work harder to enrich myself further, isn’t it. In that moment when I received this advice from sunbaenim, I thought to myself, ‘Wah, that’s right! How did she know that heeheeheehee! She’s amazing.’ Also, I was surprised that she told me what I needed to hear the most right now. It’s because we know our own limits that we (find out what we’re good at and) get the hang of it. I was trying to receive more without putting in the necessary effort and was ttak! caught in the act by seonsaengnim. It became a chance for me to get my act together and do my music with a refreshed perspective.

Q: What’s IU’s ‘success formula’?
If I lose some, I gain some and if I gain some, I lose some. That’s what I live by. In actual fact, when I give up something, the world hands me something else instead. It’s always been that way until now without fail and in future, I wish to give up some things in order to enjoy the happiness I value.

Q: Compared to the past, as you’re better off financially now, are you happier with your life now too? What does money mean to you?
There’s a saying that goes money can’t buy you happiness. Although it’s not wrong to say so, having more money does slightly increase your probability of becoming happier. As long as you’re not swayed by the numbers (and start to gamble and stuff). What I’m certain of is that money somehow makes people more confident in themselves. Recently, I had a deep conversation with my mother about the topic of money. Although we’re earning a lot more than before, proportionally, we’re also spending more and it seems we’ve lost the value of money. Even though there was a time when we felt like we could breathe again if we could even get our hands on 100 thousand won (100 USD), seeing how I’m numb to even larger sums of money now, I feel like I’ve been robbed of the times I can feel happier. So I thought about that. After much contemplation, I came to the conclusion that actually, I don’t need anything above my current assets and my parents agreed with me too.

Q: What would IU’s image be like 2 years from now?
I don’t think I’ll change a lot 2 years from now though. I’ll become a quieter person than I am currently.
(You’re pretty quiet now too, do you mean you’ll become even quieter?)
I think a lot about the things I say nowadays, but I think it’ll be better if I speak less. So 2 years from now, I’ll become more reserved than I am now. But that doesn’t mean I’ll become an unsociable person, in fact, I’ll have more freedom in what I do compared to now.

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For a long time, I lived by the motto, ‘I’m a lucky person’, but recently, I have a new motto. That’s ‘You only live once’ (IU believes in YOLO-ing hahaha..) With such a change in mentality, even if I have some free time, I can’t spend it carelessly. I’m never going to be able to return to my 20s, so I have to live the value of this age to the fullest. I’ll spend each year from 23 to 24, 25 and so on… happily and without regrets.

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While composing music with my sunbaenims, I started to think about things a lot more. Also, I realised that I’m totally, no, I’m really nobody at all. I thought to myself that I’m just an average 20-year-old girl. That’s how great and precious my sunbaenims are to me.

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Translated by squishy and kitkat with love via link