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Today, on K-pop idol IU'S birthday, she turns 29 years old. The singer has been given the beloved title of "The Nation's Little Sister" by South Korea and is among the most popular solo K-pop artists in the country, with over a million physical albums having been sold so far.
With 72 KOMCA credits to her name as of January 2022, she is a singer-songwriter of high repute. In 2010, the track Good Day from her EP Real, somersaulted her to national success. She soon became a household name for her youthful radiance and beautiful voice.
Apart from her achievements as a singer, she has also acted in multiple Korean drama series. Her role as an overworked and underappreciated office worker in My Mister brought her critical acclaim and is considered to be among her best work so far.
5 K-pop collabs to listen in celebration of IU's birthday
The singer is known for partnering up with unexpected artists from the K-pop industry to produce music that represents them well. Her recent collaboration with Korean-American rapper Jay Park yielded a fun, upbeat track called GANADARA.
Here are five collaboration tracks one must listen to to celebrate IU's birthday.
1) A Gloomy Clock - Feat. Jonghyun of SHINee
Originally written by Jonghyun for his own album, A Gloomy Clock is about the gloominess and sadness that one experiences. However, the 2013 song is hopeful in that it also speaks of a future when one no longer feels the melancholy that seems to define the present.
Jonghyun harmonizes with IU's poignant vocals to create a moving yet optimistic song. A Gloomy Clock is a product of a collaboration between two artists who have great respect for each other's work. IU performed the track at her 2018 Singapore concert, dedicating it to the memory of Jonghyun. Today, on IU's birthday, this song is a must-listen.
2) ZICO - SoulMate (Feat. IU)
ZICO's SoulMate is a result of a long friendship between the the two Korean performers. In fact, ZICO has an uncredited feature in IU's 2009 release Marshmellow before his debut with BLOCK B in 2011.
SoulMate is a sweet, serendipitious song about two individuals who share a deep connection with each other that seems to bring them together again and again. The song is a departure from ZICO's hardcore diss rap to softer themes of lasting love.
The retro-inspired song was created with IU in mind, and it shows in the way she harmonizes with the BLOCK B rapper in his chorus. The style of the song allows ZICO to shine in his versatility with IU sprinkling in her familiar magic as a vocalist. Such a song is must listen for all fans, especially today, since it's IU's birthday.
3) Palette - Feat. G-DRAGON
Any playlist for IU's birthday would be incomplete without mentioning Palette. This K-pop collaboration was one for history. In this track, IU makes an ode to her twenties and talks about trying to find out what she likes.
Palette has a fair dose of nostalgia in it, with the singer talking about Good Day and how that song will have a special place in her heart, while looking to the future with a mixture of hope and unease.
G-DRAGON's lyrical rap says age is just a number and one mustn't get worn down by people who think they know better. He may be older but that does not mean that he has it all figured out. Through Palette, IU and G-DRAGON tell the listeners that making mistakes while one is learning about themselves is fine.
4) eight - Prod & Feat. SUGA of BTS
If Palette was about taking time to figure things out in one's twenties, eight is a more mature take on the concept of time and nostalgia. It talks about how the best memories never seem to fade, no matter how much time has passed.
IU refers to a happy memory as a place where the orange sun shines brightly and time has no meaning. SUGA's rap builds on this metaphor, calling the place an island where one can meet long after those days have passed.
The music will transport listeners to their younger, happier days. A wistful rendition of times passed by, eight's music video lends a dreamy quality to the song by utilizing different animating techniques along with live action. This song is not to be missed, especially on IU's birthday.
5) EPIK HIGH - LOVE STORY ft. IU
Both legends in their own right, it was only right that IU and EPIK HIGH create a collaborative song. While Tablo's melodic rap seems to mingle well together, Mithra Jin's verse serves as the perfect foil for this combination, rounding off LOVE STORY well.
The track is perfect for listening during a long commute to work, while reminiscing about the broken relationships of the past where things seemed perfect but eventually soured.
This song wraps up IU's birthday playlist of collaborations. EPIK HIGH's penchant for making songs of heartbreak sound like masterpieces, with Lee Ji-eun's breathy vocals weave together a song that deserves to be replayed.
As she turns twenty-nine, IU's birthday offers fans and casual listeners a chance to look back at her rich and diverse discography. The Good Day singer has carved out a niche for herself that both appeals to Korean audiences and represents her as an artist.
As with each year, IU's birthday is marked by her posting commemorative selfies on her personal Instagram, while she celebrates the end of her twenties in style.
The Lilac singer also likes to do good deeds on her special day. This year, she chose to donate 210 million won to The Snail of Love, Korean Unwed Mothers’ Families Association, Eden I Ville, and social welfare foundation Changinwon.
