#5 BBIBBI
“Bbibbi” was released as a digital single on October 10th, 2018. “Bbibbi” is a laid-back alt-R&B track with confrontational and introspective lyrics that makes use of sound effects and onomatopoeia.
The song was considered a “warning” to IU’s haters and critics, with her turning around commentary on her image. Particular attention was paid to her delivery, including phrases and words like “yellow C-A-R-D” and “hello stu-P-I-D.” “Bbibbi” refers to a pager in Korean, in particular, the noise the device makes before people leave a message. “Bbibbi” is also the Korean name of Pippi Longstocking, the titular character of the Swedish children’s novel Pippi Longstocking.
The video currently has over 100 million views, making it the second most popular Korean music video by a female solo artist in 2018. Watch the “Bbibbi” music video below.
#6 Ending Scene
IU wrote the lyrics and Sam Kim composed the song. The lyrics of this song seem to be from the perspective of someone talking to an older lover. They’re romantic, sad, and thoughtful all at the same time.
The story behind this pays homage to the song’s English title: “Ending Scene,” with IU and Soo Hyun in a place that appears to be a cinema theater, laced with clouds and colorful string tied to each of their limbs as IU presses play on a movie. However, this is nothing like a movie date as they are watching back the memories of their relationship, skipping from their first meeting to multiple dates and also their first kiss.
Watch the music video here.
#7 Every End of the Day
“Every End of the Day’ was released as a CD single, titled Spring of a Twenty Year Old. The single has a double A-side hit singles, “Peach” and “Every End of the Day” which were also released digitally, consisting of three tracks in total, one of which was composed by IU.
The music video for the track “Every End of the Day” was released on May 11th, 2012. This 26-minute-long short film is done in a documentary style and features interviews with IU, as well as footage from her previously mentioned trip to Venice. The song itself is a lively up-tempo song, that sounds similar to older pop music. The arrangement features string instruments. The lyrics and music video tell the tale of a girl who is deeply in love with a man that she hopes will make the first move.
Watch the full MV below!
#8 Peach
She mentioned that the lyrics were written to convey the emotion one feels when looking at their lover and that she had put in special attention into portraying one verse of the lyrics from the perspective of a male thinking about a pretty girl.
On May 14th, 2012, IU also revealed the secret to her latest single, “Peach,” during a mobile chat session with her fans through me2day. During the conversation, IU revealed for the first time, “I wrote ‘Peach’ thinking about f(x)’s Sulli, from a man’s point of view.” She didn’t further explain what characteristic of Sulli was so intriguing to write a song about her, but fans seemed to understand what she meant through her lyrics.
Here’s the music video teaser for IU’s “Peach.”
#9 Red Shoes
“The Red Shoes,” the album’s lead track, is a song with big band sounds, dramatic developments, and elaborate choruses. The song was inspired from a fairy tale under the same title written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, and the movie plot for its music video was adapted from the 1948 British film of the same title. Comparing to red shoes, it tells about a woman who begins her journey for the once-brilliant and summer-like days she had with her lost love, counting on her fate.
The single was released on October 8th, 2013, along with the whole album, and its music video was officially unveiled at 11:00 am KST. The video, directed by South Korean music video director Hwang Soo-ah. “The Red Shoes” reached number one on both the Gaon Singles and Download Charts on the third week of October 2013. It also topped the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks, becoming the singer’s third number-one hit on the chart, after “You and I” (2011–12) and “Every End of the Day” (2012).
Watch “The Red Shoes” music video below.
#10 Lost Child
The music video for “Lost Child” featuring Thunder, was uploaded through LOEN Entertainment’s official YouTube channel on July 19th, 2011, and she was 14/15 years old when this song came out. The song is written by Choi Gap-won and arranged by Min Woong-shik and Lee Jong-hoon.
Watch the music video to relax yourself.
