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Lee Ji-eun (Korean: 이지은; born May 16, 1993), also known by her stage name IU (Korean: 아이유), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. She signed with LOEN Entertainment in 2007 as a trainee and debuted as a singer at the age of fifteen with her first mini album Lost and Found.
Early life[]
IU was born Lee Ji-eun on May 16, 1993, in Songjeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea. At an early age, IU became interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and began attending acting classes. Soon after her elementary school years, her family's financial situation deteriorated, and they eventually moved to the nearby Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province. She and her younger brother lived apart from their parents in a studio room with their grandmother and cousin for over a year in conditions of great poverty. IU had little contact with her parents over this period of time but felt reassured under her grandmother's care.
During her middle school years, IU found her passion for singing and decided to become a singer after being applauded for a performance she gave at her school's sports competition. She attended 20 auditions but failed all of them, and was also scammed by fake entertainment companies. She later trained at Good Entertainment with Uee, Kim Yu Bin, Heo Ga Yoon, and Jun Hyo Seong. After signing with LOEN Entertainment in 2007, she moved to Bangbae, Seoul. Due to her living conditions at the time, IU stated that she "loved being at the studio", where she could eat as much as she wanted and had a place to sleep.
Her burgeoning career led to her decreased attendance at school and declining grades, with the exception of Korean literature. After graduating from Dongduk Women's University in 2012, IU decided not to pursue post-secondary education in tandem with her singing career.
Career[]
2008–2009: Career beginnings[]
On April 23, 2009, IU launched her first studio album, Growing Up, with the lead promotional single, "Boo". She began her album promotion the next day, performing "Boo" on KBS2's Music Bank. The song was noted for its stark contrast in musical style to "Lost Child", which was described as a "heavy" and "dark" ballad compared to the 1980s "retro sound" of "Boo". Deemed as a "strategic" transformation, the dance choreography, stage costume and hairstyle shown in live performances were used to emphasize her youthfulness and project a "cute" image. Although it drew a favorable response from the public, IU, who was fifteen years old at the time, admitted that the image made her feel awkward. Along with several songs from Lost and Found, "You Know"was also featured in 'Growing Up; a new rock-style arrangement of the song was released as the follow-up single to "Boo".
2010–2011: Rising popularity and acting debut[]
To maintain public visibility, IU joined the cast of the variety show, Heroes, which aired from July 18, 2010, to May 1, 2011. Speaking fondly of the show, IU recalled the camaraderie she built with the other regular cast members despite the hectic two-day shooting schedules which only allowed them two-three hours of sleep. Shortly after joining Heroes, IU was cast in teen drama Dream High. Filming ran from December 2010 to February 2011, during which time she remained committed to Heroes and her existing promotions for "Good Day". In her first acting role, IU played Kim Pil-sook, a shy and overweight school girl who dreams of becoming a professional singer. Admitting that she was doubtful about her readiness to take on acting, IU remarked that she gained confidence in learning that the part would require singing and would later describe the experience as a tremendously enjoyable one. For the series' soundtrack, she released the single, "Someday", which achieved number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart on the week of January 30 – February 5, 2011. By the end of 2011, the single had sold 2,209,924 digital copies and is one of IU's best-selling singles for a soundtrack.
2013: Dream High[]
IU started 2013 by taking on her first leading role in a television series, playing the title role in You're the Best, Lee Soon-shin. Her character was described as a "loser" who is seemingly average in every way except for her daring and bright personality, which helps her to overcome hardships. Despite the worries of casting someone who is better known as a singer in the role, director Yoon Sung-sik decided to cast IU after seeing her performance in Dream High and thought that she suited the image he had envisioned for the character. Her co-stars Go Doo-shim and Lee Ji-hoon, as well as the production crew, praised her performance, especially during emotional scenes. As the series progressed, IU's performance garnered positive critical reviews despite early reservations shown about her casting, with the viewership ratings reaching a peak of 30.8%. She was nominated for the Excellence in Acting Award (Best Actress in a Serial Drama) at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards. For the drama, she released a recording with her co-star Jo Jung Suk of her self-composed duet, "Beautiful Song", which was not included on the official soundtrack.
2015: The Producers[]
In 2015, two years after her last acting role, IU starred alongside Kim Soo Hyun, Cha Tae Hyun, and Gong Hyo Jin in The Producers , which was named as one of the most anticipated TV series of the year in South Korea.
2018: My Mister[]
In March 2018, IU starred in tvN's My Mister, playing the character Lee Ji-an. The series was commercially and critically successful with peak audience ratings of 7.3% making it one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history, and positive reviews for IU's performance. IU then contributed her vocals to Zico's "Soulmate", which was released on July 23, 2018. Upon release, the single topped the daily and real time charts of all 6 major Korean music sites and claimed the number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart.
2019–present: Persona, Hotel del Luna, Dream, and Ganadara[]
On April 11, 2019, IU made her film debut in the Netflix anthology series Persona. She portrayed different characters in each of the four short films During the summer, IU starred in the fantasy mystery drama Hotel del Luna, written by the Hong Sisters. She also sang one of the songs on the soundtrack, "Happy Ending".
On January 3, 2020, it was announced that IU would star in the film Dream alongside Park Seo Joon.
In 2022, IU collaborated with Jay Park for the single Ganadara, which peaked at number one on both the Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboards K-pop Hot 100
Discography[]
Main article: IU discography
Filmography[]
Television Series[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dream High | Kim Pil Sook |
| 2013 | You Are the Best! | Lee Soon Shin |
| Bel Ami | Kim Bo Tong | |
| 2015 | The Producers | Cindy |
| 2016 | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | Go Ha Jin / Hae Soo |
| 2018 | My Mister | Lee JiAn |
| 2019 | Persona | IU / Eun / Han Na / Ji Eun |
| Hotel del Luna | Jang Man Wol | |
| Shades of the Heart | Mi Young |
Personal life[]
Relationship[]
On October 8, 2015, local news source Dispatch reported that she and Jang Ki Ha (Jang Ki Ha and the Faces) were dating and it was confirmed by IU’s management agency, Loen Entertainment.[1] The couple broke up in January 2017.[2]
On December 31, 2022, Dispatch reported that IU and Lee Jong Suk were in a relationship and have been for about four months. Both agencies confirmed the reports.[3]
Gallery[]
