Lilac (IU album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lilac
IU - Lilac.png
Digital cover
Studio album by
IU
ReleasedMarch 25, 2021
Recorded2020–21
Length36:32
LanguageKorean
LabelEdam Entertainment
IU chronology
Love Poem
(2019) 		Lilac
(2021)
Singles from Lilac
  1. "Celebrity"
    Released: January 27, 2021
  2. "Lilac"
    Released: March 25, 2021
  3. "Coin"
    Released: March 26, 2021

Lilac (Korean: 라일락; RR: Ra-illak, stylized in all caps) is the fifth studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released on March 25, 2021, through Edam Entertainment.[1] The album was certified platinum by the Korean Music Content Association.

Background and conception[]

On September 8, 2020, IU uploaded a video of her as Lee Ji-dong, her alter-ego working for Edam Entertainment, through her official YouTube channel, revealing that she would be releasing a studio album by the end of the year.[2] On January 11, 2021, her label Edam Entertainment announced that she would return with a pre-release single, a cheerful and energetic pop song titled "Celebrity", on January 27.[3][4] On March 3, IU announced her fifth Korean-language studio album, entitled Lilac, will be released on March 25.[1] It will mark her first studio album since Palette in April 2017.[5] While working on the album, IU revealed in an interview with W Korea that she didn't felt the need to include a self-composed song and didn't hesitate to cut songs off the track list in order for the album to "feel" IU.[6] The singer described "Lilac" as a bittersweet song reminiscent of a spring typhoon.[7] In "Flu", she compares the feeling of being in love to a flu;[8] "Ah Puh" is a hip hop track that conveys confidence, loneliness, and exhaustion, while "My Sea" is an orchestral piece which combines "Dear Name", "Love Poem", and "Secret".

Title[]

In an interview with GQ Korea in November 2020, she shared that the release had been scheduled for 2021, and that the concept of the record is "greeting/farewell" (인사; insa): according to Korean age reckoning, the singer would turn 29 in 2021, so Lilac represents the last album of her twenties.[9] IU explained her choice stating "Since I debuted at the age of 18 [sic],[10] people have seen me from the middle of my teens, but they've seen me throughout my whole twenties. I'm making this album because I want to say goodbye to those who have been watching over my twenties, and thank you to those who watched until the very end. I want to have a glamorous goodbye. Something glamorous, without sadness. [...] I want to reach my thirties with a clean slate."[9]

In the language of flowers, 'lilac' means 'memories of youth.' I wanted to include a farewell with the message 'I'm now going onward to my next chapter' while also greeting my upcoming 30s at the same time.

— IU on the album's title, "Lilac", W Korea[6]

Release and promotion[]

The release and title of Lilac was announced on March 4, 2021; a comeback timetable was shared on March 8.[11] Previously, IU shared visual and audio snippets titled "BYLAC" and "HILAC" on February 25 and March 1, respectively.[12] IU unveiled the track list on her official SNS accounts on March 10, revealing K-R&B singer Dean as a featured artist, with AKMU's Lee Chan-hyuk, singer-songwriter Naul, and Penomeco taking part in production. Of the 10 tracks, IU served as the sole songwriter on eight tracks, two being co-written with Dean and Lee Chan-hyuk.[13][14]

Lilac was released on March 25, 2021, through Edam Entertainment. The release marks the singer's first full-length album in nearly four years, following Palette (2017). IU appeared on South Korean music programs for the first time since promotions for Palette.

Singles[]

Lilac was preceded by the release of its lead single "Celebrity" and an accompanying music video on January 27, 2021.[3][15] The single topped several South Korean music sites and debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, becoming the singer's 25th chart-topper and extending her record for the most number ones on the ranking.[16] The single also entered the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in the United States at number three.[17]

"Lilac" was simultaneously released alongside the album on March 25, 2021 as its second single and title track, also accompanied by a music video.[18] The single debuted at number four on the Digital Chart with only four days of tracking.[19] In the following week, single peaked atop the chart. It became IU's 26th number one in the country, extending her record as the artist with most number ones on the Gaon Digital Chart.[20] IU first performed the song, along with "Epilogue", on Music Bank, marking her first performance on a music show since "Palette".[21] The following day, she returned to Show! Music Core and Inkigayo to perform "Lilac" and "Coin".[22][23]

The third single, "Coin", was released the day after the album, on March 26, 2021. It was accompanied by a retro-inspired music video that was uploaded to 1TheK's official YouTube channel.[24] The single debuted at number seven on the Digital Chart.[19] The following week, the song rose to number four on the chart.[20] IU performed the song, together with "Lilac", on Music Core and Inkigayo on March 26 and 28 respectively.[22][23]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Beats Per Minute81/100[25]
IZM4/5 stars[26]
NME4/5 stars[27]
Rolling Stone Korea4/5 stars[28]

Sofiana Ramli of NME , awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, describing the album as "a love letter to her 20s, the record is a farewell to the singer's defining decade." The reviewer commended the upbeat musical direction on this record as IU "swaps her subdued brand of sun-kissed pop for dancefloor hits."[27] Writing for Beats Per Minute, Chase McMullen gave the album a score of 81/100, stating that "IU delves into a sound on LILAC that is at once varied and cohesive" but "never strays too far from what she knowingly calls "the IU sound". McMullen concluded that Lilac is "an album of rumination, prideful bliss tempered by melancholy, and, above all, acceptance."[25]

Commercial performance[]

On its first day, according to the Hanteo chart, Lilac sold 216,319 copies, surpassing predecessor Love Poem's (2019) opening day sales.[29] The album became the second highest-selling by a South Korean female soloist in its first week, having sold a cumulative 267,754 copies.[30] Lilac debuted atop the weekly Gaon Album Chart issue for the period dated March 21–27, 2021,[31] becoming IU's fifth release to do so.[citation needed] On the Gaon Digital Chart, all ten tracks from the album simultaneously appeared in the top 30. Additionally, several of IU's older songs re-entered the Digital chart following the album's release.[19] In May 2021, Lilac was certified platinum by the Korean Music Content Association (KMCA) for selling over 250,000 copies.[32]

Track listing[]

All lyrics are written by IU, except where noted.

Lilac track listing
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
1."Lilac" (라일락; Ra-illak)
  • Im Soo-ho
  • Dr.JO
  • Ung Kim
  • N!ko
  • Im Soo-ho
  • Ung Kim
  • N!ko
3:34
2."Flu"
  • Ryan S. Jhun
  • Martin Coogan, Madilyn Bailey
  • Zachariah Palmer
  • London Jackson
  • Jacob Chatelain
  • Jacob Chatelain
  • London Jackson
  • Ryan S. Jhun
3:08
3."Coin"
  • IU
  • Poptime
  • Kako
Poptime3:13
4."Hi Spring Bye" (봄 안녕 봄; Bom annyeong bom; lit. Spring Hello Spring)NaulKang Hwa-seong5:24
5."Celebrity"
  • IU
  • Ryan S. Jhun
  • Jeppe London Bilsby
  • Lauritz Emil Christiansen
  • Chloe LatimerCeline Svanbäck
  • Ryan S. Jhun
  • Jeppe London Bilsby
  • Lauritz Emil Christiansen
3:15
6."Troll" (돌림노래; Dollimnorae; lit. Revolving Song; featuring Dean; writers: IU, Dean)
  • Dean
  • Park Woo-sang
  • JUNNY
Park Woo-sang3:09
7."Empty Cup" (빈 컵; Bin keop)
Woogie2:19
8."My Sea" (아이와 나의 바다; A-i-wa na-ui bada; lit. The Sea of a Kid & I)
  • Kim Je-hwi
  • Kim Hee-won
  • Kim Je-hwi
  • Kim Hee-won
5:16
9."Ah Puh" (어푸; Eopu; writers: IU, Lee Chan-hyuk)
  • Lee Chan-hyuk
  • Peejay
Peejay3:20
10."Epilogue" (에필로그; Epillogeu)
  • Shim Eun-ji
  • Sumin
  • Kim Soo-young
  • Im Geum-bi
  • Shim Eun-ji
  • Kim Soo-young
3:49
Total length:36:35

Charts[]

Chart performance for Lilac
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[33] 63
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[34] 23
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[31] 1
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[35] 18
US World Albums (Billboard)[36] 9

Certifications and sales[]

Sales certifications for Lilac
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan — 2,344[37]
South Korea (KMCA)[39] Platinum 373,822[38]

Release history[]

Release history for Lilac
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various March 25, 2021
Edam Entertainment [1]

Accolades[]

Music program awards for Lilac
Song Program Date
"Celebrity"
Show! Music Core (MBC) February 6, 2021
February 20, 2021
March 13, 2021
Inkigayo (SBS) February 7, 2021
February 21, 2021
February 28, 2021
Music Bank (KBS) February 5, 2021
February 12, 2021
March 12, 2021
April 2, 2021
Show Champion (MBC M) February 10, 2021
"Lilac"
Inkigayo (SBS) April 4, 2021
April 11, 2021
April 18, 2021
Music Bank (KBS) April 16, 2021
Show! Music Core (MBC) April 17, 2021
May 8, 2021
Show Champion (MBC M) April 7, 2021
M Countdown (Mnet) April 1, 2021

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ramli, Sofiana (March 4, 2021). "IU confirms new album title and release date". NME.
  2. ^ Lee, So-yoon (September 9, 2020). "아이유 부캐 '이지동'이 아이유의 올해 정규 앨범 발표 시점을 예고했다". Huffington Post Korea (in Korean). Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "IU, pre-release of new song on the January 27th". Korea Dispatch. January 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "아이유, 27일 정규 5집 선공개곡 발표…경쾌한 팝 사운드곡". entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  5. ^ Dong, Sun-hwa (March 4, 2021). "IU's new release 'Lilac' to hit shelves on March 25". The Korea Times.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Lee, Yun-jin; Moon, Seon-young (March 23, 2021). "Hello Goodbye (아이유)". W Korea (in Korean). Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Oh, Seo-rin (March 12, 2021). ""'라일락'은 소주 같은 맛"…아이유, 부캐 이지동으로 신곡 스포". Topstar News (in Korean). Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "[팝업★]"댄스 인생 14년 차"..아이유, 신곡 'Flu' 티저 비하인드 공개". pop.heraldcorp.com (in Korean). March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b GQ (November 26, 2020). "아이유 "이제 다음 챕터로 갑니다"". GQ Korea (in Korean). Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  10. ^ IU debuted at the age of 18 according to the Korean age reckoning. Her international age in 2008 was 15.
  11. ^ Kwak, Hyun-soo (March 4, 2021). 아이유, 25일 정규 5집 'LILAC'으로 컴백 [공식] [IU's comeback with 5th studio album "LILAC" to be released on March 25 [Official]]. Naver (in Korean). Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  12. ^ Ramli, Sofiana (March 4, 2021). "IU confirms new album title and release date". NME. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Ramli, Sofiana (March 10, 2021). "IU teases collaboration with DEAN on new album 'LILAC'". NME. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Lee, Gyu-lee (March 16, 2021). "IU unveils 'Spring Hello Spring' teaser video for upcoming album 'LILAC'". The Korea Times. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  15. ^ "K-pop singer IU releases new song 'Celebrity'". ABS-CBN News. January 27, 2021.
  16. ^ "Digital Chart – Week 5 of 2021". Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  17. ^ "World Digital Song Sales Chart (The week of April 10, 2021)". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Abanes, Mariel (March 25, 2021). "Watch IU throw a party in a train in new music video for 'LILAC'". NME. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Digital Chart – Week 13 of 2021". Gaon Music Chart. March 27, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Digital Chart – Week 14 of 2021". Gaon Music Chart. April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  21. ^ Shim, Min-kyeong (March 27, 2021). "[Music Bank] IU, Lovely scent of flowers blowing♥ <Lilac>". Naver. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Ahn Jin-young (March 24, 2020). 아이유, 7년 만에 MBC '음중' 나들이..'라일락'으로 지상파 3사 출연 [IU, After 7 Years, IU performs Lilac on all three terrestrial broadcasting companies, MBC 'Show! Music Core']. Munhwa (in Korean). Retrieved March 29, 2021 – via Daum.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b Park Su-jeong (March 28, 2020). [가요 SCENE] '인기가요' 아이유, '코인'+'라일락'로 컴백 "역시 아이유" [[Inkigayo Scene] 'Inkigayo' IU , 'Coin' + 'Lilac' Comeback, 'This is IU']. The Celuv (in Korean). Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  24. ^ Yeo, Gladys (March 26, 2021). "IU plays a professional gambler in retro-inspired video for 'Coin'". NME. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b McMullen, Chase (March 31, 2021). "ALBUM REVIEW: IU – LILAC". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  26. ^ Hwang, Sun-up (April 5, 2021). "Lilac". IZM. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b Ramli, Sofiana (March 30, 2021). "IU – 'LILAC' review: a near-perfect, wide-ranging pop gem from K-pop's darling". NME. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  28. ^ Hwang, Sun-up (April 5, 2021). Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.co.kr/modules/catalogue/cg_view.html?cc=101011&p=1&no=206. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. ^ Hwang Hye-jin (March 26, 2021). 아이유, 음원 1위 올킬→앨범 판매량 하루만 10만장 돌파[차트오피스] [IU, No. 1 All-kill→Album exceeds 100,000 copies[Chart Office]]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  30. ^ Hwang Hye-jin (April 1, 2021). 아이유, 음원 1위 올킬→초동 앨범 판매량 26만장 돌파[차트오피스] [IU, No. 1 All-kill→Album exceeds 260,000 copies[Chart Office]]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b "Gaon Album Chart – Week 13, 2021". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  32. ^ "Gaon Album Certifications". Gaon. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  33. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2021/04/05". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  34. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021–04-12" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  35. ^ "IU Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  36. ^ "IU Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  37. ^ "オリコン週間 アルバムランキング 2021年03月29日～2021年04月04日 21～30位" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  38. ^ "Gaon Album Chart – April, 2021". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  39. ^ "South Korean album certifications – 아이유 (IU) – 5th Album 'LILAC'" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).
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