IU has been called “Korea’s Little Sister” since her debut in 2008 with the song Lost Child, and in the years after, she’s been a soloist, an actress, and a radio host, although unlike most idols, she’s never been a member of a group.

Here are my credentials: I would definitely consider myself a fan of IU. I’ve liked almost every song of hers I’ve heard, including a couple b-sides, and I think she’s very talented. I also really enjoyed her performance in the k-drama Hotel Del Luna. But besides that, I don’t know much about her, and I’m hoping to change that. So let’s get started!

Album #1: Growing Up

Lost Child was IU’s official debut at only age 15, and feels bound for a movie soundtrack, desperate and raw, and the slowly building strings bring this sense of urgency. Though the core of her voice sounds the same, there’s a lack of maturity in it here compared to how I’m used to it sounding, but it still holds an incredible amount of power for someone so young. I have no idea what’s going on in the music video, though; why are there a bunch of naked contortionists chasing this child around the woods? Whose idea was this? Why? Just why?

Boo is usually treated as IU’s actual debut, and to say it’s different from Lost Child would be an understatement. It sounds like 2008 the moment it starts, from the R & B influences to the squeaky pop beat to the washed-out pastel color palette. It’s bubblegum for sure, but it’s grounded by IU’s voice and the more toned-down verses. The choruses I’m not as much a fan of, though I did like the ad-libs and the “my boo” hook eventually won me over.

This is quite a long album, so there’s a lot of room for IU to showcase her talents. I enjoyed the sunny acoustic guitar of Looking At You, the incredible emotion in her voice in Pitiful, the bubbly beat of Four Without Me, and the percussive backdrop of Face To Face. It was difficult to choose a hidden gem, but I think mine was Ugly Duckling, with its light guitar and confessional-style lyrics. IU’s voice is gentle and vulnerable, and carries this very soothing effect. I quite liked this album; it’s very cohesive, despite being a little exploratory. My biggest gripe is all the random male rappers featured on the songs, which interrupt the flow of several of the songs and seem superfluous at best.

EP #1: IU…I’m

Marshmallow goes further in the direction that Boo started, and it’s like IU’s regressed in age from Lost Child, despite being almost a year older. I’m not a fan of the huge amounts of aegyo at all, especially after how mature and emotional the last album was. The unnecessary male rapper makes a return here as well—sorry, Zico, but why are you here—and is even more . I don’t want to make it sound like there’s no good in it; its retro beat is delightfully 80’s and the “mallow, mallow” hook is catchy, but besides that, it’s so cutesy that it’s almost painful.

From the EP, I enjoyed the string-led background of the dramatic Taking A Train, but overall I preferred the first album. This gave me a bit of whiplash, constantly going back and forth between ballads and bubblegum.

EP #2: Real

Good Day was really where IU’s break-though began. It’s now considered a classic of 2nd gen kpop, and it’s easy to see why. Besides a music video right out of a kdrama, it has a kind of big band flair that’s destined to be performed on a stage. The intersections of jazz, strings, and electro beats are fantastic, and bring together the disparate sides of her discography thus far. It’s irrepressibly hopeful despite its lyrics, and its protagonist’s dreams are infectious. Its 3-part-end-note is a moment for the history books, and as a singer myself, I can’t help but want to belt it from the rooftops.

From the EP, Real, I enjoyed the painstaking feeling of piano-led ballad What I’m Doing Slow and the light percussion of coffee-shop-bound Lonely Room. This was a pretty ballad-heavy release, which isn’t my personal favorite, but I did think they were all quite strong.

Album #2: Last Fantasy

You & I, thankfully, builds on Good Day’s sense of grandeur, with a bit of the emotion of Lost Child worked in. The strings are light on their feet, anchored by a solid, pulsing 4/4 beat that slowly begins to speed up as the song really gets going. IU’s voice is at some of its most ethereal here, gliding along the strings with the ease of a veteran despite the sense of childish wonder that permeates it. I especially liked the references to Doctor Who in the music video, as IU creates a time machine to save her lover.

From the album, Last Fantasy, I enjoyed the powerful backing choir in Secret,  the much more upbeat, encouraging feeling of Uncle, the laid-back instrumentation and sprinkling of humor in Wisdom Tooth, and the triumphant horns in Last Fantasy. I couldn’t choose a hidden gem. There were so many lovely classical samples used, each different but cohesive. It’s quite a good album.

Single #1: Spring Of A Twenty-Year-Old

Peach was a song that IU wrote for her friend, the late Sulli of F(x), from the perspective of a man in love with her. It’s gentle and barely instrumented, just with an acoustic guitar, piano, and occasional bursts of a surprisingly nice recorder. It’s actually the first of these songs that truly sounded like IU to me, and I’m not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps it’s the sense of love that permeates it, or the self-penned lyrics, or the fact that the IU in the videos is starting to look more like the one I know. Regardless, it’s very sweet, and felt like a good note to end on.

From the single, called Spring Of A Twenty Year-Old, I also liked the elegant orchestral flourishes of Every End Of The Day.

Album #3: Modern Times; Epilogue

Though Good Day was IU’s breakthrough, in my opinion, The Red Shoes is an even greater triumph. Golden Age Musical influences abound, hi-hats go for broke, big band flourishes reign supreme, and the whole thing is shot like it’s a Broadway show’s Act One closer. Its sense of grandeur and showmanship is made for the stage, and of course, IU’s voice ties it all together into a bright red bow. Once you get to the end, you’ll want to shout “encore!” at the top of your lungs.

From the album, Modern Times: Epilogue, I had a lot of hidden gems, from the bluegrass-inspired Love Of B to the tense, bass guitar and piano of Everybody Has Secrets to the sweeping, string-led Latin Pop Havana. I also enjoyed the hints of tango in Obliviate, IU’s wistful vocals on album closer Voicemail, and of course, Jonghyun’s lyrics and featured voice in Gloomy Clock. This is just a fantastic album, genuinely; it’s absolutely her strongest so far.

Next time, we’re onto Part Two. Tschüss!

(Part Three)