Soribada βFlower Bookmarkβ Interview (May 2014)
Welcome to Soribada! Itβs your first time meeting Soribada members, please do a simple introduction of yourself.
IU: Hello, Soribada members. Iβm IU and Iβm back with my βFlower Bookmarkβ album.
The concept of your newly released remake album βFlower Bookmarkβ gives off a fresh and natural feeling while exuding analog emotions. The album cover concept seems to have been popular mainly in the 70s and 80s and I'm curious about the background behind how you decided on the concept.
IU: First of all, since itβs a remake album, I wanted to do both a new interpretation of the songs, as well as to capture the emotions back then at the same time. So there are parts here and there that preserve the emotions of those days. For the album cover too, I wanted to reflect the retro reeling back then, while showing a new interpretation of Kim Wan Sun sunbaenimβs hairstyle and fashion.
I think the faint, yet pure tone is enough to evoke nostalgia for the 70s and 80s and to create a sensation among young people. But there must have been challenges to satisfy older generations and younger people at the same time, so what did you use in order to connect seamlessly between them? (If you tried to resolve this issue?)
IU: The songs in this album are such classics that anyone can sing them. Even without having something in particular to connect the generations, there are emotions that young people will enjoy listening to. Since good songs will always be good, whoever listens to them, whenever you listen to them and when you listen to them again^^ In a way, the song itself seems to connect young people to the emotions of those days.
If we take a look at your previous albums, you have collaborated a lot with senior singers. In this remake album, senior singers even participated in the remake itself, so how did that happen? What do you gain from working with senior singers?
IU: When I told them that I chose my favorite songs and planned to do a remake of them, all the seniors happily agreed and from the moment I drew out my emotions until the completion of the song, I was able to learn a lot about the background behind writing the song and the emotions they felt at the time. It was also nice to hear those emotions (Note: from the songs) right in front of me. And even when I asked them to feature and work on the teaser with me, I was so thankful that they gladly came to the studio. The best part is that while working together with my seniors, I can listen to their stories. It's really not easy to listen to their stories in person. That helped me a lot and during that period, it allowed me to grow a lot. While working on this song, I was being hard on myself and also felt quite lost, but I gained a lot of strength from the seniors cheering me on and telling me βfightingβ. Thank you very much for that.
You said you usually visit your Uaena (official fan cafe) at midnight because you are βlonelyβ, so what is IU's loneliness amplification device? (music or books that you listen to when you're lonely) Also, what kind of music makes you forget your loneliness?
IU: I don't know. Hehe my loneliness amplifier is just lying in bed and stoning? I think that kind of behavior amplifies my loneliness. As Iβm thinking, I get to face myself and that makes me feel more lonely. Or the other way around, meeting someone can be an amplifier of loneliness too. The loneliness you feel when you're alone and the loneliness you feel when you're with others are different. I think the loneliness I feel when I meet someone feels much worse.. ^^
After your recent showcase in Hong Kong, you released photos and a video about βThe Story Only I Didnβt Knowβ. You brought small happiness to your fans with the tiny details about the song, so how was it like meeting your Hong Kong fans? Are they different from your Korean fans? Do you have any plans to promote globally?
IU: It was really good.^^ Recently, I had no special events other than working on my music, so I was spending a break that wasnβt a break and I felt a lot of lonely emotions like in the previous question. During such a time, I had a fan meeting with my Hong Kong fans and I thought to myself, βIβm someone who is so loved like this. I shouldn't get tiredβ₯β. The strength I received from their support was beyond my expectations and Hong Kong food suited my taste, so I refreshed my body and mind before I returned. I went to give joy to my fans, but on the contrary, I received healing instead. Since I meet Koreans often, they feel comfortable like my family and friends, whereas overseas fans cheer for me so enthusiastically (as I donβt get to meet them often in person) ^^ I don't have a specific plan for promoting globally yet, but for my fans who want to meet me, I'm always willing to go anywhere to see my fans in person, like at my Hong Kong fan meeting. I want to have more conversations when we meet, so I am studying languages a lot these days.
You debuted at a young age and have already entered your 7th year. Perhaps that's why, in the lyrics of "Ice Flower," which drew attention for your collaboration with figure skating queen Kim Yuna, it goes βIf you look back and see all those footprints, you'll see how far we've come. That's enough. I'm doing well because it's my life and it's my way.β I think you must feel that keenly and more deeply. What does being a βsingerβ mean to you, as a singer in your 7th year since your debut?
IU: I don't know...^^ I think this is a very difficult question. I'm still a rookie to be able to give an answer. Now IU has become another persona of mine which is as familiar as my real name βLee Ji-eunβ and compared to 7 years ago, Iβve gotten a lot closer to those who love the name IU. I've become more confident and responsible myself too, actually that has relieved the burden from my shoulders. In the past, I used to think that burden and responsibility were the same thing, but now Iβve come to realize bit by bit that they are different. So without burden and purely with responsibility and a healthy energy, Iβm trying my best to sing happily because I want to present a nice voice to those who love me, IU.
What does βflowerβ mean to you and why?
IU: How should I put it? It's hard to express. There's no particular word or phrase that comes to mind ...^^ I think it's 'oblivion' (Note: the condition of not remembering). The reason being that everytime you look at a flower, it's still as pretty as the first time you saw it. Obviously they are the same flowers you saw last spring, yet the flowers this year still leave you in awe as if you're seeing them for the first time. And when this flower withers, it falls to the ground in a mess. Knowing that people will trample on it, it feigns ignorance and in that moment, I think to myself, wow it's really pretty and fall in love with it, so that's why the word 'oblivion' comes to mind.
(Note: A uaena asked the 29-year-old IU who produced the album LILAC whether the significance of βflowerβ to her has changed since the time she answered the question at 22 years old.
IU: Flowers are strong. Even if they bloom somewhere that would go unnoticed, they have their own values. Their tenacity to bloom in time every year is beautiful.)
Lastly, please say a few words to our Soribada members.
IU: Thank you for listening a lot to my songs on Soribada. Iβll become a singer who interacts with all of you more often through such interviews or by bringing better music in future. I hope this album, Flower Bookmark, will be a small present-like album for all of you in spring. Thank you. This has been IU.
Translated by IUteamstarcandy
Source: [1]
