Dubbed the ‘Taylor Swift of K-pop,’ IU caps first world tour in L.A.
“How many minutes do we have left?” IU urgently called offstage to her staff.
Los Angeles was the last stop of her first world tour and she was determined to grant as many song requests from fans as she could before her time in the Kia Forum ran out.
IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, may not be a household name in America just yet, but the K-pop singer is an icon in South Korea. Dubbed the nation’s little sister (Korea’s version of “America’s sweetheart”), she debuted when she was just 15 and climbed her way to the top of not only Korea’s music industry but its film industry as a respected actress, with hit dramas including “My Mister” and “Hotel del Luna.” Now 31, she is as popular as ever. Multiple fans attending the concert Friday night noted the longevity of her career and her smart songwriting, with several calling her the Taylor Swift of K-pop.
“She’s the national pop queen,” Hannah Park, 27, said.
Others drew parallels to Ariana Grande and Beyoncé, alluding to IU’s powerful vocals and dominance as a solo female artist in K-pop. Some said there is just no equivalent.
“It’s hard to draw a comparison,” Joshua Misa, 27, said.
IU’s HEREH World Tour, which kicked off in March in her hometown of Seoul, stopped in 16 other cities including Hong Kong, London and Atlanta. Its final stop was full of odes to L.A., where she performed her hit song “Celebrity” as more than 10,000 fans held up pink banners that read, “In the city of stars, you’re our celebrity.”
She opened the concert with her song “Holssi” from her latest album, “The Winning,” noting that the music video was filmed in L.A. and that the child back-up dancers were L.A. natives. She went on to perform other hits like “BBIBBI,” “eight” and “Shopper,” whose music video was also filmed in L.A. At the end of some songs, she would make the L.A. hand sign as the crowd roared.
Her dreamy but powerful vocals filled the Forum as she sang some of her signature ballads including “Obliviate,” “Through the Night,” and her latest single “Love Wins All,” earning extra cheers from fans as scenes from the music video featuring BTS’ V were projected onto the screen.
In between sets, the K-pop star poured heartfelt words of gratitude and awe at the love she has received on tour, switching between English and Korean. Leading up to the tour, she said she had sleepless nights, worried about whether she could stay healthy enough to complete all the scheduled shows.
“There wasn’t a single show where I didn’t feel immense happiness as I walked off the stage,” she said in English from a script she had written, memorized and practiced repeatedly so she could get the words just right. “Every single show and city was so precious. Fans always love me purely and always makes me want to improve my shortcomings.”
At times, she seemed lost for words and just bowed to the audience in respect and gratitude.
But language never seemed to be a barrier for the K-pop star and her global fans. Even when the crowd stumbled through the verses to “Celebrity” as they called her back to the stage for an encore, she found it endearing and showered fans with endless praise.
The two-and-a-half-hour show ended with a half-hour encore, during which IU scanned the crowd for fan-made signs of songs they wanted to hear. She sang a string of shortened versions of requested songs including “Hold my Hand,” “LILAC,” and the song that propelled her to stardom in 2010: “Good Day.”
“Hurry up, what’s the next song before they kick me off the stage?” IU said half-jokingly, constantly checking the time.
It’s fair to say she soaked in every last moment.
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