I U (EP)

I U
In the centre of a white page is a blue-lit rectangle with a mid-shot of a woman with long dark hair partially covering her face. Underneath the picture in the middle is the title I U, with an elongated box in the middle.
EP by IU
Released December 14, 2011 (2011-12-14)
Recorded 2008-11
Genre K-pop, dance-pop
Length 24:46
Language Korean
Label East World
IU chronology
Last Fantasy
(2011)Last Fantasy2011		 I U
(2011)		 Can You Hear Me?
(2013)Can You Hear Me?2013

I U (stylized as I□U) is the first Japanese extended play by South Korean singer-songwriter and actress IU, released on December 14, 2011. It was IU's first release in the Japanese domestic market, and was a compilation of Korean-language songs released between 2008 and 2011.[1]

Background and development

IU first performed in Japan at two charity concerts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami: Tokyo Densetsu 2011 (東京伝説2011) on May 15, 2011 and the Seoul-Osaka Music of Heart 2011 Fighting Japan! concert on June 8, 2011.[2][3]

LOEN Entertainment signed IU with Japanese music label EMI Music Japan, now a sublabel of Universal Music Japan. Her Japanese debut was first announced on November 16, 2011, along with the announcement of the extended play.[4] The album was a first step into the domestic Japanese market, and was marketed as a pre debut album.[4] IU later debuted properly in Japan in March 2012, with a Japanese version of her song "Good Day" serving as her debut single.

The extended play was released 15 days after her second Korean-language studio album, Last Fantasy, was released in South Korea.

Writing and production

The extended play features material mostly from 2010 and 2011, but also includes her debut song "Lost Child" from her debut extended play Lost and Found. "Nagging," a duet with Im Seulong of the South Korean boyband 2AM, is featured on the album, along with the single's B-side "Rain Drop." Neither song had been released on an IU album before. "Good Day" from Real (2010) and "The Story Only I Didn't Know" from Real+ (2011) also feature on the album. The title track from Last Fantasy (2011) was added to the album as a bonus track.

All the songs had English names except two which were given Japanese translated titles, "Nagging" which was called "Ko Go To" (コ・ゴ・ト, "Scolding") and "The Story Only I Didn't Know" which was "Watashi Dake Shiranai" (私だけ知らない, "Only I Don't Know").

The DVD of the single features a documentary entitled I with U: The Story of IU, directed by Kim Do-yeon. IU also worked with a Japanese design team on the photoshoot and the booklet.[5]

Japanese versions of the songs "Good Day" and "Rain Drop" were released as her debut Japanese single on March 21, 2012.

Promotion and release

IU held her first Japanese concert, IU Japan Premium: Special Live, on January 24, 2012 at the Tokyo Bunkamura Orchard Hall to an audience of 4,000. The concert consisted of five songs sung in Korean and English, along with "Good Day" sung in Japanese for the first time.[6][7]

Chart reception

The album debuted at number 15 on Oricon's albums chart, selling 7,000 copies.[8][9] After charting for seven weeks in the top 300 albums, the extended play sold a total of 12,000 copies.[9]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Good Day"Kim EanaLee Min-soo3:56
2."Nagging" (with Seulong, 잔소리 Jansori)Kim EanaLee Min-soo3:37
3."Rain Drop"Go Hyun-kiGo Hyun-ki3:50
4."Lost Child" (미아 Mia)Choi Gap WonLee Jong Hoon, Min Woong Sik3:44
5."The Story Only I Didn't Know" (나만 몰랐던 이야기; Naman Molratdeon Iyagi)Kim EanaYoon Sang3:27
6."Last Fantasy" (Bonus track)Kim EanaKim Hyeong-seok6:10
Total length:24:46

Chart rankings

Charts (2011) Peak
position
Japan Oricon weekly albums[8] 15

Sales and certifications

Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[9] 12,000

Release history

Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalogue codes
Japan December 14, 2011[1] CD+DVD EMI Music Japan TOCT-22322
December 26, 2011[10] Rental CD+DVD

References

  1. 1 2 "Ｉ□Ｕ 【DVD付】". HMV Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  2. ↑ "東方神起、2PMら豪華K-POPアーティスト16組が『東京伝説2011』に出演☆２部♪" [16 amazing K-Pop artists like TVXQ and 2PM perform at Tokyo Densetsu 2011 (part 2)]. Ran Ran Entertainment. May 22, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ 「東方神起」など韓国の１２チームが震災支援ライブ [TVXQ and other Korean artists make 12 teams for earthquake live] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. June 8, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "韓国の“国民の妹”IU、来春日本デビュー決定" [The "Nation's Little Sister" of South Korea, IU, to debut in Japan next spring] (in Japanese). Oricon. November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ I U (Media notes) (in Japanese). IU. Tokyo, Japan: EMI Music Japan. 2011.
  6. ↑ "IU’s Japanese Showcase a Success with an Audience of 4,000". Soompi. January 26, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  7. ↑ "韓国“国民の妹”IU、3月21日に日本デビュー決定" [The "Nation's Little Sister" of South Korea, IU, to debut in Japan on March 21] (in Japanese). Oricon. January 25, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  8. 1 2 ＩＵのリリース一覧 [A look at IU's releases] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service "You Big Tree"]. Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2013. (subscription only)
  10. ↑ Ｉ□Ｕ／ＩＵ (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
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