IU proves a powerful influence in Korea thanks to her successful music career and contributions to her community.
The last 12 months have seen countless K-pop concerts taking place in Seoul. A ranking of the Top 10 best-selling concerts by female artists in Korea was released where IU ranked first with “The Golden Hour: Beneath the Orange Sun.” The two-night concert at the Olympic Seoul Stadium garnered more than 87,000 concert-goers. BLACKPINK came in second but only garnered 20,000 concert-goers, four times lower than that of IU’s concert.
The contrasting situation of K-pop in and out of Korea
IU and BLACKPINK have two wildly contrasting appeals to their target audiences. While BLACKPINK is geared towards the Western market with bold, liberal styles, IU focuses on Korean audiences who love soothing, gentle pop ballads and singers with soft appearances.
While many new music trends emerge and continue to develop, pop ballad maintains a special place at the core of the public’s music enjoyment.
It is clear to see IU living up to the standards upheld by Korean audiences, from her appearances to her vocal ability and a large discography dedicated to pop ballads.
Another major component crucial to IU’s success is her seniority. She started working in the entertainment industry 15 years before BLACKPINK.
Moreover, as IU was born and raised in Korea, she can build a better reputation among the public than other groups with non-native members.
Black Swan, a K-pop girl group with no members from Korea, was subject to more scrutiny than other girl groups because they were all foreigners. Korean believe foreign members will not stick around for long and will eventually leave for their hometowns.
IU’s whopping influence in Korea
As a singer, IU is recognized as an icon by domestic and international critics.
She came in at No.3 in Rolling Stones’ 100 Korean Pop Songs Of All Time, citing her to be in the “realm of legendary Korean singers.” Critics appeared on Gura Cheol, a web variety series hosted by Kim Gu Ra where guests discuss various topics at length, claiming that IU, apart from BTS and PSY, are the three artists that “dominated” K-pop in the last 10 years. IU is recognized for her talents and high-quality music releases, making her popularity indisputable.
Apart from a successful career, the public also sees IU in a positive light when the singer uses her million-dollar worth of wealth in philanthropic efforts. In 2021, the “You and I” singer spent 1.5 billion won in donations to charitable organizations.
Earlier this year, the Yangpyeong authority said that the “LILAC” singer donated 10 million won to help the disadvantaged survive the harsh winter season. She also prepared food and drink for a school for students with special needs.
Source: Koreaboo, Kpopstarz
