The day that I had waited for a long time finally arrived! IU released her comeback EP, “The Winning,” at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday (6:00 p.m. KST). The EP includes two title tracks with a total of five songs: Shopper, Holssi, Shh.., Love wins all, and I stan U. While Holssi and Love wins all were released earlier, fans still eagerly awaited the release of the other songs.
The EP even garnered attention from non-IU fans, thanks to the collaborations the EP boasted. The artist collaborated with Hyein of NewJeans, V of BTS, DPR Ian, Joe WonSun, Patti Kim, and even the famous Warner Bros character, Tweety.
Shopper was released as one of the two title tracks alongside a music video featuring and directed by DPR Ian. The music video really showcased the talent and style of DPR Ian as he pushed the video into a playful, magical direction that perfectly matched the electro-pop sound of the song. The music video tells us about an “extraordinary” shop that holds items with magical powers. We eventually follow IU to the Midnight Auction, where whimsical items are auctioned off. One of the items, a golden baseball bat, catches IU’s attention, and she steals it, enlisting the help of DPR Ian to escape. The two drive off and start a new adventure, exploring new locations. The lyrics and music video encourage listeners to be greedy for themselves without being ashamed or scared of judgment.
Holssi was the other title track, boasting a more unique composition in that it focused more on IU’s vocals and a simpler instrumental track. At times, the chorus can sound a bit like a nursery rhyme, which definitely requires a few listens to get used to. The music video featured the famous cartoon character, Tweety, as she sings and dances alongside others, sharing a message of being free and going forward in life like a spore.
This isn’t my favorite EP that IU has released throughout her years as an idol, but I am still impressed with her talent as a singer and lyricist, and I am especially looking forward to her first world tour as an artist.
