IU's Last Fantasy

South Korea’s national little sister is now all grown up and she wants to move on by shedding her childish image, replacing it a more matured image.

Now IU is back her latest album titled Last Fantasy, and it is a real fantasy listening to this album, I tell you. Famous for her three-octave pitch, IU explores a slightly different genre this time round, even lending a hand in composing some of the songs on this album.

Not bad for a young singer, I guess. IU’s forte lies in her soft vocals, which are able to reach high notes. Although she knows her strengths, she does not over-use them, and thus it is a real delight to her songs.

The main track of the album, You and I, is a song which tells of a story of a girl whose is expecting to meet her life partner someday. It is a song of hope and the passing of time, and there might be similarities to her previous hit song Good Day. Furthermore, this is one of my favourites off the album.

The song opens with a movie-like suspense theme song, and IU explores high and low notes in this song. It is a very spirit-lifting song, but it is so unlike other K-pop songs that I must salute IU for standing out with this track.

Here’s the time-travelling music video for You and I, where IU meets her dream guy in the end. I also love the performance version of the song, so do enjoy both music videos!

Secret is a calming song, where IU’s sweet vocals serenade you till you feel as though you are floating on the clouds.

Another track which I love is Uncle, Samchon in Korean, and the upbeat sound of this track somehow appeals to me. A Lost Puppy is IU’s own composition, though I find it a bit too dark, her voice is hauntingly beautiful in this one.

4AM, the track which Corinne Bailey Rae composed, is another one of my favourites. Not counting the fact that I love Corinne’s soulful sound as much as IU does, this track is one that shows that IU is so talented beyond her years. IU’s soulful interpretation is so convincing, so much so till I feel as though Corinne is singing this song.

Other tracks on this album includes Sleeping Prince of the Woods, Child Searching for a Star, Wallpaper Design, Wisdom Tooth, Everything’s Alright, Last Fantasy, Teacher and The Lover (L’amant).

This is the best album from a Korean female singer for the whole of this year. By taking a road less travelled, IU has set herself apart from many other female idol groups in the K-pop scene.

Looking forward to see IU’s Japanese release already!

The author became a fan of IU when she started listening to her awesome voice on Dream High, where she starred as Pilsuk, the ugly but talented star student.

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