IU 'Love wins all' MV - Courtesy Photo
While IU has been one of South Korea’s brightest stars for over 15 years since debuting onto the music scene as a teenager, the singer-songwriter-actress is poised to mark 2024 as her most globally impactful year yet, with a series of impactful endeavors already shaping an international narrative just within the first month.
The songstress started the year in her first major public appearance at the Gucci Ancora Fashion Show during Milan Fashion Week Menswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 on January 12. As a global brand ambassador for Gucci, IU’s presence at this prestigious event underscored her resonance beyond the realm of music as she sat front row alongside Gucci CEO and President Jean-François Palus at the showing.
MILAN, ITALY - JANUARY 12: IU, Jean-François Palus, Idris Elba, Sabrina Elba and Lorenzo Zurzolo ... [+]
On January 14, IU launched her official TikTok account and has amassed nearly one million followers. Her first post on the platform has already garnered 18.5 million plays, underscoring IU’s commitment to engaging more with global audiences and having a vast audience excited to tune in to her.
But the 30-year-old’s ambition for global outreach this year manifested itself most massively with the announcement of her first-ever world tour, the 2024 IU H.E.R. World Tour. Unveiled on January 16, the landmark trek includes arenas across Asia, Europe, and North America, marking IU’s first stateside performances in a decade since her appearance at KCON 2014 Los Angeles. The tour commences with four dates in Seoul.
Then on January 24, IU made her eagerly awaited return to the music scene with her latest single, “Love Wins All.” The heartrending ballad showcased not only her emotive prowess but also a notable collaboration with V of BTS, who starred alongside her in the music video. The visually stunning production features the pair playing selfless lovers caught in a harsh post-apocalyptic world, bringing their acting skills to the forefront as two notable idol-actors with IU as a decorated and acclaimed actress with more than a decade under her belt and V, who made his acting debut in the 2016 historical drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth. The five-minute video has amassed over 33 million views on YouTube within days of its release. The track also ascended to the top of local charts in Korea including YouTube Music and Melon, and should impact various Billboard charts.
As if she couldn’t pack more into her January, IU unveiled on January 30 that she set her forthcoming mini album EP titled The Winning for release on February 20. Alongside the pre-release buzz single “Love Wins All,” the project should garner significant attention as her first full-fledged music project in years and follows IU becoming one of the few K-pop soloists to enter the Billboard Hot 100 Bubbling Under chart when last year’s “People Pt. 2” with BTS’ Suga landed at No. 5.
With each moment of January 2024, IU seems committed to reaching outward to her international audience and proving an undeniable global standing. As the year unfolds, all eyes should look out for IU as the starlet navigates new frontiers and shapes the narrative of her most globally significant year yet.
