During her 11-year (and counting) career, IU has paved her own way with her own brand of niche indie music style that goes against the mass-produced, commercial K-pop genre.

Keep on reading to learn more about IU.

She wasn’t always a commercial success

Her first single, Maya (which had “Lost Child” as its English name), released in 2008, but it wasn’t a commercial hit.

While the song showed off her potential and talent, it wasn’t until her pop-y and girlie song, Marshmallow, was released the next year that she received commercial recognition.

She is a successful actress

IU made her silver screen debut in the massively popular television drama, Dream High, in 2011, playing the role of Kim Pil-suk.

She continued her acting endeavours in a slew of roles in a variety of television drama series, including Dream High 2 (2012), The Producers (2015), and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016). This year she also starred in Persona, an anthology series exclusively released on Netflix on April 11.

She is more than just a pretty face

She’s more than just a pretty face who can sing.

IU is also an accomplished songwriter, having composed several hit singles, such as Nagging, Twenty-Three and Palette, just to name a few.

She is the queen of commercials

Thanks to her sweet image, IU has had no trouble signing profitable advertisement and endorsement deals.

Since she started her career in 2008, she has been the face for a number of companies, including Samsung, Sony Korea, SK Telecom and even HiteJinro’s brand of soju, Chamisul.

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