IU crowned as Korea's No. 1 artist by Billboard
IU was chosen as Korea’s No. 1 artist in Billboard’s “Global No. 1s” series, along with other artists like Dua Lipa and KUN.
“From making music to acting on screen, IU can seemingly do it all — and she commands unparalleled love and support from K-pop fans and the broader Korean music community,” Billboard said on Tuesday.
“The massively successful track [“Love Wins All”] led the weekly chart [Melon’s Top100 chart] for four consecutive weeks, topped February’s monthly chart and on iChart achieved 339 [hours of] perfect all-kills [about two weeks],” Billboard said.
The phrase "all-kill" refers to when a track sits atop iChart’s real-time, daily and weekly charts simultaneously.
“The achievements helped propel IU to becoming Korea’s representative for Billboard’s Global No. 1 artist series,” Billboard added.
IU debuted in 2008 and has become one of Korea's most renowned solo artists. She is known for hits like "Good Day" (2010), "YOU&I" (2011), "The Red Shoes" (2013), "Through the Night" (2017), "Lilac" (2021) and many more.
“It’s a bit humbling, a bit surreal, and honestly, it feels really special,” IU said of the recognition in a video posted by Billboard on Tuesday.
“Without meaning to downplay myself, I think I appear relatively ordinary and less distinctive in my looks and personality compared to other remarkable stars in Korea. This might make me seem more approachable and relatable.”
IU kicked off her global tour on March 2 visiting Japan, Europe and North America. The singer performed in front of approximately half a million fans, setting a new record for a Korean female solo artist.
On Sept. 21 and 22, IU held concerts at Seoul World Cup Stadium, attracting 107,000 attendees, marking the largest-ever concert engagement by a Korean solo artist.
"I see Uaena [IU’s fandom] and myself as having a steady, balanced relationship where we constantly exchange the best of what we can offer each other," IU said.
Along with IU, Dua Lipa was selected as Britain’s No. 1 artist, rock band Creepy Nuts was named for Japan, solo artist KUN was chosen for China and singer-songwriter Ana Castela represented Brazil.
BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]