(Image Credits: 1theK (원더케이) [edited])
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Annyeong (안녕)! That’s the Korean word for ‘hello’ but it can also mean ‘goodbye’. It thus comes as no surprise that IU used the word ‘annyeong’ to describe her latest studio album “LILAC”. Her fifth full-length release was put out on 25th March - her 29th (Korean age) birthday according to the Lunar calendar - as a way of bidding farewell to her 20s and ushering in the next decade of her life. The album was - obviously - met with commercial success upon its release, but now that the hype has died down, here’s an honest review on IU’s “LILAC”!
(Image Credits: 아이유(IU) 공식 트위터 @_IUofficial)
Starting off with probably the best tracks of the album:
While IU may be late to the retro craze that ate up the pop charts, thankfully Lilac (the song) dips its toes ever so cautiously into the trend with its disco/city pop elements. From the sparse verses and vocal glissandos to the belting in the chorus, it’s reminiscent of her chart-topping singles, Good Day and You & I. If you’ve been following IU for a while now, or are drawn to her because of those classic songs, then Lilac will be right up your alley!
Ah Puh, meanwhile, is a hip-hop inspired track and there’s just no end to the amount of praise one could give to the vocal and instrumental production on this track 😍. From the way she toys around with syllables rather than words to how she trades in her usual beautiful phrases for a more staccato delivery, this earworm brings to mind IU’s 2018 hit song Bbi Bbi for all the right reasons!
Unlike the other two top picks, Epilogue is slower in tempo with accompaniment that reminds listeners of chill lo-fi songs. It has such a vintage feel that it sounds like a cut off IU’s third studio album “Modern Times”. Forget retro, she isn’t throwing it back to the late 1900s like the rest of radio is: Epilogue takes you back to the 1940s with its soulful acoustic guitar, soft drums, and record player hissing.
What truly stands out about “LILAC” as an album is that it not only manages to be cohesive, without feeling repetitive, but also successfully encompasses both old and new IU. While her last four studio albums have each had their own distinct sonic identity, this time around, she takes a page out of all her previous records, tossing them together with new sounds she’s never had on a CD before. With that said, squeezing such an array of genres on a 10-song track list does mean that while the entire record flows perfectly, some songs may not quite hit the spot when heard on their own.
This segues the discussion into the 3 songs that left much to be desired:
Empty Cup is an R&B track that runs for 2 minutes and 20 seconds. It may feel too short to listen to as a song while at the same time too long to appreciate as an interlude. Just as the post-chorus hook kicks in at 2 mins, one would expect the song to climax, but it just ends right after instead. Perhaps IU and the producers had the intention of literally mirroring the idea of an ‘empty’ cup with their writing, but for some listeners, the song might end up feeling too empty 😬.
While IU successfully owned the retro trend in her other tracks, Celebrity and Flu see her dabble in the EDM/electro-pop trend with less clarity. These songs mark the first time IU has worked with renowned songwriter and producer Ryan S. Jhun. Jhun is no stranger to the Kpop world, with writing credits on popular songs since 2010 so it comes as no surprise that IU enlisted his help. Jhun definitely isn’t a bad producer, but there does seem to be a lack of chemistry between him and IU since the resulting cuts sound like uninspired versions of some mainstream hits before the retro boom (think Lauv’s I Like Me Better, Daya’s Sit Still, Look Pretty and Hailee Steinfeld & co.’s Starving).
Empty Cup, Celebrity and Flu aren’t bad by any measure, but they definitely do not stand out as being different from the average pop song, especially coming from someone like IU who has always been a fresh air in the industry by giving songs, regardless of genre, her own colour. While these songs on their own don’t prove to be attention-grabbers, they don’t exactly pull down the quality of the album either. In fact, they work perfectly well as side tracks to accompany the rest of the album and are pleasant enough to leave on should they come up on shuffle in any regular playlist!
Notably, there was a song that was expected to join the ranks of the last three, judging by its teaser track, but it ended up being one of the album’s hidden gems! And that song is *drumroll*:
Out of all the audio teasers that were released for this album, Coin’s snippet may have left the impression that this song would be the least memorable, but boy were we wrong! The instrumental sections were anything but dull and they actually aged better than Celebrity’s beat drop. This groovy and funky track sees IU adopt a less restrained and more sultry singing style as compared to that of her popular releases - a vocal tone we’ve only heard in a small number of her songs (e.g., last year’s Eight).
Now comes the time for “LILAC” to get an official, quantified ✨review✨:
Well, that’s about all that can be squeezed into a single article on this stunning album 👍🏼. If you’re curious about the tracks that were left out from this review, go purchase IU’s album to check them out for yourself! Your opinions on the album may differ from ours, so head to our Instagram page @x_nobis and leave your thoughts in the comments section of this article’s Instagram post (and don’t forget to give us a follow while you’re at it 😉).
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