The "Nation's Sweetheart" is back! IU's new single shows a steep rise on domestic charts, signaling another successful comeback. Aside from this, "Strawberry Moon" MV is also drawing attention for its fairytale-like concept and the lucky guy who shared the frame with the soloist in the dreamy video. Who is he?
On October 19 at midnight KST, Korea's representative singer IU released her new song, "Strawberry Moon," through various online music sites.
Upon its release, it immediately drew attention as it is her first comeback seven months after its fifth full-length album, "LILAC."
IU 'Strawberry Moon' Gains 2 Million Views in 9 Hours: Who is the Guy With Her in the MV?
Aside from the excitement of fans to IU's new release, the dreamy guy who appeared in her MV captivated hearts as well.
In particular, the track is IU's self-composed song, which contains fairytale-like lyrics. The refreshing piano melody and IU's delicate voice are in perfect harmony as she conveys warm consolation of love to music listeners.
In the MV, created with "Flipevil," IU also showcased her acting skills and showed feelings while inside a dreamlike romance.
The guy who joined her in her journey to "Strawberry Moon" became a hot topic on SNS for his visuals, acting, and natural chemistry with the singer.
For those who don't know him, he is rookie actor Lee Jong Won, a popular web-drama actor notable for his works like "XX," "Issue Makers," "How to Hate You," and more.
If you're a Korean drama fan, then you might know him well. In 2021, he made his name in the small screen industry for his participation in the hit drama "Hospital Playlist 2," where he played as Doctor Kim Geon.
As of 9 a.m. KST, "Strawberry Moon" MV already gained 2.1 million views in only about 9 hours, showing huge interest from fans.
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IU 'Strawberry Moon' Debuts at No. 1 in MelOn Top 100: Why Did IU Release the Song at Midnight?
Known as a "Digital Monster," IU's song topped the Melon Top 100 as of 9 a.m. on this day. After entering the top 100 within an hour of its previous release, it topped the list in the morning.
After chart reorganization, the song also broke aespa's record this year and became the fastest song to reach No. 1 on MelOn within 3 hours.
Over Flo, the track also debuted within its first hour after the release, and currently holds the No. 1 spot.
IU released the song at midnight, which is unusual, at a time when the release of the song became common at 6 p.m. After the reorganization of the music site, the results from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. are not reflected in the chart.
As a result, "Strawberry Moon" was not on the chart until 7 a.m. after its release. IU's move to decide when to release the song according to the mood of the song rather than the chart performance attracted attention.
Since it talked about the moon, IU decided to release it at night, not to mention that she wants a competition-free track that will comfort her fans, putting interest on artistry rather than achievements.
READ MORE: IU 'Strawberry Moon' Release Date is Drawing Attention — Here's Why
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Written by Eunice Dawson
