IU becomes 1st female K-pop soloist to hit 100M views with 9 MVs

IU has achieved a significant milestone on YouTube, with her music video for “Twenty-three” reaching 100 million views. This accomplishment distinguishes her as the first female K-pop soloist to have nine music videos surpass this milestone.

The video reached this milestone on April 15 at around 5:40 a.m. KST. Released on Oct 23, 2015, it took approximately 8 years, 5 months, and 22 days for “Twenty-three” to achieve this milestone.

In the video, IU immerses herself in a Wonderland-like setting, contemplating the kind of adult she aspires to be at 23 in 2015.

Lee Ji Eun, also known as IU, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actress. Her first extended play (EP), “Lost and Found,” marked her fifteen-year-old vocal debut.

Propelling to national stardom

While subsequent albums like “Growing Up” and “IU…IM” brought her mainstream success, it was the release of “Good Day,” the lead single from her 2010 album “Real,” that propelled her to national stardom.

“Good Day” dominated South Korea’s Gaon Digital Chart for five consecutive weeks and claimed the top spot on Billboard’s 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s list in 2019.

Besides her music career, IU has ventured into acting and hosting radio and television shows.

IU made history as the first solo female K-pop act to perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena during the Seoul leg of her 2019 Love, Poem concert tour.

She also made history by being the first female Korean artist to perform a solo show. Since her debut in 2008, IU has received over 200 award nominations and won over 100, including ten Daesang (grand prize) awards from various award shows.

Her influence and success in the music industry were acknowledged at the 2015 Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, and she was honoured with the Visionary Award by CJ ENM in 2022. IU continues to shine brightly in the world of Korean entertainment.