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iuteamstarcandy · 6 months

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Vogue Girl (November 2010)

<Apple-like IU>

It’s a photoshoot that showcases IU’s slyness.

IU: I was a little surprised when I first saw the concept. I was worried if I would be able to do a good job because such a photoshoot is suitable for people who are tall, slender and pretty, but I had fun.

Why did you feel intimidated even before you tried it?

IU: I’ve always lacked confidence in my physical appearance. Wearing stylish clothes and doing poses seems to be something that celebrities do. (Interviewer: But it’s true that you’re a celebrity.) Haha. Oh yeah. But I can’t do pretty expressions and I’m not good at dressing up either. I don’t look like a celebrity.

Are you someone who isn’t easily satisfied with yourself?

IU: There are indeed parts I feel I’m lacking in. I’ve long given up on wishing I were taller. I want to have the ‘celebrity pose’ though. I hope when I walk on the streets and meet people, they would go, “Uwah, it’s a celebrity!”, because if they all went, “Omo, IU!”, I would feel glad (to meet them).

There are many celebrities who want to have a friendly image.

IU: That’s right. But when I first went on ‘Heroes’, the unnies are so pretty that I felt rather discouraged. I even debuted a year or so earlier than T-ara’s Jiyeon, but Jiyeon looks more like a celebrity and I’ve contemplated why I lack charisma before too.

You can win with your ability to entertain instead.

IU: I’m not good at being funny by thinking on my feet, so when my turn came, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve got to make good use of this opportunity’. There’s a lot I want to say, but if I hesitate just slightly, I miss the timing. (Interviewer: Isn’t it because you were stoning?) I wasn’t. Actually, I was thinking really intently. I was thinking that the way they filmed or that the unnies are really interesting, but during those moments, I look like I’m stoning when I appear on camera. I’m thinking about a lot of things.

What made you spend the longest time thinking about recently?

IU: I realised this while filming for variety shows, but there are really people who belittle celebrities who look awkward on TV, thinking that’s their real personality. I don’t like that. (Interviewer: Have you experienced that before?) If you’re a celebrity, you would have had that experience. At school, sometimes there are people who mess with me. In that case, I treat them the same way they treat me too. Rumours will start to spread anyway, so I do need to be careful, but I don’t want them to think I’m someone they can mess with lightly. Going on variety shows and being a celebrity is something I chose to do, but whether I’m cut out for it, ultimately, I’m just another high schooler like the rest of them too.

Is there anyone you consider a ‘friend’ among those doing broadcasts?

IU: From being on ‘Heroes’, I’ve gotten closer to Jiyeon, there’s f(x)’s Luna that I knew well to begin with and I’m also close to actor Yoo Seungho, whom I sang a duet with. I’m thinking whether to make a 93 line gradually (t/n: Those born in 1993, who are IU’s same-aged friends, by Korean definition.) (Interviewer: When you meet, do you talk about music?) No! We absolutely don’t talk about music. Perhaps because we made our debut at a young age, we’re all foxes who are sharp about the ways of the world. We discuss things like our agency and how much share of the profits we get, or male celebrities that we take an interest in. If someone says so-and-so seems not bad, we also discuss how the person actually isn’t that great based on our experience talking to him in real life.

I thought you said you like nice guys?

IU: Not just a nice guy, but a ‘really nice’ guy. It hurts my pride though, if he is doing better than me, so I don’t think I’ll be able to date one. I really hate to be compared, you know. If the person is a celebrity, the comparison becomes even worse. So I don’t like it. I want to show my boyfriend only how cool I am and not be envious of that person.

Do guys who are not doing as well as you look cool to you?

IU: Ironically, those who I think are cool are all doing better than me. If I have a boyfriend who is doing well, I would probably be constantly trying to be better than him. Umm, I think I’ll have to meet someone who’s doing well then.

Anyway, it won’t be easy for you to find a boyfriend within the entertainment industry right?

IU: There’s no one I’m interested in. Everyone seems so cool and that makes it more unrealistic actually. We only see a person’s outer appearance first, so we won’t know what kind of person they are until we get to know them better. It’s not somewhere we can easily make friends in the first place, so I wonder how I would be able to find a boyfriend.

Isn’t it tiring for you to promote alone, while your same-aged peers are all members of groups?

IU: I don’t really care whether my peers are members of a group or not. I didn’t even have time to think about that initially. I made my debut with the song ‘Mia’, but I did not get much attention, among the groups that were singing and dancing prettily. I was in low spirits for a short while, but I think there are still many opportunities ahead, so I did as I was told to and did what I wanted to.

If an opportunity arises, will you fling yourself at it tenaciously?

IU: Those who don’t know me well think that I survived because I’m strong, but that’s not the case. I was 16 back then, so I thought it would be fine as long as my company doesn’t abandon me and helps me continuously to release new albums, even if I’m not a popular singer. By letting go of myself, I felt the pressure on me disappear.

Then after you made your debut, have you ever thought about wanting to become a popular singer?

IU: When I first made my debut, of course I wanted to become a popular singer. But that’s not up to me. Honestly, when I was very young, growing up in an affluent environment, I could get what I wanted without putting in much effort. So I thought I could become a popular star if I wanted to as well. Eventually, I wasn’t able to make it as big as I wanted to and I realised I was being too conceited. Now that I know I can’t have something no matter how desperate I am for it, in order to not become disappointed the next time, I ended up letting go of my greed.

Isn’t there a goal you have in mind as a singer or a level you would like to achieve?

IU: There isn’t one. Since I’m a female solo singer, people ask me if I want to become like Lee Hyori. I wonder if I should be having such thoughts. Anyway, it seems I’m not suitable to become a popular star, so I’ve never thought about becoming like someone. After dreaming of becoming a singer, I think I haven’t tried other things and became a singer. Even my popularity these days seems excessive to me. To the extent that it’s kind of dangerous.

Is it dangerous to be popular?

IU: If I’m really popular, I don’t think it will be a good thing for me. (Interviewer: Are you worried that you might become arrogant?) I don’t like becoming arrogant and I think I’ll be having a really hard time. Many people recognise me, so I’ll find it fascinating and be happy, but there will be misunderstandings about trivial things and I’ll have to be careful even with my small actions. I want to work comfortably in a natural way, but I keep ending up ‘pretending’ to be something. Doing interviews is interesting, but without realising it, I tend to put weight on my words. Even things without meaning are given meaning. For example, if they ask me why I started singing, instead of answering, “the only thing I know how to do is to sing”, I end up saying, “because I like it”. Whether I succeed or not, I don’t like to put on a mask.

Even so, you were glad to come in 1st place for ‘Nagging’ right?

IU: I didn’t go through a hard time for ‘Nagging’, so I’m not sure if I should be glad about it. If ‘Marshmallow’ came in 1st place, even though I wouldn’t be crying my eyes out, I would at least be feeling proud of myself. Since I did promotions for it. Certainly, receiving an award for the first time since I made my debut makes me happy, I think it was all thanks to 2AM’s Seulong oppa and I think it’s an award that should be given to the composer instead. In a way, I think it’s a relief that ‘Marshmallow’ didn’t come in 1st place. I want to come in 1st place for a song that suits me better and a song I care a lot about.

What kind of song would suit IU?

IU: Depending on the song, my voice sounds thicker or huskier, so it’s hard for me to pinpoint one style of song. In general, I like my natural voice best and a song that allows me to use that voice. When I sing pop songs, I like how my voice sounds, but I think it’s a pity that I can’t sing my songs like pop songs.

You did a cover by rearranging one of your senior singer’s songs too right? (t/n: The interviewer is probably referring to Wheesung’s Rain Drop.)

IU: That’s why I’ve often heard people say I sing well when I was younger. But if I exclude the age factor, I think I sing as well as any singer would be able to. (Interviewer: Would you like to exclude the age factor?) I don’t want to be evaluated while receiving preferential treatment because of my young age. Because I’ll become an adult one day too.

Isn’t it because you sing well, that’s why you’ve received many opportunities to sing duets?

IU: It could be because there aren’t many female solo singers too. Having a variety of vocal styles is also a prerequisite for singing duets. If you listen to ‘Believe in Love’ that I sang with Seungho and ‘It’s You’ that I sang with Sikyung oppa, my voices sound so different to the extent that you might question your hearing. Ah, I’ve sung too many duets, so now I want to stop singing them.

Which voice do you prefer?

IU: I’m fine with whichever voice as long as it sounds natural. It seems that the general public likes my bright and pretty voice better. Since I’m a singer for the general public, showing the side of me that they want takes priority, of course. During Chuseok (Mid-autumn Festival) recently, I sang Son Dambi’s ‘Queen’ while dancing and it was well-received. There are many things that my fans request for and many things I want to do, but anyway, only one (performance) gets to be shown on stage, so I’m having a lot of thoughts as I work on my new album.

Do you mean you could be singing and dancing for your new album?

IU: I’ll definitely be singing on this album, but recently, I have thoughts that it’s not a bad idea to do dance music either. The title song on my previous album was ‘Marshmallow’, so if I suddenly sing with a heavy voice, people might find it awkward. I’m not sure if I’ll dance. I practised so hard to perform ‘Queen’.

What is ‘IU’s style’? Most solo singers are clear about their style.

IU: The IU part is a bit of a pity. I’ve showcased ballads to dance and expanded the type of songs I can perform, but I have yet to establish my own style. I hope to find my own style in my next album and show it to everyone. There is music that I want to do as well.

What music genre would that be?

IU: I want to try acoustic music at least once. I do like singing, but I never focused on a particular genre. That was until I went into acoustic music and became engrossed in it. But that wouldn't be on my upcoming album. I’ll prepare thoroughly and release a perfect album. It’s something that I definitely shouldn’t rush into, so I’m taking my time with it. After all, there’s no need for me to be ambitious about something I can’t do.

By not being able to do it, do you mean you won’t do it?

IU: There are things I’m good at and I’m confident of doing well with that, so is there really a need for me to struggle to do well in things I’m not good at? Also, for people who don’t know me well, if I start singing with an acoustic guitar, they’ll think, ‘What does a young kid know?’ It can’t be helped. The songs I’ve sung so far are not songs that I can handle with outstanding vocal ability. I don’t think I have the skills and enough years of experience to be stubborn about the music I do yet.

You have a philosophical attitude.

IU: I really think a lot (laughs). My point is that I do intend to do the music I want to do, but I want to gain experience by trying to sing songs that suit me as well as adjusting to try singing songs that don’t suit me that well. I think I’ll be able to wait until the music I want to do matches me well, until I’m that much older.

How would you score yourself based on your current singing ability?

IU: 60 marks? I feel bad that rather than not being good at it, I get really annoyed with myself. If I had prepared a bit more and put my mind to it for just a few seconds, I would have been able to do a satisfactory job, but often, I was not able to do that. As I was not well-prepared enough, I can’t give myself a high score.

If it’s a song that you like, you’ll put in more effort to prepare for it right?

IU: I don’t think so. Even if I say I definitely won’t go on stage (t/n: to perform the song), I don’t want to be embarrassed and I want to be acknowledged, so once I get started, I work really hard at it. The moment I stand on stage, I’ve got to pull my senses together and show everything I’ve got before I come back down. If it’s a song that I want to sing, I do get a stronger tingling sensation.

If it’s an IU concert, you will be able to sing the songs you want to right?

IU: That’s not easy either. While going on broadcasts, I get categorised as an idol. When I go to concerts of idol singers as a guest performer, I get the sense that the audience seems to be there to see the singer’s face, rather than to listen to the singer sing. When I go on stage, the crowd cheers for me and when I sing songs they know, the crowd cheers for me, but what if I sing a song I want to sing and they yawn and feign indifference, what should I do? It’s not that the audience is being mean, but I don’t have the confidence for the audience to enjoy my concert because of me, even if they don’t know the song and to sing well enough to stir their hearts, not yet.

What kind of singer do you want to become in future? Or should I ask what kind of entertainer you want to become?

Rather than an entertainer, I think being a singer suits me better. Umm, in a way, the work I do is to make use of myself after all. So if that’s the case, I want to make use of myself wisely. I want to become a singer who confidently and cleverly does music of my liking. Living as a celebrity can’t become shackles for me. I should be happy, right?

Translated by IUteamstarcandy

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