IU has personally addressed concerns from fans over the promotion, styling, and release strategy surrounding her recent music, saying criticism should be directed at her rather than her staff.
On September 30, IU shared a lengthy message through her official fan communication platform after noticing concerns about the digital singles From This Star and Dear My Crazy Soulmate.
IU explained that the two songs were originally not planned as official single releases. Her sixth full-length album and concert had initially been scheduled for September, but those plans were postponed because of her health.
Wanting to give fans something new in the meantime, IU said she suddenly decided to release the two songs as preview singles for her upcoming full album.
She also revealed that her marketing team had suggested giving the singles more promotional activities to make them feel like a proper comeback. However, IU personally decided against that approach.
She explained, “I didn’t consider these singles an official comeback because they were meant as a preview of the full album coming next year.”
IU added that she wanted to save the larger promotional campaign for the full album.
Taking responsibility for the decision, she said, “If you felt disappointed or thought the promotion for these singles was lacking, that is entirely my responsibility.”
IU also defended her agency, EDAM Entertainment, explaining that the company had respected her decisions despite the additional workload caused by the sudden releases.
She said, “EDAM may not always be a perfect company, but they always respect and support my opinions and want to do better for the fans.”
The singer and actress also responded to discussions about her hair, makeup, and styling teams. Some fans had questioned whether IU or her agency was relying too heavily on certain stylists.
IU clarified that this was not the case. She said the upcoming full album involved many music videos and other projects, leading her to work with several professionals she had not previously worked with.
She added that she was satisfied with the results and plans to continue trying new collaborations in the future.
IU also reassured fans that preparations for her full album are already more extensive. According to her, live clips have already been filmed, possible songs for challenges have been considered, and she is even thinking about filming dance practice videos.
Ultimately, IU emphasized that decisions surrounding the recent singles, including their release timing and limited promotion, were largely her own.
“If there was anything disappointing, it was my responsibility,” she told fans, while asking them not to place the blame on the staff working around her.
