Despite being at the prime of her career, IU sat down for an interview with TV Report on December 28th with a gloomy expression.
Fans, who are used to her large eyes always smiling brightly, will be surprised to hear that her killer schedule isn’t the only issue behind her glum face.
She began by stating, “I’m really scared now how the things I want to express are cut and manipulated and interpreted in ways I didn’t mean. I’m just thankful that so many people love me, but I’m also more aware of how careful I need to be now. Every thing I say, every action I make is becoming an article, and that’s really scary.”
The interview allowed IU to clarify and further explain things without fear of distortion on a couple of headlines she’s been making this month. The rise in her popularity has also brought in a fierce competition amongst reporters to catch an interview slot with her. Because of the competition, some reporters have taken to sensationlizing certain statements.
It was reported
earlier that IU would be forgoing college for her music career. Regarding the reports, IU explained, “
I’m the type that wants to do my best at whatever I try. If I were to go to college, I’d like to be able to study properly, but my music schedule would overlap. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to my best as a student, so I explained that I wanted to focus on music and go to college when I’m ready.”
She continued, “Unfortunately, reporters cut out a lot of things from what I said and made it sound as if I was completely giving up on college. Although I wasn’t hurt by it, I was really upset.”
At the mention of reports claiming her
to possibly be earning $4 million USD this year, IU clarified, “
Some reporters began making assumptions that I wouldn’t be going to college because I already make so much in a year, but I know nothing about that and it has nothing to do with me.”
A lot of attention has been put on her ideal man lately, but also on the fact that it’s constantly changing. First it was
Big Bang’s
Taeyang, then
Yoo Ah In, then
Yoo Seung Ho, and more recently,
Kim Tae Woo. When asked why she kept changing, she answered,
“Honestly, I never said that any of them were my real ideal men. I just like caring people that have a clear idea of what they want to do. People that think highly of themselves are pressuring to me. Taeyang, who I talked about first, is an oppa that I truly like as a fan. I talked about him a few times, but my mom told me to stop because it made me look air-headed.
After that, I said I didn’t have an ideal man, so they started making me choose from certain situations. For example, who do you like from ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘, or who do you like from your duet partners. I can’t avoid answering those, so I do answer them, but that leads to my ideal man constantly changing (laughter). But truly, they are all amazing men, and I’m actually worried about reflecting poorly on them since we don’t really have a close friendship.”
One of IU’s biggest concerns lie in the problems arising from her growing fanbase. Various male stars she’s worked with have been reprimanded by her ‘uncle fans,’ such as
2AM’s
Seulong for hugging her on stage, and
Super Junior’s
Eunhyuk and
Shindong.
2PM’s Wooyoung, who plays IU’s love interest in “Dream High,” is already starting to receive the backlash from her fans for his role.
Due to such issues, the singer has earned the nickname, ‘Untouchable.’
She further explained, “I’m not worried about antis. If I’m doing well and I still garner antis, it’s not something I can control, but it does make me realize that I have to try harder. I also feel apologetic to my fans if I’m not able to do my job because I’m affected by antis.”
IU concluded her interview with a message to her fans, stating, “I want my fans to know that just as much as their favorite singers are precious to them, other singers are precious to their fans as well. I’m always so thankful for the support, and I hope that everyone compliments and supports each other.”
