Lee Ji-Eun, more famously known as IU, released “strawberry moon” this week as a single. IU is known as the Korean “It Girl” as she has many talents in the entertainment industry. For example, she has released five studios albums, acted in both dramas and movies and hosts her own radio and vlog show. Her most recent album, “LILAC,” broke records and debuted on top of the album charts during its release week.
IU turned some heads when she made the unconventional decision to release her new single “strawberry moon” at 12 a.m. KST instead of 6 p.m. KST. Korean artists usually release their new music at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. KST because these are the times when listeners are streaming music the most. The MelOn chart, which is similar to the Billboard chart in the US, changed their standard for chart rankings. According to the new standard, half of the streams within the first 24 hours of release and half of the streams from the first hour of release are taken into consideration for the charts. This means that “strawberry moon” will not even show up on the charts even after 8 hours after the release. Most listeners listen to new music releases based on the chart ranking, so singers who release their songs at 12 a.m. KST are at a disadvantage.
This is not the first time that IU has released music at an unconventional time. She previously released her song “Autumn Morning” at 7 a.m. KST because she thought the song should be heard first thing in the morning. However, it was not as welcomed into the music industry as her other songs. The logic behind “Autumn Morning” correlates with her decision to release “strawberry moon” at 12 a.m. KST, as the song would be heard when the moon would be out. She also timed the “strawberry moon” release to match the full moon cycle!
IU’s decision to release “strawberry moon” at such an unconventional time illustrates her passion and love for music and artistry rather than chart rankings and streams. She believes if she makes this decision then many other artists that agree with her will follow suit. IU thinks that this trend will reduce the “feverish ranking system competition.” “strawberry moon’s” popularity reflects IU’s statement about reducing ranking competition, as the song achieved a certified “all kill” on the MelOn charts. A certified all-kill is awarded to songs that rank #1 on the daily and 24-hour charts.
Personally, “strawberry moon” is one of my favorite songs IU has released in her career. The song is romantic, whimsical, and magical. IU describes the song as the things that she feels inside her when she falls in love. I recommend that you give it a listen!