IU (KR)

About

Also known as: Lee Ji-eun, 아이유, 이지은

IU holds the record for the most number one songs in South Korea, a tally of thirty one and counting. She debuted at fifteen with the EP Lost and Found, but real stardom came in 2010 with "Good Day", which sat atop the Gaon Digital Chart for five straight weeks and was later ranked the best K pop song of the 2010s by Billboard. Over the years she moved away from standard K pop formulas, mixing genres and taking more control as both lyricist and producer. Her 2020 single "Eight", produced by Suga, became her first to top Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. She has filled huge venues too: the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in 2018, then two nights at Seoul Olympic Stadium in 2022 for The Golden Hour. She also acts, with acclaimed roles in My Mister and When Life Gives You Tangerines, and her latest video is "Unknown Planet".