IU says she hated herself when she was a child. She seemed to know herself a little bit at the age of 25, and at the age of 28, she fell in love with herself. So this song is all the time in her twenties. The first part of the song is IU when I was 23 years old. Verse 2 is IU at the age of 25, verse 3 is the thought of the current IU

The song runs for five minutes and 16 seconds, a numerical representation of IU's birthday, May 16.

Oh you missed the last part of the live clip. When she walked through the giant wave to the front stage and sing the last part with the beautiful low register voice and the last breathe at the ending got my tear up every time.

Yes, you are right, the song is about her career in the industry, ups & downs as solo artist. Her struggle. Fyi, before she sang the song she said to the fans that she really wants to sing the song very well for them ☺️ and she did it as always

IU’s music is so diverse. You will be amazed as you discover more. She wrote the lyrics for this song, and I think most every song for the last 10 years. She produces her own music and has even composed several of her most famous songs. My Sea is about her journey during her career. She dealt with extreme challenges, particularly about 5 years ago (well documented) - and she has managed to get through those times with tremendous support from her fans and incredibly loyal team (so many have been with her since her teen years). As you learn more about her story, you can’t help but love her even more. Several good documentaries on KZfaq.

Please check IU's live version rendition of "Forgotten Season" with her playing the guitar..It was during her anniversary. It was an amazing performance!

Thank you for loving our Queen IU. ☺️

The song is in three verses, divided into IU's early, mid, and late 20s. It shows the struggles she had to deal with, the overcoming, and the values she has today. (By the way, you should watch the video of the performance you saw at the beginning all the way through. There's still a bit of "late" left, and if you skip it, you'll miss out on a great view of the waves crashing into the audience).

You are correct, this was about IU’s life which she had to endure so many negativity when she first started. She was jeered and yelled to get off the stage on her first TV show so they can watch boy groups! IU was the only solo act at the time and only one fan was chanting and cheering for her and that IU promised herself to work hard to make her one fan be proud and she loves her fandom called UAENA and she was the first artist who’s done so much for her fans. You would love IU as much as BTS since she has a heart of an angel and works so hard and the only thing she asked from her company for re-signing the contract was to guarantee all her staff’s jobs and increase their salary! This is why once anyone starts working with her, they don’t leave and all of the loves her including her manager and bodyguard 💜💙

Love your reactions. Unfortunately, you missed the last minute or so of the live performance (song was not over). Be sure to watch again and stay thru the end…. Concert was at Olympic stadium (she is first female soloist and I think only second soloist ever to hold concert there). She held concerts there 2 consecutive days, 45k people each day… amazing.

Hopefully, you get IU tickets. She'll have 4 stops in the US for her 1st ever world tour.

IU will give you goosebumps every time. So lovely ❤

My Sea is amazing. One of my favorite IU songs, because it feels so deeply personal. Like a diary entry that became a song the more she explored it. I hope you continue exploring her work, as it's incredibly diverse, touching at times, adorable at others, and often heartbreaking. It's especially important with her to learn about her life and what her songs are about, which can be challenging for non-Koreans. Where many of them have known her from the beginning, or even grown up having never known a time without her, we have to make due with translations that can be on-target and off in equal measure. But always read the lyrics. She is an insanely talented lyricist and every word is chosen very carefully. I've always believed the reason IU is so great is that she's, first and foremost, a storyteller - but she's developed a wide range of technical skills (writing, singing, acting) to convey those stories in as many ways as possible. With her, everything is about something. It's never just, "I'll say this or do this because it sounds cool" or it's trendy. Hell, she makes fun of herself for often not being trendy and liking things that are out of fashion or 'old'. One other recommendation would be to see if there are explanation videos for her songs. These are often fantastic pieces of analysis regarding her intentions or possible references she's making in her lyrics or videos.

You may wish to watch Suga's Suchwita ep 24, a talk show with IU as his guest. It gives a good overview of IU's 16-year musical career..

Thanks for this reaction! By the way, please make sure to watch the last few minutes of the live clip. It wasn’t quite done yet and she ends it even more beautifully! Looking forward to more IU reactions. ❤

I don’t understand the words but I fully understand the FEELING. music is global ❤❤ thank you ladies

If you have a chance to watch the entire concert from start to end, there are intermission videos that kind of go along with the narrative of My Sea, but you are right in that the song is about herself. Arrangement wise, this was the last song of the main setlist, which fit perfectly. The last bit of the performance is when she walks out towards the extended stage with a rolling light effect over the audience and sounds of waves, kind of symbolizing that she did in fact become the wave in the end. When you mention her having a good staff, this is also very true. Some of them have been with her a extremely long time like her bodyguard and manager and she treats them like friends/family, you'd sometimes see clips pop up of her singing at her staff members weddings. One of her stipulations for resigning with her label was not being paid more for herself, but ensuring that her staff gets paid more. At one award show, I believe the award was something along the best producer which her label won and she pulled all of her staff on stage to let them have a chance to speak since she wants to recognize everyone on her team for her success and it's not just herself.

I am sorry to say that you didn't watch the concert clip to its end. The last several lines of the song had not yet been sung. There are effects and the sound of the sea as she walks out on the run way, has a fog drifts overhead and lights run through the audience looking like waves. When she reaches the end of the runway she sings the last lines of the song, which are. And still I will lose some days to life. But if I get lost again. I know my way back. Then she slowly disappears below the stage. Ending the official part of the concert. You should really go back and watch it to the end. By the way there are a couple of videos that seem to end before they actually end, so if there is time remaining on the progress bar keep watching. She will return in her street clothes to do her encore. Which under normal circumstances can last 1 to 2 hours. At this concert however, being outdoors, Seoul as a noise ordinance so this concert had to end by 11pm. It started at 7pm. There are 2 behind the scenes videos of this concert. I have provided the links below that are excellent and give you a picture of IU the person and her demeanor. I've also posted links to one of several IU Documentaries and a video of one of her most iconic live performances at the 2017 Melon Music Awards (it will not get blocked). I have included a short explanation of the song Dear Name so that you may understand what's going on during that song. Warning these videos will only endear her to you even more. Golden Hour behind the scenes part 1 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qNelit15prWUg2Q.html Golden Hour behind the scenes Part 2 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/otl5rb2S2K24pn0.html One of several short IU Documentaries The Untold Secrets of IU's Massive Success kzfaq.info/get/bejne/abp0hsyp3p_ck30.htmlsi=itgdrveVjlCV-8Tv Dear Name & Through the Night - 2017 MMA awards show Eng Sub titles (iconic performance) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gsWZf61e3qrFmH0.htmlsi=2Ykqff15yqdiLTzm Background - Dear Name is a song about not forgetting the people in you life. At a concert in Hong Kong her staff, unknown to IU, distributed placards to the fans so they could write their names on it and hold it during the song. IU was taken by this act that she also couldn't finish the song. From that point on it became a thing, and at this Awards show performance she takes it to another level including having 4 singers who aren't famous yet share the stage with her, at least one is one of her backup singers. I

Oh my god... There's a nice scene in the back, but I closed it in a hurry... It's a pity, you didn't see the highlights.

First, thank you very much for your continuation of iu's journey :) its mean a lot for us (bcs iu is sooo huge, like Beyonce big in South Korea, but ppl outside of the country need to know her more, even if just a little bit) 2nd, I think you already know now, you missed abt last 2 or 3 minutes the ending of live clip, AND also that "I know" in the end of lyrics video. You know what, this is not the first time happen (I watched almost all iu's reaction in KZfaq for the last 3 years maybe), and sadly very understandable :') Its bcs she's quite unique artist, so yeah ... who else will make 5:16 long ballads in this kpop scene? also Yes, the song is abt self-search. You see, she has age series song (23 - Palette (25) - Eight (28) - Lilac(29) ), songs abt her age and her self-search/ feeling in that age. This song, My Sea, is like a summary of those songs. other context (maybe I miss your brief reaction abt it? if yes, I apologize) : this is from Golden Hour concert, encore section. Golden Hour concert is her 2022 concert in Seoul Olympic Stadium... she's the first kpop soloist to perform there. Maybe you and BTS fans are used to stadium concert, but she's a soloist (pure soloist has different fandom culture from group fandom), and from 2nd generation idol debuted in 2008. So yes, FYI its almost like a dream within a dream :')

IU is yet another artist I became aware of thanks to our beloved boys of BTS...so many gifts they have given to us Army for which to be grateful. Thank you ladies 💝

From the same concert and for other type of songs more upbeat hope you will react to Eight from golden hour concert , it’s a song produced by suga from bts 😍 amazing reactions thank you. And PS : you stoped the video before she finished the song😅 and it was the beautiful part 😄

Please watch the videos until the end... 😢 the music from the both videos was not over 😭

IU ❤❤❤

Our queen is always incredible

I love your reaction and understanding,. Subscribe for more IU reactions.

Translating IU's lyrics from Korean into English is incredibly hard, as the translated lyrics often loses some of the message and meaning that IU uses when she's writing her lyrics. Her way of using metaphors within her lyrics is pure poetry. Some of the lyrics of 'My Sea' that hit me the hardest were "Did that child suffer in pain for such a long time, to just become me?". IU didn't have the easiest of childhoods and she went through a lot whilst growing up (in the industry) in her teens and young adulthood. And, for me, the song with the darkest lyrics is her song 'Bad Day' which as lyrics such as "My room is colder than the middle of winter, the air is cold even to the tips of my fingers If spring never comes, would that be better?" This was a song that she wrote whilst she was in the 9th Grade of school! During that time she felt incredibly lonely and she lacked a lot of confidence in herself.

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You didn't watch the full live performance or the end of the MV

2017 MMA IU [Through the Night + Dear Name] Recommend.

LES FALTA ESCUCHAR SIEMPRE UN PEDACITO DE LA CANCIÓN AL FINAL AJAJJAJA

I think the translation in the lyrics video was not so good... Anyway, this song hurts the feeling so much 🥹 Thank you for this reaction❤

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Here's better Translation. hope this helps My Sea Lyrics by IU Composed by Kim Je-hwi and Kim Hee-won Arranged by Kim Je-hwi Still, there are things that do not heal even after time passes My heart is poor tonight as I am unable to love myself perfectly I feel awkward looking at the face in the mirror So I close my eyes silently like a habit and when night falls, I want to hurry and move onto tomorrow The child who dreamed a different dream everyday underneath the shower of wishes Did she suffer for so long just to become me? As the days pile up, we become further apart I don’t think we will be able to reconcile with one another I doubt it will get better When I was young, there was always a sea that would never run dry in my heart Now in this faint place where only traces remain I could hear the sound of my breath filled with excitement and the cool breeze blowing over my head I want to become a wave and run to just anywhere Though a little scared, I hope when I slowly open my eyes The world comes to me at every moment and turns into a dazzling gift And only then, I think I’ll be able to give answers to the me, who used to have numerous doubts The memories from the other side are calling me Upon hearing the voice that I had forgotten for a very long time, I stem the waves and return to the place where the sea inside me was born Even if I get swept away and lose my way, I’m free I no longer close my eyes to the darkness that confines me anymore I won’t ignore myself ever again Nonetheless, I bet there will still sometimes be days in which I lose to life But I’ll know my way back even if I lose my way again 💡 Kim Je-hwi wrote ‘My Sea’ for IU as a song of her life story and made it 5 mins 16 seconds long. 💡During the recording, he also suggested raising the pitch and the song ended on a very high note, which together with the length of the song, made it very difficult to sing. IU described it as a combination of ‘Secret’ and ‘Dear Name’. My Sea introduction by IU I am unable to love myself perfectly After nights where my heart was down bad, Only now have I found my sea. // The Composers Kim Je-hwi and Kim Hee-won, the ‘Through the Night’ duo, worked together again on a ballad track. Despite a calm beginning, the grand sound that makes its appearance matches IU’s vocals full of energy, grabbing the attention of listeners for 5 minutes and 16 seconds. Also, the rich performance by the string ensemble with 20 members adds to the beauty of the song, and IU’s powerful high note in the second half with the choir formed by Kim Je-hwi’s friends brings the song to a dramatic climax. Translated by the amazing UAENAs (IU's fandom name) @IUteamstarcandy on X / iutsc.com if you wants to know IU more, i reccommend them bcs they're the best Uaenas who can give justice to IU's lyrics and words..

i just wanted to add that the lyrics "child so long time, did I barely hurt to become myself" is the wrong translation (as you're probably aware since it doesn't make sense lol). The correct translation (or as close as it gets) : "Did the child hurt for such a long time just to become me". The child is herself (or the listener, if you input yourself into the song). ---> Was the child(me) hurting for such a long time just to become who I am today/the adult that I am today (sort of belittling her current self/low self confidence). the lyrics are pretty painful as I'm sure many people can relate to the feeling of being disappointed in what they became as an adult (having higher expectations etc)

IU just released an MV for a new song called Holssi! Hope you can react to it! :)

There's time left for the video. Please watch it until the end

The translation is not good enough. Her lyrics are very sophisticated and great. However, I think you guys feel the emotions she carries. Please make sure you listen to the end.

Please Don't react DEAR NAME BY IU LIVE CLIP 😭😭😭 OR IN MELON MUSIC AWARD ❤❤

That lyrics video's lyrics are not so perfect. Lyrics written on that video couldn't contains deep meaning what IU wanted to say. And even the English notation of Korean was so so bad.