IU dominates international charts with latest single 'Eight'
Korean pop star IU is dominating the charts across the globe with her highly-anticipated single “Eight” in collaboration with BTS's Suga.
On May 6, 5 pm (Philippine Standard Time), IU dropped the music video of her latest single that soon swept the domestic and international music charts.
According to the Melon Charts, “Eight” soared to the top in the first hour of its song release. It eventually hit the No.1 spot on the iTunes Top Song charts in more than 50 countries --- including the Philippines, United States, France, Singapore, Malaysia, and so much more --- proving the collaboration power of the two K-pop talents.
In “Eight,” IU and Suga teamed up to tell the story of youthful experiences through the powerful, breezy collaboration song. Its title was taken from the last digits of their age, which is 28.
Suga also contributed his voice to the recording of the song which added a trendy layer of rap over IU's lovely vocals.
As of press time, “Eight” has already surpassed 10 million views in less than 24 hours.
“Eight” as a tribute to Sulli and Jonghyun
Many fans speculate that IU's new song is a tribute to her friends Sulli and Jonghyun --- members of f(x) and SHINee.
The theory suggests that IU represented her friends as a way to say goodbye to them through music.
Eagle-eyed fans say that some elements of the music video are a direct reference to the late Sulli such as eight being the number of years that two have been friends or the fact that the illustration doesn't show IU's signature mole.
Meanwhile, others argue that Jonghyun is a dragon because he was a fan of Charmander.
The two theories have yet to be confirmed by IU herself but on her M Cafe she argues that the latest single is part of her age series song that follows two of her previous songs “Twenty Three” and “Palette.”
Adding, “If the songs I showed earlier were in essay format, 'Eight' is like a short novel that confessed me being a twenty-eight-year-old using a fictional character called 'you' and various analogies.”