‘IU CONCERT: THE WINNING’ Review: An Enchanting and Ethereal Concert

After a successful concert tour in 2022 of The Golden Hour: Under the Orange Sun, IU returns to the concert stage again for her first world tour and ninth concert, the HEREH World Tour. The concert film took place and filmed in Seoul World Cup Stadium during the last leg of the world tour and marked IU’s 100th concert in her career. This concert film is directed by Oh Yun-dong, who also directed popular concert films such as NCT NATION: To the World in Cinemas and BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas.

The multi-talented South Korean singer-actress has once again mesmerized fans around the world in an enchanting concert. IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is a perfect mirror of IU herself –a concert that’s delicate yet powerful and full of charming presence. Read our full IU CONCERT: THE WINNING review below.

I have been following Lee Ji-eun (IU) since her early acting days as Kim Pil-sook in the 2011 South Korean television series, Dream High alongside South Korea’s biggest stars, Bae Suzy (Uncontrollably Fond, While You Were Sleeping, Doona!) and Kim Soo-hyun (My Love from the Star, Moon Embracing the Sun, Queen of Tears). Dream High is a show about six friends who wants to be a K-Pop Idol that involves singing, songwriting and dancing.

IU already has two successful albums in that year and with her debut as an actress in Dream High further cemented her as Korea’s ‘little sister’. For fans who have followed IU throughout her acting career to her rise as a vocal powerhouse in the music industry, IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is a testament to her growth as an artist and performer.

IU opens the concert with a performance of “Holssi,” a track from her latest album, The Winning. The performance also serves as the opening of a 5-song intro part of the concert called Hypnotic. And as the title suggests, the portion is filled by immersing the audience in a dreamlike atmosphere, from IU’s blue dress, the whole under the sea portion of “Ah puh” complete with its lush visuals and props of whale and jellyfish-shaped lanterns carried by dancers, followed by a performance of one of IU’s most popular song “BBIBBI“. IU then ended Hypnotic by encouraging the audience to gather their memories with her in her performance of “Obliviate.”

The next part of the concert was titled Energetic, the portion where IU was carried in the air from one stage to another to perform her most popular and energetic songs like “Celebrity,” the fan favorite “Blueming,” dancing through “LILAC,” “I stan U,” and a surprise live performance of her unreleased song ‘Bye Summer’. The next part was the Romantic portion of the concert, which might be my favorite part of the whole film. It is undeniable that IU is a very good performer on stage when she’s a popstar, but I think she is at her best when she’s just serenading the audience.

Her performance of “Meaning of You,” “Through the Night,” and “Last Fantasy” isn’t just visually serene and heavenly but also highlights how good she controls her voice when hitting the higher notes in an elegant manner and is just purely heavenly and ethereal. Her voice, angelic in its soft moments and powerful when it needs to be, fills the space and embraces you that even when she’s singing softly, or hitting a soaring high note, there’s something about that authenticity in her voice that sounds like a secret shared between you and her.

The fourth part is titled Ecstatic is another back-to-back powerful performance from IU, this portion is as energetic and ‘poppy’ as the Energetic portion, but this time it utilizes IU’s more vocal-pop centric songs instead. If Romantic brought IU’s mellow and serene voice then Ecstatic brought out the more powerful and strong vocal prowess of IU by performing “Shopper,” “Secret,” “YOU&I,” and “Love wins all.” While the encore of the concert shows that IU can also be fierce, performing her rock songs “Shh..,” “Twenty-three,” and a rock version of “Holssi.”

I’m not actually a K-Pop fan myself, in fact, I even have to search for the songs IU played in the concert film for this review because I only know 2 songs from her discography, namely “BBIBBI” and “Blueming.” But even if I only knew a little of her music, I was still completely mesmerized by how her music could just cross boundaries in terms of genre. I really am not a fan of the fast tempo and intense beats of K-Pop but IU’s music comes as a great respite.

Her songs are deeply embedded in a sound that is far more mellow, vocal-centric, and groovy than what usually defines K-Pop. Many of her tracks just seem to breathe into peace and serenity that makes it really easy to listen to them. Her voice is both sweet and powerful at the same time and gives a sense of warmth and closeness.

What is remarkable about the concert is how well IU can switch between different genres. For example, when it comes to her more upbeat songs such as “BBIBBI,” “Celebrity,” and “Blueming,” in the Energetic and encore portions where she seems to go entirely pop and exudes a lovely amount of energy and charm. These performances have shown her flexibility and ability to command the audience’s attention through her infectious energy, performing at the same intensity and precision as any top K-Pop idol. However, it is in her slower more romantic or introspective moments where she really proves herself as a vocalist.

Oh Yun-dong serves as the director of this concert film, fresh from directing 7 concert films last year that includes BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR [BORN PINK] IN CINEMAS and SEVENTEEN TOUR ‘FOLLOW’ AGAIN TO CINEMAS. What I really like about Oh Yun-dong directing a concert film is he doesn’t interrupt the film with coverage of behind the scenes interview, well, except for aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas maybe because it’s their first concert film and the audience needs to know about the group. When I watch a concert film I want it to be a non-stop performance and not a documentary film.

Oh Yun-dong’s directing style is still overtly present in this concert film, from the wide-angle shots that captures the stunning and breathtaking shots of the audience and the stage, to the seamless editing, Oh Yun-dong is slowly becoming the ‘go-to’ director for these K-Pop concert films.

Probably one of the highlights of the concert film is its set coordination. The placing of the orchestral band and choir that accompanies IU is another hallmark feature that enriches the whole spectacle of the concert. The orchestral band and choir add to the sophistication in the music as it almost achieves a cinematic effect. Especially the live versions of “Last Fantasy,” where IU was in her best attire, wearing a white gown and with a crown that looks like it came out from a Disney Princess film.

The orchestra also enhances the performance of “Love wins all” which now turned into a sonic powerhouse song when taken along with the sweeping orchestral arrangements. The contrast between the powerful vocals and intricately put instrumental backdrop adds depth and texture to each performance.

IU’s charisma throughout the concert film is undeniable, with more than 15 years of acting and music career, she effortlessly rocked the stage with full confidence. Even if she’s just standing in the stage serenading the audience with a romantic song, there’s something about the way she holds herself, poised and graceful, that captures you as powerful as her grand full blown pop performances. In the Korean-Pop scene where idols we’re being criticized for their vocal skills and lip-syncing, IU showcases her vocal prowess in this concert and proves why she is the country’s top solo music artist.

IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is another bop Korean concert film. With the help of Oh Yun-dong’s directing style, the impeccable set design and coordination, and a beautifully crafted setlist, this concert film offers an immersive experience that transcends what a typical K-Pop concert could be. Whether you’re a long-time fan of IU or someone who is new to her music, this concert film is an unforgettable experience that will surely make you love and follow IU’s journey.

With a perfect balance of spectacle and serenity, IU has proven once again that she is not just a K-Pop star but a true artist. IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is a concert film that will leave you mesmerized and deeply appreciate the magic that IU brings to the stage, and if you want more of IU content then you’ll be delighted as Lee Ji-eun returns in the small screen next month with the release of her new Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines co-starring Park Bo-gum.

IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is directed by Oh Yun-dong. The concert film stars Lee Ji-eun and Lee Ye-ji. IU CONCERT: THE WINNING is now showing in select cinemas worldwide.

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