“How many minutes do we have left?” IU urgently called offstage to her staff.
Los Angeles was the last stop of her first world tour and she was determined to grant as many song requests from fans as she could before her time in the Kia Forum ran out.
IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, may not be a household name in America just yet, but the K-pop singer is an icon in South Korea. Dubbed the nation’s little sister (Korea’s version of “America’s sweetheart”), she debuted when she was just 15 and climbed her way to the top of not only Korea’s music industry but its film industry as a respected actress, with hit dramas including “My Mister” and “Hotel del Luna.” Now 31, she is as popular as ever. Multiple fans attending the concert Friday night noted the longevity of her career and her smart songwriting, with several calling her the Taylor Swift of K-pop.
“She’s the national pop queen,” Hannah Park, 27, said.
Others drew parallels to Ariana Grande and Beyoncé, alluding to IU’s powerful vocals and dominance as a solo female artist in K-pop. Some said there is just no equivalent.
Read the full article at https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-08-05/dubbed-the-taylor-swift-and-ariana-grande-of-k-pop-iu-caps-off-her-first-world-tour-in-l-a