IU is facing backlash after a harsh review of her latest album A flower bookmark, Pt. 3 dropped online.
On June 11, music critic Shin Dong Gyu from IZM slammed IU’s album with a 1.5 out of 5 stars rating. The scathing review called the album “fragile” and said it lost its sense of direction.
Shin Dong Gyu wrote:
“Although I left the bookmark where I stopped reading, maybe because I’m opening it after a long time, I can’t remember the pages that have already passed. The book has become so thick that it is hard to start over again from the beginning. It’s not clear where I should read over either.
Is it because I’ve already been accustomed to the ‘national singer’ title? Or is it the rushed decision to prolong the popularity of the drama ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines ’? Probably neither. However, it’s hard to go against these thoughts, because the identity of the series has lost its sense of direction with its growing fragile music.”
He added that unlike Part 2 of the series, which had powerful singing and curation, this new album reflects a “sense of loss” and suggests IU should “take a breath before the next beat.”
“This project is about selection, interpretation, and presentation. The public reads the ‘IU only’ formula before those three words. This project could carry such weight because of its specific artistic lineage.” – Shin Dong Gyu
Netizens quickly agreed with the critic. They slammed the album as disappointing and subpar compared to IU’s past work.
Fan comments included:
- “The quality was so mad. I’ve been disappointed with the songs for a while, but the remake is so bad.”
- “I totally agree with it being karaoke. At some point, the vocal director stopped being my style. I’ve only been listening to her old songs. The arrangement was so made, too. They used to be the masters of songs, but this one is so disappointing.”
- “The singing style has changed. It’s a bit sloppy. I can’t listen to it either.”
- “I don’t want to listen to it after listening to it once.”
- “I was so disappointed.”
The controversy gained traction on platforms like theqoo, with fans actively discussing the album’s reception.
IU and her agency have not issued any statements about the review or fan reactions yet.
The music criticism and fan backlash put IU’s A flower bookmark, Pt. 3 under a harsh spotlight as listeners debate the future direction of her music.
