Love Poem (EP)

Love Poem is the fifth Korean-language extended play (seventh overall) by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. The EP was released on November 18, 2019, through Kakao M. It includes the lead single and title track, "Love Poem", as well as the tracks "Above the Time" and "Blueming", which both received music videos. The EP debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart, selling over 168,000 copies in South Korea in November 2019 and had been certified platinum by the Korean Music Content Association for selling over 250,000 copies.^[1]

Love Poem
Digital cover
EP by IU
Released	November 18, 2019 (2019-11-18)
Recorded	2019
Genre	K-pop
Length	24:58
Language	Korean
Label	Kakao M
Producer	IU Lee Jong-hoon
IU chronology
A Flower Bookmark 2 (2017) Love Poem (2019) Lilac (2021)
Singles from Love Poem
"Love Poem" Released: November 1, 2019 "Blueming" Released: November 18, 2019

Background and release

Following the release of A Flower Bookmark 2 in September 2017, IU focused on acting. In October 2018, she released "Bbibbi", to commemorate ten years since her debut.^[2] On March 3, 2019, IU announced that she was working on a new album that would release soon.^[3] Love Poem was announced on October 11.^[4] The EP was originally supposed to be released on November 1, 2019, but was postponed by the singer on October 21, following the suicide of South Korean singer and close friend Sulli in mid-October.^[5] The title-track "Love Poem" was released on November 1.^[6]

Love Poem was released digitally in various countries by Kakao M on November 18, 2019. A physical version was released two days later in the form of a photo book alongside a CD.

Critical reception

Tamar Herman of Billboard wrote that the "EP as a whole is almost like a Love Poem of sorts to IU's career, with each of the singles representing a different part of her discography", comparing the title track to the "poignant tunes" from IU's own A Flower Bookmark series of EPs; the "vivacious pop-rock tune" "Blueming" to IU's 2015 track "Twenty-Three", and calling the "melodious, theatrical" "Above the Time" "a sonic and visual sequel" to IU's 2011 song "You and I", in terms of both its music and the storyline of its video.^[6]

Commercial performance

Love Poem debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart on the 47th issued week (November 17–23).^[7] It became her fourth number one album in South Korea after Last Fantasy (2011), Modern Times (2013), and Palette (2017). The album was the third best-selling of November, moving nearly 170,000 physical copies, making it her second best-selling album released after Lilac.^[8] The album had been certified platinum by the Korean Music Content Association for selling over 250,000 copies.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by IU.

No.	Title	Music	Arrangement	Length
1.	"Unlucky"	Kim Je-hwi	Kim Je-hwi	3:51
2.	"The Visitor" (그 사람; Geu saram; lit. That Person)	IU	Jukjae	3:51
3.	"Blueming"	IU Lee Jong-hoon Lee Chae-kyu	Lee Jong-hoon Lee Chae-kyu	3:37
4.	"Above the Time" (시간의 바깥; Sigan-ui bakkat; lit. Outside of Time)	Lee Min-soo	Lee Min-soo	5:00
5.	"Lullaby" (자장가; Jajang-ga)	Kim Hee-won	Hong So-jin	4:21
6.	"Love Poem"	Lee Jong-hoon	Hong So-jin Jukjae	4:18
Total length:				25:04

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Love Poem Chart (2019) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[9] 1 US World Albums (Billboard)^[10] 10 Monthly chart performance for Love Poem Chart (2019) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[11] 3

Year-end chart performance for Love Poem Chart (2019) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[12] 28

Sales

Sales figures for Love Poem

Region	Sales
South Korea (Gaon)^[13]	250,000

References

1. 2019년 11월 Album Chart [November 2019 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved December 31, 2019.
2. "IU to release new single 'BBI BBI' on Oct. 10". The Korea Times. October 1, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
3. Kwon, Gil-yeo (March 3, 2019). 아이유, 곧 컴백한다 “새 앨범 준비 중” [IU, comeback soon "Preparing for a new album"]. Insight (in Korean). Retrieved August 12, 2020.
4. Cho, Hae-minwork=The Korea Times (October 11, 2019). "IU returns with a touch of the blues". Retrieved August 12, 2020.
5. Yoon, So-yeon (October 1, 2019). "IU postpones album release date". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
6. Herman, Tamar (November 18, 2019). "IU Unveils 'Love Poem' EP: Watch Music Videos For 'Blueming' and 'Above the Time'". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
7. 2019년 47주차 Album Chart [Week 47 of 2019 Album Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Album Chart. from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
8. 2019년 11월 Album Chart [November 2019 Album Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Album Chart. from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020..
9. "Gaon Album Chart – Week 47, 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 28, 2019.
10. "IU Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
11. "Gaon Album Chart - November 2019". Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
12. "2019년 Album Chart". Gaon. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
13. • 2019년 12월 Album Chart [December 2019 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Retrieved January 9, 2020.
    • 2020년 12월 Album Chart [December 2020 Album Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
    • 2021년 01월 Album Chart [January 2021 Album Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved February 11, 2020.