Compared to most of my friends, I was late to the K-pop party. I didn’t get into the genre until years after they did, so when I finally became a fan of groups like BTS, I had a lot of catching up to do.It was during one of my deep dives into the lives and loves of the members that I first found out about IU. In the beginning, I really had no idea who she was or how popular she was. All I knew was that Jungkook of BTS was a huge fan of hers. It wasn’t until May 2020 that I listened to my first IU song, eight, which was produced by Suga, another member of BTS.
Back then, I asked a friend about IU, and that friend told me to think of her as the Sarah Geronimo of South Korea — a gifted performer considered the most influential female soloist of her generation. But those words didn’t hit home for me until June 1, 2024. That was the day the 2024 IU Hereh World Tour Concert touched down at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, and the day I truly understood why IU is beloved by many.
In the days leading up to the concert, the Pulp staff braced for a record number of attendees. We were told to expect almost 40,000 people — the biggest crowd Pulp had ever handled for a K-pop event in the company’s history.
Sure enough, official numbers put the size of the crowd at almost 40,000! As one of several Pulp Live World staffers who manned one of three Help Desks we set up at strategic points on the venue grounds that day, I came into contact with many of the attendees. Everyone was in high spirits, buoyed by excitement for what the night would bring.
When the show began at around 6:30 p.m., I was still manning the Help Desk at the LB2 Entrance in front of the arena itself. From there, I could hear IU opening the show with Holssi, then running through Jam Jam, Ah puh, BBIBBI, and Obliviate. (The only reason I was able to identify those songs was that the week before, I listened to a playlist created by a fan who saw her show in Hong Kong.) As much as I wanted to be inside the event bowl and see IU bring those songs to life with my own eyes, I had to wait until about 7 p.m. to assist any latecomers who had questions or needed help with anything. I told myself that would be all right as long as I made it inside in time for eight.
Approximately half an hour later, I closed my station and headed inside. I joined some of my colleagues who were standing just inside the entrance to the event bowl. I walked up to them as the last notes of Celebrity faded into the air, just in time to hear IU gush about her “junior dancers” — the little girls who joined her onstage for Holssi. One of them was Michelle Celeste Garcia, the daughter of Filipino actor Patrick Garcia. IU called her and the other junior dancers “cute” before introducing her next song.
“I want to say that you’re the best audience,” she said via a translator as the crowd roared. “But I’m a bit scared for the next song. I’m a bit afraid because I think you guys are going to be extremely good at it. You’ll know what to do once you hear the intro. Let’s bloom!”
She then launched into Blueming, after which came the one song I had been waiting to hear. I couldn’t help but burst into tears while watching her perform eight. The fact that Suga produced and rapped on it isn’t the only reason the song struck an emotional chord within me. It’s about the passage of time and the bittersweet nostalgia commonly associated with growing up. I fell in love with eight even more when I learned that IU wrote it to process her feelings about turning 28 (hence the title) in Korean age, and that fans believe it’s a letter to her late friends Jonghyun and Sulli, both of whom passed away tragically.
Through eyes blurred with tears, I watched IU work the stage while singing eight and listened to her voice fill the Philippine Arena. There’s nothing like the feeling of watching someone perform your favorite songs live, knowing that for one moment, you and that artist are connected by the power of music. No live stream or recording can make you feel that way.
Throughout the night, the crowd made it clear to IU that they loved her. She responded by leaving it all on the stage when she performed. One of the highlights of the night was her cover of SunKissed Lola’s Pasilyo. I think I speak for all the people who attended the concert when I say that she nailed the Tagalog lyrics.
After she finished, she addressed the crowd again. “When I first heard this song, I really liked it. Seeing how much you guys liked it feels like a huge reward for all the time I spent practicing,” she said. Because of her star power, the original version of the song got a boost in the days that followed the concert. Its music video earned an additional 1 million views, going from 67 million to 68 million.
IU ended the night with not one, but two encores. She sang many extra songs for the Uaenas before leaving the stage for good after an emotional rendition of Palette. The show was packed with exhilarating and heartwarming moments, but personally, I’ll never forget IU’s last words to the Filipino crowd: “Today was really fun, everyone — to an extent that I want to come back here again next month. Let’s meet again in the near future. Go home safely tonight, rest well, have good dreams, and be happy every single day.”
Sweet, eh? Now I know why IU occupies a special place in the hearts of many. She’s talented, yes. But more than that, she’s sincere. It has often been said that showbiz is built on smoke and mirrors. In an industry where people put on masks just to be liked, IU’s appeal lies in her sincerity. It lies in the fact that when she says she loves the Philippines — which she did plenty of times during the show and again afterward — you can tell she means it.
A few days after the concert, IU logged into her fan café to catch up with her fans. When one fan asked her what she liked about being in the Philippines, she said, “Everything. That concert hall is a blessing.”
No, IU-ssi. The concert hall isn’t the blessing. You are. — Julian Mauricio