#flower bookmark

[owlshellaxy]

If longing could rewrite fate, wish we meet again like a fleeting scene from a film. Though I couldn’t hold you when life was trembling, you still live on in those beautiful days.

—Never Ending Story, remake by IU.

[radmoonlover]

[iuteamstarcandy]

[TRANS] IU 꽃갈피 (Flower Bookmark) Album Introduction and Song Introductions

ALBUM INTRODUCTION

The trail of memories that does not fade over time

IU’s Special Remake Album [Flower Bookmark]

A book that I took and dusted off from an old library. As I turn the pages one by one, there are times when I find old four-leaf clovers or flower petals that are inserted like bookmarks. It’s a pristine and beautiful trace of a gift that contains someone's sincerity long ago. Along with it comes the memorable pieces of writing that are underlined on each page. This 'Flower Bookmark' may be one of the symbols of youth culture that show the romance and sentiments of the past analog generation which are slowly being forgotten these days.

A trail of memories transcending generations that does not fade over time and makes you want to take them out (Note: to reminisce about them) again. IU's special mini-album contains the meaning of discovering ‘flower bookmarks’ in the music of the previous generation, reinterpreting them with her own emotions and voice and presenting them as a gift to listeners of the current generation. The seven songs were selected by IU, who enjoys listening to old songs in her own time, and reflect her unexpected feelings as if receiving an exciting gift when she first discovered these songs. She worked on the remake album by preserving the original songs’ emotions to the best she could, while weaving in her own style. ‘Flower Bookmark’ will be a gift for the many fans who like IU's analog emotions, which has been a hot topic through her acoustic guitar covers on broadcasts, as well as an album that provides an opportunity to once again reflect on the meaning of these classics and appreciate them for a long time, through the stimulating music.

SONG INTRODUCTIONS

01. 나의 옛날이야기 (My old story)

Originally sung by Cho Deok-bae

Lyrics by Cho Deok-bae

Composed by Cho Deok-bae

Arranged by Kim Je-hwi 

The house across the alley from the window, the heart of a boy who had a crush on a girl

Cho Deok-bae, a singer-songwriter who composes sophisticated melodies that do not become outdated and has a voice that rings in our ears. The song “My Old Story” by singer-songwriter Cho Deok-bae, well-known as a singing minstrel (Note: medieval singer who sang or recited lyrics or poetry to musical accompaniment for the nobility), originated from a love letter that he wrote in his college notebook in 1973 when he was in middle school, but eventually failed to give to someone. The song which he had kept for a long time without a title, was eventually released as “My Old Story” in 1985 and received a lot of love.

IU's “My Old Story” is not a remake that reinterprets the song through its musical form and modern techniques, but rather an emotional remake that depicts the original song's anxious sentiments back in those days from a girl's point of view, like a response to the crush. Guitar and piano melodies played by the arranger and singer-songwriter Kim Je-hwi harmonize with the performance of the string quartet and accordion artist Jin-sun, opening the door to the emotions and romance of the analog generation.

02. 꽃 (Flower)

Originally sung by Kim Kwang-seok

Composed by Moon Dae-hyun

Lyrics by Moon Dae-hyun

Arranged by G.Gorilla

The late Kim Kwang-seok, who was like a pillar of Korea's modern folk music, released ‘Flower’ as the 2nd track on his 2nd album in 1991. 

Sung by IU, ‘Flower’, began with a longing for ‘him’, whom the narrator raised alone. The selection was a difficult enough choice in itself, as it was difficult to deny the perspective that the remake was riding on the original song's inherent value. The lyrics are close to ‘poetry’ and neatly arranged to match ‘him’, but it is a very tricky song to give emotions to and IU's vocals, Hwang Min-woong's classical guitar and the quartet cross each other's boundaries and bring out a constant tense atmosphere.

03. 삐에로는 우릴 보고 웃지 (Pierrot laughs at us)

Originally sung by Kim Wan-sun

Composed by Son Moo-hyun

Lyrics by Lee Seung-ho

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon

The million-selling track by Kim Wan-sun, who solidified her position as the best female solo artist in the 1990s with her unique concepts and unconventional performances that had never been seen before in the music industry previously.

IU's ‘Pierrot Laughs at Us’ attempts a drastic change as an extension of the original song concept, with composer Lee Jong-hoon's colorful arrangement using mechanical vocal effects and the emotional part of the song being sung calmly without emotional fluctuations, which stands out from existing IU songs. On top of the solid rhythm led by jazz drummer Lee Sang-min's powerful groove, Hong Joon-ho's guitar, Choi In-sung's bass and Hong So-jin's keyboard accompaniment were combined to complete a monotone analog sound.

04. 사랑이 지나가면 (When love passes by)

Originally sung by Lee Moon-sae

Composed by Lee Young-hoon

Lyrics by Lee Young-hoon

Arranged by G.Gorilla

The biggest hit of 1987 which officially sold more than 2 million copies for the first time in Korean music history.

‘When love passes by’ was written by the late composer Lee Young-hoon, who was Lee Moon-sae’s best musical partner, and was praised for having a perfect harmony of popular appeal and musicality. The collaboration between the two artists is full of memories and IU shows a different charm from Lee Moon-sae's feelings of affection in the original song, which brings back memories of a breakup. This new version of ‘When love passes by’ also talks about a sad breakup, but IU maintains a restrained singing voice that does not lean towards intense sadness, through her uniquely transparent singing tone contained in the song by arranger G. Gorilla, and stays faithful to the original song's emotions like a trace of memories that remain the same even as generations change.

05. 너의 의미 (Meaning of you) (Feat. Kim Chang-wan)

Originally sung by Sanwoolim

Composed by Kim Chang-wan

Lyrics by Kim Han-young

Arranged by Ko Tae-young

The band ‘Sanwoolim’, a pioneer of Korean groups that was evaluated as the most unconventional along with their themes from novel to simple music and could not be limited to the specific genre of rock music.

Sanwoolim's 1984 song ‘Meaning of you’, sung by IU, contains Kim Chang-wan's style throughout the whole song, from designing the emotions of the vocals to featuring in the song itself. The ingenious Kim Chang-wan collaborated with IU and took the lead naturally in the recording studio, in a manner very much similar to Sanwoolim's music, with unembellished emotions from the original song that resonate with listeners from all generations. 

Guitarist Ko Tae-young's arrangement ended with a warm sound combining Go Shin-jae's Bass, Chung Dong-yoon's Drum, and Song Sung-kyung's Hammond Organ accompaniment.

06. 여름밤의 꿈 (Dreams in summer night)

Originally sung by Kim Hyunsik

Composed by Yoon Sang

Lyrics by Yoon Sang

‘Dreams in summer night’ is a song released in 1988 by the late Kim Hyun-sik, an indispensable name in the history of Korean pop music.

‘Dreams in summer night’ is also known as the debut song of singer-songwriter Yoon Sang. Twenty-six years ago, the demo tape, which contained the original emotions of young songwriter Yoon Sang, intertwined with the coarse voice of the late Kim Hyun-sik, became very popular in those days. Yoon Sang, who already understands IU well through the songs ‘Only I didn’t know’ and ‘Sleeping Prince’, personally shared his feelings as follows:

“‘Dreams in summer night’ is the first song I completed when I started composing in high school. I’m grateful towards Kim Hyun-sik, who sang this song for the first time and this song has created opportunities for me to connect with others (Note: other musicians and singers). I'm thankful to IU for choosing this song. Personally, I think it was a good choice to only have piano accompaniment this time. The reason being that I was able to capture IU's voice as it is. IU, who was born many years after this song was released, finished recording the song with only four takes, comfortably singing it as if it was her own song that she had been singing for a long time. I've recorded a lot of songs with IU so far, but this was a moment that took me by surprise. I hope all of you can feel the pureness that I felt, like the pleasant and slow wind of a summer night.” (From a Yoon Sang interview)

07. 꿍따리 샤바라 (Boom Ladi Dadi) (Feat. Clon)

Originally sung by Clon

Composed by Kim Chang-hwan

Lyrics by Kim Chang-hwan

Arranged by Kim Jong-min

The title song of Clon’s debut, ‘Boom Ladi Dadi’, swept the nation in 1996 with its intense jungle sound and performance.

The reason it becomes a hot topic every year when the weather gets hot, such that it is called the summer vacation song, is the unique coolness of the song and the consolation message that people of all ages can easily relate to. IU's ‘Boom Ladi Dadi’, with its ukulele tune and calm Hawaiian Hula rhythm, conveys a comfortable feeling like a break from the frustrations and annoyances of daily life, with a tune like the sound of waves in the night breeze and the rap part, in which Clon himself featured in, adds fun for the listener, in a very different tone from the intensity of the original song.

Translated by IUteamstarcandy

Source: Melon

[lostintheraiin]

~❃~

[draiguna]

Flower bookmarks with natural colored leaves are now in my etsy shop! 📖🌸✨

[iuinspires]

IU and Her Old Soul

My latest obsession: to watch videos of IU’s live performances of Korean oldies.

Any IU fan should be familiar with IU’s love for old songs, which she said was developed through karaoke sessions with her dad in her younger days. IU has often professed her respect and admiration for the work of her sunbaenims in the music industry, and her two Flower Bookmark albums, which feature remakes of Korean oldies, are perhaps the best testament to her love for the classics.

I love these two albums – I think songs from the yesteryear possess a certain beauty and flavour which IU leverages to showcase the unique charm of her voice. So it was with great delight that I discovered these four IU covers of Korean oldies that I had not heard of previously. Before I delve further into each of them, I must emphasize that each song is beautiful in itself, and due credit must be given to their original composers and performers for creating such wonderful music. But for me, IU’s rendition of these songs enhances the listening experience – she reinterprets each of them in her own special way, while staying true to the spirit of the original compositions. Also, what I really like about these four songs is that they showcase IU’s versatility as a singer in being able to pull off a variety of styles. Let me just elaborate a little on each of them.  

Love is Like Rainwater Outside the Window 

This IU cover of Yang Soo Kyung’s 1989 hit has become my absolute favourite in recent days, and I’ve been re-watching it obsessively ever since I discovered it. Other than MBC’s clumsy translation of the song title, everything about it is perfect. I love the beautiful accompaniment of the saxophone and flute, and how IU breezily sails through the song with her signature light, breathy vocals that complement the jazzy vibes of this rearranged piece perfectly. I’m by no means a vocal expert, but I think that characteristic huskiness and “breathiness” of IU’s voice go really well with this song, which she performs here with flair and aplomb. I think IU was aware of how well she had performed too at that point in time, for I notice that little smile of triumph that she broke into right at the end.  It’s also delightful to see how appreciative the audience is – you can see everyone from ahjummas to young men beaming and singing along – which to me is a testament to IU’s ability to connect to people of all ages through her music. It’s such a pity that this seems to be the only time she has sung this live – I do hope to hear her sing this elsewhere in future!

Old Love; Story of a 60-year Old Couple  

Old Love and Story of a 60-year old couple were originally sung by Kim Kwang Seok and Lee Moon Sae respectively – both legendary singers whom IU has expressed respect for on many occasions, and whose songs she has covered in her Flower Bookmark albums. I’ve put these two songs together because they give me similar vibes; both feature beautiful, melancholy melodies with poignant lyrics lamenting the loss of a loved one. I love these songs so much for their pure, soothing melodies, and I believe IU does too, for she has performed them on more than one occasion. Listening to IU sing these songs, what stands out most for me is her ability to emote and convey their heart-wrenching sadness through her soulful voice; listening to her sing brings tears to my eyes and gives me little goose bumps. I notice how she always closes her eyes for these performances and seems completely immersed in her emotions. That, to me, shows another strength of IU as a musician – her ability to invest in the emotions of her music, and convey this to her audience.

Most Ordinary Existence 

I was deeply fascinated from the first time I stumbled on this clip, but was frustrated at the same time - because without any English translation on the YouTube link, it took me the longest time to figure out the context of this performance (it was Ep 199 of Sketchbook!) and the background of this song. With some intense Googling I eventually found out that this was IU’s cover of a 2008 release* by Korean Indie group Sisters’ Barbershop who debuted in 1996 and whom she later collaborated with in 2017. (*Ok, so technically this song isn’t really an oldie, depending on how you define the term, but it is 10 years old now!)

It’s hard to describe my fascination with this song, but there’s something about it that feels whimsical, mysterious and full of contradictions – the beat is repetitive and the tune almost monotonous at first, yet the song is annoyingly catchy at the same time - and IU delivers it in a seemingly nonchalant, careless way in a flat tone, yet manages to ooze plenty of charm and attitude in doing so. If Love is like Rainwater showcases IU’s husky vocals while Old Love and Story demonstrate her ability to emote, I think Most Ordinary Existence shows her ability to exercise restraint over her voice (which clearly has capability to deliver more strength) to suit the style of the song where needed.

To sum up, I think these performances demonstrate not just IU’s versatility as a performer, but her varied taste and genuine love and respect for music. I remember being distinctly annoyed with an article which suggested that the Flower Bookmark album was released as a clever marketing ploy to attract an audience of an older demographic after she had alienated part of her younger fan base with her “scandal”. Whoever wrote that article clearly knows nothing about IU, who has been covering old songs since her debut days, and whose sincerity in wanting to pay tribute to the classics she loves is clear from what she’s said and done all these years, such as her heartfelt performances of the songs above. But I guess it doesn’t matter what others think – as IU said herself, you can’t please everyone, and being successful means finding people who like your honest thoughts and what you produce. IU’s passion and dedication to music is clear, and if she continues to do what she loves, her sincerity will always resonate with the right audience.

[bottled-lethe]

my queen

[leejigeum]

꽃갈피둘 170922