[K-Exclusive]: IU Performs to Sold Out Kia Forum
Photo credits to @_IUOfficial on X.
As part of her HEREH World Tour, IU stopped by the Kia Forum in Los Angeles for her first solo concert in the City of Angels. Selling out the arena with ease, the singer even prepared small gifts for every attendee that included a customized, city-specific keychain. The night was memorable for both fans and the artist herself, as it wrapped up her first U.S. tour, sixteen years after her debut.
The show was split into six parts: Hypnotic, Energetic, Romantic, Ecstatic, Heroic (Encore), and the En-Encore. Things kicked off with part one: Hypnotic, which featured songs that were medium-paced and bright. Donning a beautiful sparkly red dress and bedazzled headphones, IU finally appeared on her semi-round stage after a short introduction instrumental from her band. With the way her stage was set up, the singer made sure no fan would have an obstructed view. This set started off with “Holssi,” a song from her most recent EP, The Winning, which then transitioned into “Jam Jam” before the singer paused to introduce herself to her fans, known as Uaena (but which she dubbed Elena for the night for “LA Uaena”). The Hypnotic part of her show continued on with “Ah puh,” and “BBIBBI,” before finishing off with “Obliviate.” Prior to the last song, the singer cutely requested for fans to forget the previous memories of the first part of the show and obliviate those memories to pretend the next section was the first again. With that, the Hypnotic section was over, and we were moving on to part two: Energetic.
As one could infer from the title, part two of the show featured more faster-paced, bright, upbeat music from IU’s discography. Before this section started, however, fans were treated to a stage performance. A child appeared on stage frightened holding a candle through a lightning storm, and eventually she found light in a beautiful forest. At the edge of the forest, IU appeared, simulating the idol’s hopes to be a beacon of hope for her fans. This segment then kicked off with “Celebrity,” with which the singer could show off her cute and simple choreography once again, and which was paired with loud fanchants from the crowd of Elena. Donning a more casual outfit this time consisting of an oversized jersey and a skirt, the singer paused after this song to share her thoughts with Elena. “When you visit LA and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the names of the famous people, I think we should add Elena there. You guys are my celebrity, and you are my superstars.” The singer quickly continued on with “Blueming,” “eight,” which originally features SUGA of BTS, and “Coin.” To go along with her song “Blueming,” IU gave a rose to a fan in the front row she had noticed constantly dancing along with her. And after “Coin,” the soloist also gave one lucky fan a coin from the upper levels, saying she noticed the fan making hearts and dancing through the music as well. Before performing the last song of this section, the singer also paused to take a group photo with the audience. Uniquely, IU took two photos each with the left side, center, and right side, ensuring each fan would appear. She wrapped up this section with “I stan U,” and a few words of endearment: “Wherever you are, I will always be your fan cheering you on with my lightstick. I stan you, my Elena.”
Section three of the show came after a prepared VCR played on the big screens, with the singer’s song “Heart” playing in the background. Part three, titled Romantic, was filled with IU’s love songs. This set kicked off with “Havana,” as the singer appeared in a white dress and flower crown, before diving into “Meaning of You,” an acoustic version of “strawberry moon,” and “Through the Night.” Serving as one of the fan favorite performances for the show, “Through the Night” was met with roaring cheers. As fans sang along in Korean to tracks like “Meaning of You” and “Through the Night,” the singer became more and more touched. “I’m singing with angels in the city of angels. I’ll never forget this moment.”
Part four was titled Ecstatic, and brought the energy up even more than part two (Energetic). This was the formal final portion of the show, and when the singer returned to stage in a ruffled tan dress, the energy felt nearly palpable. This segment featured upbeat songs such as “Shopper,” “Above the Time,” and “YOU&I,” but closed with more mellow song “Love wins all.” Despite the mellower tone and somber lyrics of the song, this was another fan favorite track for the night, and was met with loud response as fans sang, cheered, and cried along to the lyrics. Prior to “Love wins all,” IU paused to speak with Elena once again, but was met with such passionate cheering she almost couldn’t speak. Once the audience calmed down a bit, the soloist shared some of her final thoughts: “Out of all the last concerts I have done before, you guys are really the best. I can’t even describe it with words. The person who was most doubtful about the success of this tour was probably me. Some days, I couldn’t sleep, and some days, I prayed before stepping on stage because I couldn’t trust myself. I was worried I would ruin this tour because I got sick or was not in good condition and I wouldn’t keep my promise to my fans, but not a single show went by where I didn’t feel immense love and happiness in humanity. It was the audience that made me feel that way. Every show was so precious, and every audience was so special. Fans always love me so purely, and it constantly makes me aware of my own shortcomings. If any of you were not here today, the final show of this tour would not have been this perfect. I was truly able to be so happy standing here today.” As her speech elicited loud cheers and barking from her Elena, the singer gently gestured to let her speak once more to finish her thoughts: “If you are as happy as I was tonight, then I couldn’t ask for more. I know you guys are such good people, so I hope life treats you kindly.”
Though the night supposedly ended with part four, IU also wove in not just one, but two encores. The first encore was titled Heroic, and featured songs “Shh..,” which she paused after to thank the song’s narrator Patti Kim for attending the night’s concert, “Twenty-three,” and a rock version of “Holssi,” which the singer performed wearing a sparkling black top and matcning pants. This first encore section was the same throughout her U.S. tour, allowing fans to enjoy the upbeat and unique mix of songs. What was truly special to each stop, however, was her En-Encore, which rotated songs with each stop. In Oakland just a few nights prior to LA, IU performed her iconic song “Good Day,” much to fans’ delight. In Los Angeles, as the singer returned once more for the casual after-party-esque segment in a tour t-shirt, ripped jeans, and a red, white, and blue striped cowboy hat, the song requests quickly flooded in. In the end, her En-Encore consisted of “Friday,” “Lullaby,” “Good Day,” “Ending Scene,” “Hold My Hand,” “Lilac,” and “Palette,” which originally features G-DRAGON (though IU took on his rap part herself. With a good mixture of ballads and upbeat songs, IU bid her last farewell to the audience: “If I don’t wrap up, they’ll drag me off the stage. I honestly did want to go home, but here with you guys, I don’t want this night to end.”
With that, everyone could be left satisfied and rightfully energized by not just IU’s soft and sweet voice, but her meaningful words and strong outpouring of love as well. With this being the singer’s first solo show in Los Angeles, Elena were unsurprisingly sad that the show had to end, but still grateful and satisfied with the memories left behind during the last three hours together.
Special thank you to IU and team for allowing Officially Kmusic to attend the show!
Written & Edited By Ephney Tsai
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