Maps of Music

Growing Up (2009)

Where the lyrics of Growing Up take you, and where it was really made.

The title track of IU's debut album was composed by a writer better known for melodies he gave to other singers.

Key places

Recorded at LOEN Studio in Seoul (2009)

Recording site Big Hit Studios, Seoul — The source links the album's recording to LOEN Studio in Seoul. The point is placed at city-centre level, so the exact studio building is not specified here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Private company studio, not open to visitors.

Album story

Overview

• Growing Up: debut studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter IU
• Released April 23, 2009
• Follow-up to her 2008 debut mini-album Lost and Found
• 16 tracks in total
• Title track: "Boo"
• Two tracks released as singles: "Boo" and "You Know (있잖아) (Rock Ver.)"

Background

• "Boo" was composed by Han Sang-won
• Han Sang-won is best known for the melodies of "On days when I miss you" by Park Ji-hun of V.O.S. and "Don't go, don't go, don't go" by Wanted
• "Boo" is about a "charming friend of the opposite gender"
• The lyrics tell of a haughty girl who does not care for the men around her, and who falls in love with a boy she had never given much thought
• "You Know (Rock Ver.)" is the rock version of IU's song "You Know", which was more popular than the original version
• The song portrays a young girl candidly expressing her feelings to the person she is infatuated with

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Lee Ji-eun (born May 16, 1993), known by stage name IU, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actress.
• Signed with LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao Entertainment) in 2007 as a trainee.
• Debuted as a singer in 2008 at age fifteen with the EP Lost and Found.
• Achieved national stardom with "Good Day" from the 2010 EP Real.

Career

• "Good Day" spent five consecutive weeks at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart.
• Her 2011 albums Real+ and Last Fantasy established her as a major force in South Korean music.
• Her musical style matured over time, moving beyond mainstream K-pop and increasing her creative control as lyricist and producer.
• Her 2020 single "Eight" (prod. by Suga) was her first to reach number one on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.
• Has released five studio albums and twelve EPs, with thirty-one number-one singles.
• Gained acting recognition with roles in Dream High (2011), My Mister (2018), and When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025).
• Held a solo concert, The Golden Hour, at Seoul Olympic Stadium in September 2022, the first Korean female artist to do so.
• Known as the "Queen of K-pop" by NME and Billboard in 2024.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released April 23, 2009, as IU's debut studio album
• Promotion began the same day, April 23, 2009, on KBS's Music Bank
• IU's first week of promotions started on the album's release date
• After promotions for "Boo" finished, IU performed the follow-up single on various music programs

Records

• "Boo" and "You Know (있잖아) (Rock Ver.)" were released as singles from the 16-track album
• Music videos for both singles were released on May 16, 2011, through Loen Entertainment's official YouTube channel
• The music videos came out about two years after the album's release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Han Sang-won wrote the melody of the title track "Boo" and is best known for songs by other artists
• The rock version of "You Know" became more popular than the original version
• Music videos for "Boo" and the rock version of "You Know" were released on May 16, 2011
• IU's promotions for the album began on its release day, April 23, 2009, on KBS's Music Bank

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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