South Korean singer-songwriter IU (Lee Ji-eun) has written over seventy songs, mostly for her own musical career, but also for other performers and for several soundtrack albums. She debuted in September 2008 with the single "Lost Child" and subsequently released the extended play (EP) Lost and Found. The EP was completely written by Choi Gap-won.
The first song credited to IU was "Alone in the Room", a song from her third extended play, Real, released in 2010. With the release of her second studio album, Last Fantasy (2011), she started to take more creative control over the music, writing six of the thirteen total tracks. The following studio album, Modern Times (2013), and its rerelease, Modern Times – Epilogue (2013), were also mostly written by IU and South Korean lyricist Kim Eana, who previously wrote multiple tracks on Last Fantasy. In her subsequent release, Chat-Shire (2015) IU asserted greater creative control on the album, writing the lyrics for all seven tracks (as well as the physical album's two bonus tracks) and composing the music for five tracks either individually or collaboratively. She was also credited as the album's executive producer. For the release of Palette (2017), IU served as the primary lyricist and executive producer on almost all tracks, except 'Love Alone' which was written and composed by Lee Byung-woo. Her fifth extended play, Love Poem, was entirely written by her, with two tracks— "The Visitor" and "Blueming", being produced by her. IU wrote lyrics to all the tracks on her fifth studio album, Lilac. Additionally, she helped compose two of the album's singles, "Coin" and "Celebrity". In 2021, she also released the album Pieces consisting of five acoustic and orchestral songs, entirely in Korean, written, composed, arranged and produced by IU over the years. The lyrics on her sixth EP The Winning were entirely self written, and she received composition credits on the track "Holssi". IU wrote and performed multiple songs for various South Korean films and television series, including The Greatest Love, Bel Ami, The Producers, My Mister, and Hotel Del Luna.
IU has received several accolades for her songwriting, including the Lyricist of the Year award at the Gaon Chart Music Awards in 2018, 2021, and 2022 and "Best Songwriter" award at the Melon Music Awards in 2017 and 2021. Nineteen of the tracks written by the singer have been released as singles, with fifteen of those reaching the top of the Gaon Digital Chart, including "Through the Night", the third best-selling single in South Korea with seven million sales. "Peach": "Friday": "Twenty-Three": "Through the Night": "Palette": "Autumn Morning: "Bbibbi": "Love Poem": "Blueming": "Eight":
Songs
+KeyIndicates single Indicates songs written solely by IU +Song title, original artist, album of release, and year of release Song Artist(s) Writer(s) Album Year "4AM" IU Lee Ji-eunCorinne Bailey Rae Last Fantasy 2011 "Above the Time"() IU Lee Ji-eunLee Min-soo Love Poem 2019 "Ah Puh"() IU Lee Ji-eunLee Chan-hyukPeejay Lilac 2021 "In a Room Alone"() IU Lee Ji-eunChoi Gap-wonJeon Seung-woo Real 2010 "The Abandoned"() IU Lee Ji-eun Last Fantasy 2011 "Bad Day"() IU Lee Ji-eun Modern Times 2013 "Bbibbi" () IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon 2018 "Black Out" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon Palette 2017 "Blueming" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Chae-kyuLee Jong-hoon Love Poem 2019 "Bye, Summer" () IU Lee Ji-eunSeo Dong-hwan 2025 "Can't Love You Anymore" () IU featuring Oh Hyuk Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoonOh Hyuk Palette 2017 "Celebrity" IU Lee Ji-eunJeppe London BilsbyLauritz Emil ChristiansenRyan S. JhunChloe Anne LatimerCeline Svanback Lilac 2021 "Christmas Wishes" () Park Ji-yoon, Lim Kim, Jang Jane and Puer Kim Lee Ji-eunHareemJang JaneBrian JooJung JichanLim KimNa Yoon-kwonPark Ji-yoonPuer KimYoon Jong-shinYounha Mystic Holiday 2013 2013 "Coin" IU Lee Ji-eunPoptimeKako Lilac 2021 "Dear Moon" Jehwi Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi My Mister OST 2018 "Dear Name"() IU Lee Ji-eunKim EanaLee Jong-hoon Palette 2017 "Dlwlrma"() IU Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi Palette 2017 "Drama"() IU Lee Ji-eun Pieces 2021 "Eight" () IU featuring Suga Lee Ji-eunEl CapitxnMin Yoon-gi 2020 "Empty Cup"() IU Lee Ji-eunPenomecoWoogie Lilac 2021 "Ending Scene"() IU Lee Ji-eunSam Kim Palette 2017 "Epilogue"() IU Lee Ji-eunIm Geum-biKim Soo-youngShim Eun-jiSumin Lilac 2021 "Everything's Alright" IU featuring Lee Ji-eunKim Hyeon-cheol Last Fantasy 2011 "Flu" IU Lee Ji-eunMadilyn BaileyJacob ChatelainMartin CooganLondon JacksonRyan S. JhunZachariah Palmer Lilac 2021 "Friday" () IU featuring Jang Yi-jeong of History Lee Ji-eun Modern Times – Epilogue 2013 "Full Stop"() IU Lee Ji-eunSon Sung-je Palette 2017 "Glasses"() IU Lee Ji-eun Chat-Shire 2015 "Greedyy" JeA featuring Moonbyul of Mamamoo Lee Ji-eunMoon Byul-yi 2020 "Happy Ending" IU Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi 2019 "Heart" () IU Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi Chat-Shire and The Producers OST 2015 "Her" () Cherry B Lee Ji-eunCherry BLee Jong-hoon 2017 "Hi Spring Bye"() IU Lee Ji-eunNaul Lilac 2021 "Hold My Hand"() IU Lee Ji-eun The Greatest Love OST 2011 "Holssi" () IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoonLee Chae-gyu The Winning 2024 "I Believe in Love" () Yoo Seung Ho featuring IU Lee Ji-eunYoo Seung Ho Road for Hope 2010 "I Stan U"() IU Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwiKim Hee-won The Winning 2024 "Jam Jam"() IU Lee Ji-eunSunwoo Jung-a Palette 2017 "Knees"() IU Lee Ji-eun Chat-Shire 2015 "Leon" () EU God-G Isn't EU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon Infinite ChallengeYeongdong Expressway Music Festival 2015 "Lilac" () IU Lee Ji-eunIm Soo-hoDr.JoUng KimN!ko Lilac 2021 "Love Letter"() IU Lee Ji-eun Pieces 2021 "Love of B"() IU featuring Park Ju-won Lee Ji-eunPark Ju-won Modern Times 2013 "Love Poem" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon Love Poem 2019 "Love Wins All" IU Lee Ji-eunSeo Dong-hwan The Winning 2024 "Lullaby"() IU Lee Ji-eunKim Hee-won Love Poem 2019 "My Christmas Wish" () Jung Seung-hwan Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi 2019 "My Sea"() IU Lee Ji-eunKim Hee-wonKim Je-hwi Lilac 2021 "Next Stop" () IU Lee Ji-eun Pieces 2021 "Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms" () High4 featuring IU Lee Ji-eunOh Seung-taekLee Jong-hoonLee Chae-gyu Hi High 2014 "Palette" () IU featuring G-Dragon Lee Ji-eunKwon Ji-yong Palette 2017 "Pastel Crayon"() IU Lee Ji-eunKZJunjaman Modern Times – Epilogue and Bel Ami OST 2013 "Peach" () IU Lee Ji-eun Spring of a Twenty Year Old 2012 "Red Queen" IU featuring Zion.T Lee Ji-eunLee Chae-kyuLee Jong-hoon Chat-Shire 2015 "Remembrance Candy"() Billlie Lee Ji-eun (credited as IU) Appendix: Of All We Have Lost 2024 "Shh.." IU featuring Hyein, Jo Won Sun & (Narr. Patti Kim) Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoonLee Chae-gyu The Winning 2024 "Shoes"() IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon Chat-Shire 2015 "Shopper" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoonLee Chae-gyu The Winning 2024 "Strawberry Moon" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoon 2021 "Take Care Of My Dad"() IU Lee Ji-eun Take Care of My Dad OST 2015 "Teacher" IU featuring Ra.D Lee Ji-eunLee Doo-hyun Last Fantasy 2011 "Troll"() IU featuring Dean Lee Ji-eunKwon HyukPark Woo-sangJunny Lilac 2021 "The Shower"() IU Lee Ji-eun Chat-Shire 2015 "The Snowman" () Jung Seung-hwan Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi Spring Again 2018 "The Visitor"() IU Lee Ji-eun Love Poem 2019 "Through the Night" () IU Lee Ji-eunKim Hee-wonKim Je-hwi Palette 2017 "Twenty-Three"() IU Lee Ji-eunLee Chae-kyuLee Jong-hoon Chat-Shire 2015 "Twenty-Three"(Bonus track) IU Lee Ji-eunLee Jong-hoonPJ Chat-Shire and The Producers OST 2015 "Uncle"() IU featuring Lee Juck Lee Ji-eunLee Juck Last Fantasy 2011 "Unlucky" IU Lee Ji-eunKim Je-hwi Love Poem 2019 "Voice-mail"(Japanese version) IU Lee Ji-eunYadako Can You Hear Me? 2011 "Voice-mail"(Korean version) IU Lee Ji-eun Modern Times 2013 "Wait"() IU Lee Ji-eunTexu Modern Times 2013 "When You Fall" Sam Kim featuring Chai Lee Ji-eunChaiSam Kim 2018 "Winter Sleep" () IU Lee Ji-eun Pieces 2021 "Wisdom Tooth"() IU Lee Ji-eunG. Gorilla Last Fantasy 2011 "You"() IU Lee Ji-eun Pieces 2021 "Zezé" IU Lee Ji-eunLee Chae-kyuLee Jong-hoon Chat-Shire 2015
References