Real (IU EP)

Real is the third Korean-language extended play (EP) by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released and distributed by LOEN Entertainment on December 9, 2010. The special edition of the album was sold out during pre-order, which revealed the high anticipation for the album. IU collaborated with some of the top vocalists and producers in South Korea such as Yoon Jong-shin, Kim Hyeong-seok, Lee Min-soo, Kim Eana, Shinsadong Tiger, and Choi Gap-won to work on the album.^[1]

Real
EP by IU
Released	December 9, 2010
Recorded	2009–2010
Studio	Various
Length	26:38
Language	Korean
Label	LOEN
Producer	Jo Yeong-cheol Choi Gap-won
IU chronology
IU...IM (2009) Real (2010) Real+ (2011)
Singles from Real
"Good Day" Released: December 9, 2010

The album's success strengthened the singer's position as the "Nation's little sister" in her native country. In November 2019, Billboard magazine compiled a list of the 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s, with the single "Good Day" ranking at number one.^[2]

Background and release

Real consists of six songs and an instrumental of the title track, "Good Day". The album came in two different versions, normal and special edition. IU had worked with composers of hit songs such as "Abracadabra", "Nagging", and "Irreversible" to develop this album.

Composition

The album reflected the natural image of IU, as described by the album title. The title track is "Good Day" includes a musical combination of violin, wind instruments, guitar, and piano. It also displays her powerful vocals. The lyrics describe a story of a girl who doesn't have the courage to confess to her crush, the sweetness and tension of a first love.

IU also tried out a new music genre, electronic, in this album ("This Is Not What I Thought"). Other songs in this album includes "The Night of the First Breakup", a story about the day of a panicking girl who just broke up with her boyfriend; "Alone in the Room", expressed the emotions of an 18-year-old girl as IU co-wrote the lyrics to this song; "The Thing I Do Slowly", a ballad that describes a girl trying to forget her love after a breakup; and "Merry Christmas in Advance", a confession from IU to the fans, which was composed by Shinsadong Tiger. It features rapping from Thunder, who has been friends with IU since pre-debut, and the tune is a love song which brings everyone love during Christmas.^[3]

Promotion and reception

IU made her official comeback through KBS's Music Bank on December 10, 2010. As of 2012, the album has sold more than 85,000 copies.^[A]

Track listing

Real track listing^[5]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arrangement	Length
1.	"Not Like This" (이게 아닌데; Ige Aninde, lit. Not Like This)	Kim Eana	Kim Hyung-seok	Yoon Woo-seok	3:07
2.	"What I'm Doing Slow" (느리게 하는 일; Neurige Haneun Il, lit. What I'm Doing Slow)	Choi Gap-won	PJ, Min Woong-shik	Kim Jin-hoon	4:13
3.	"Good Day" (좋은 날; Joeun Nal)	Kim Eana	Lee Min-soo	Lee Min-soo	3:53
4.	"The Night of the First Breakup" (첫 이별 그날 밤; Cheot Ibyeol Geunal Bam)	Yoon Jong-shin	Yoon Jong-shin	Jo Jung-chi	4:26
5.	"In a Room Alone" (혼자 있는 방; Honja Itneun Bang, lit. Lonely Room)	Choi Gap-won, IU	Jeon Seung-woo	Jeon Seung-woo	3:58
6.	"Merry Christmas Ahead" (미리 메리 크리스마스; Miri Meri Keuriseumaseu, featuring Thunder)	Choi Gap-won	Shinsadong Tiger, Choi Kyu-sung	Shinsadong Tiger, Choi Kyu-sung	4:28
7.	"Good Day (Instrumental)"		Lee Min-soo	Lee Min-soo	3:53
Total length:					26:38

Credits and personnel

Recording and mixing

• Loen Studio – recording studio
• T Studio – recording studio
• Booming Studio – recording studio
• Musicabal Studio – recording studio, mixing studio
• K-Note Studio – recording studio
• Vitamin Studio – mixing studio
• W Studio – mixing studio

Staff

Cho Young-cheol – producer Choi Gap-won – producer Myung-gap Son – recording engineer Young Seon – recording engineer Eun-sook Heo – recording engineer Young-hee Choi – recording engineer Il-ho Kim – recording engineer Ji-yeon Park – recording engineer Min-hee Kim – recording engineer Hyunjeong Ko – mixing engineer Junseong Jo – mixing engineer Seungwook Ko – mixing engineer Jeon Hoon at Sonic Korea – mastering Namgoong Chan – management director Jo Chun-ho – management director

Bae Jong-han, Park Jeong-hyeon, Park Joo-won, Park Seong-woo – management assistants Kim Jin-myeong – A&R (repertoire) Kim Eana – A&R (repertoire) Oh Yu-kyung – A&R (repertoire) Hye-sun Park – marketing Si-won Park – marketing Soo-hyun Ahn – marketing Changsu Kim – alliance marketing Jeongmin Lee – administration support Hwang Soo-ah – visual director Choi Hye-ryun – stylist Kim Jeong-han – hair Goh Gyeong-gyeong – makeup

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2010) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)[6] 2 Monthly charts Chart (2010) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)[7] 3

Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position South Korean Albums (Gaon)[8] 33

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Edition	Label
South Korea	December 9, 2010	CD, digital download	Standard Edition	LOEN Entertainment
		CD+DVD	Special Limited Edition
Worldwide[9]		Digital download

See also

• List of best-selling singles in South Korea

Footnotes

1. Sales for both standard and special limited editions are combined.^[4]