''Real'' (stylized as ''REAL'') is the third Korean-language extended play (EP) by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released and distributed by

LOEN Entertainment Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...

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 Yoon Jong-shin (; born October 15, 1969) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, and the CEO of Mystic Story. Early life and education Yoon completed high school at Daewon Foreign Language High School and studied Korean Language ...

Kim Hyeong-seok Kim Hyeong-seok (born September 27, 1966) is a composer in South Korea who is known for producing both dance music and ballads. Since beginning his career in 1989, Kim has composed or produced more than 1,000 songs and has worked with many of the ...

Lee Min-soo Lee Min-Soo (; born January 11, 1992) is a South Korean football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of footb ...

Kim Eana Kim Eana ( ko, 김이나; born April 27, 1979) is a South Korean lyricist. She is best known for writing the lyrics to hit K-pop songs, including "Abracadabra" performed by Brown Eyed Girls, and " Good Day" performed by IU. She has been active ...

Shinsadong Tiger Lee Ho-yang (born June 3, 1983), known professionally as Shinsadong Tiger, is a South Korean music producer and songwriter. Even after debuting in 2001 at the age of 18, he has worked many odd jobs to fund his music career. He has become a promi ...

, and Choi Gap-won to work on the album. 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.

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 ''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic. Etymology ''Abracadabra'' is of unknown origin, but according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', its first known occurrence ...

", "

Nagging Nagging, in interpersonal communication, is repetitious behaviour in the form of pestering, hectoring, harassing, or otherwise continuously urging an individual to complete previously discussed requests or act on advice. The word is derived from th ...

", and " Irreversible" to develop this album. 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 Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

, 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" (), lets you feel a mature side of IU and is filled with 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 Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

, who has been friends with IU since pre-debut, and the tune is a love song which brings everyone love during

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. Update: IU to release 3rd mini album "Real" on December 9th
. koreaboo. Retrieved on 2012-3-13. IU made her official comeback through KBS's ''

Music Bank Music Bank may refer to: * ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS **''Music Bank World Tour The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show '' Music Bank'' by the Korean Broa ...

'' on December 10, 2010. As of 2012, the album has sold more than 85,000 copies.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Awards and nominations

Annual music awards

Release history

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Real (IU EP) 2010 EPs IU (singer) EPs Korean-language EPs Kakao M EPs