"Bbibbi" () is a song recorded by South Korean singer-songwriter IU, released digitally on October 10, 2018, through

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

. The self-written song was produced by Son Myung-gab. It subsequently debuted at number one on the

Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...

. The song was released in part to commemorate 10 years since IU's debut.

Background

On October 1, 2018, IU announced the single through promotional posters on various social media accounts. According to

, the song was created in part to commemorate ten years since IU debuted.

Composition

"Bbibbi" is a laid-back alt-R&B track with confrontational and introspective lyrics that addresses IU's critics, with her turning around commentary on her image. Particular attention was paid to her delivery, including phrases and words like "yellow C-A-R-D" and "hello stu-P-I-D". "Bbibbi" refers to a

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in Korean, in particular the noise the device makes before people leave a message.

Commercial performance

"Bbibbi" debuted atop the

on the week ending October 13, making it her twentieth number one song in South Korea–the most for any artist.

Music video

The music video, directed by VM Project, was released along with the song and makes prominent use of monochromatic colour schemes. IU performs a choreographed

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

dance routine with a blank expression on her face, which was called "more cute than menacing" by Caitlin Kelley of ''

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''. She also appears in

high fashion (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to th ...

looks, with ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' stating that she wears a "

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-style scarf". The video currently has over 230 million views, making it the second most popular Korean music video by a female soloist in 2018.

Accolades

Charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2018 songs 2018 singles Gaon Digital Chart number-one singles IU (singer) songs Songs in Korean Kakao M singles Billboard Korea K-Pop number-one singles Songs written by IU (singer)