Music Monday|IU — LILAC

Hello my BAYOG luvs!~ Welcome back to another Music Monday~ For this month, I figured we should do spring themed Music Monday posts~ So we’re going to kick off our spring themed Music Monday with IU’s LILAC!~ I think y’all know I like IU. BAYOG loves IU too~ LILAC is IU’s latest album that just dropped on March 25th. BAYOG was hella looking forward to this one~ You got different types of tracks and vibes. In particular I think the fun retro-like title track “LILAC” goes pretty well with spring~ Anyway, let’s get to it!

Lee Ji Eun is known by her stage name IU (아이유). She apparently attended and failed 20 auditions and scammed at fake companies before started training at Good Entertainment. She used to train with Uee (After School), Yubin (Wonder Girls), Heo Gayoon (4Minute), and Jun Hyoseong (Secret). She ended up signing with LOEN Entertainment in 2007. She debuted under LOEN in 2008, after 10 months of training. Her stage name comes from the phrase “I and You”. It’s to symbolize how much unites people. I’ve been following IU since when she debuted. I remember [Baby IU] being known for her sweet acoustic covers of hits like “Gee”, “Sorry Sorry”, and “거짓말 (Lies)”. I also remember watching her on the K-Drama [Dream High]. She’s an incredibly talented vocalist, songwriter, and artist. She’s also great actress. I really loved her drama [Hotel Del Luna]. I feel like I’ve basically watched her grow up over the years, and really seen her grow and perfect her craft. I’ve seen her try out alot of different sounds and images. She went from this cute little baby, to one of the most recognized and respected Korean artists. Also, IU is so freakin’ pretty. Anyway some of my recommended favorites are: [Palette(팔레트)], [eight(에잇) (Prod.&Feat. SUGA of BTS)], [복숭아 (Peach)], [사랑이 잘(Can’t Love You Anymore)(Feat. 오혁 OH HYUK)] [Blueming], and [좋은 날 (Good Day)].

LILAC is IU’s fifth studio album. It marks her first full album release since her 2017 album Palette. She noted that many of seen her from her mid-teens to her 20’s. Lilacs mean “memories of youth”, so she wanted to have a glamorous farewell to her 20’s and greet her upcoming 30’s. IU said she was overwhelmed as this was her biggest project and she was trying out new genres and working with alot of new producers and staff. Some well known people who worked on production of some of the tracks include: AKMU’s Lee Chan Hyuk, Naul, Penomeco, Woogie, SUMIN, and Dean. Dean was featured on one of the tracks as well. Again, there are alot of different genres and sounds on this album. Alot of different vibes and feelings are conveyed on the tracks too. “Celebrity” was the first track to be revealed is it was a pre-release single leading up to LILAC’s release. It’s a fun and cheerful pop track. The title track “LILAC” has a fun and fresh retro vibe that feels colorful and bright, yet soft and dreamy. It’s actually a bittersweet track that’s supposed to be reminiscent of a spring typhoon. Chan Hyuk co-wrote and produced the hip-hop track “Ah Puh”. That track conveyed confidence, loneliness, and exhaustion. I personally enjoyed the whole album. It really did make me think of how much IU has grown. She may be saying goodbye to her youth, but I know there’ll be plenty more great music from her.

You can find IU’s album LILAC on Spotify, here:

You can find IU’s LILAC album on [YouTube] as well:

---

MUSIC VIDEOS & FAVORITE TRACKS

Normally I would post and analyze lyrics and videos, but I’m just gonna keep it brief today y’all. Your girl is hella tired and overworked…

Celebrity

Again, “Celebrity” was the first track to be dropped. It was dropped as a pre-release single back in January. Apparently it was inspired by one of her friends who had been called for being different. So this track is for the people who feel like the odd ones out. It’s a simple message that it’s cool to be different and your uniqueness makes you a star.

LILAC (라일락)

“LILAC” is the album’s title track. It’s a retro-esque kind of track. Which is cool since retro sounds and vibes have been really in trend lately. “LILAC” has a fun and fresh retro vibe that feels colorful and bright. Still, it also has a bit of a dreamy feel to it. IU described this track to be a bittersweet song reminiscent of a spring typhoon. It’s a song about love, that’s also about saying goodbye with “Love me only until this spring”. Also, IU is so freakin’ cute and pretty in this MV. There are alot of looks and outfits. Alot of youthful, fresh, and bright aesthetics that fit spring, but also a gorgeous sultry look in black too~

Coin

The MV for “Coin” was released after the MV for “LILAC”. “Coin” is a fun and funky kind of track that gets you grooving. It’s a track about confidence and going in with the risks and gambles.

Flu

“Flu” was one of the teasers that was dropped for the album before it’s release. It compares the feeling of being in love to a flu. I was immediately interested in this track when I heard the teaser. The choreo looked interesting too. I honestly hoped they’d drop a MV for it, but apparently they’re not.

돌림노래 (Troll) (Feat. DEAN)

“돌림노래 (Troll)” (Literally, “Revolving song”) features Dean. It was also co-written with Dean and JUNNY (another KRNB artist I like). Y’all know I love Dean. He’s one of my favorite KRNB artists, but also one of my favorite male vocalists ever. I’ve been waiting for a collab in forever. So I’m happy. This is a R&B track that describes the love of two people constantly going in a circle. They’re constantly on each other’s minds, and constantly crossing that line. No matter how bad it gets, they end up repeating this circle.

빈 컵(Empty Cup)

“빈 컵(Empty Cup)” is another R&B track. It’s a more subdued and bitter kind of track. It’s basically about no longer feeling love. Rather, you’re sick of their love as your love is now just like an empty cup. I instantly loved this track. Even though it’s a sad and more bitter track. I remember thinking, “OH~ KRNB kinda track! Sounds like the kind of KRNB tracks I listen to~” Well…now I know why. This track was produced by Woogie and Penomeco, both great KRNB artists/producers that I like.

Epilogue (에필로그)

“Epilogue” was the other track to instantly intrigue me during my first listen. It’s got this lo-fi R&B feel, but also with this old-timey vibe and sound to it. It also feels a bit dreamy. This track is basically about looking back at everything and whether it was all good or not. The memories and love being seen as good and meaningful leaves no regret. Things may have ended, but there’s not bitterness or hard feelings. It’s a sweet way to end the album.

---

Anyway, that’s it for today’s Music Monday~ I know I posted this later than I usually would’ve too. I’ve been hella busy with work and hella sleep deprived. I still wanted to share the album though~ So please forgive me for rushing through this. Anyway, I hope y’all have a lovely start to your week. Take care, stay safe, and have a wonderful day luvs~

---

LET’S BE FRIENDS!~ (つ✧ω✧)つ

Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I’ve been a part of the BAYOG Crew since 2017~ I fangirl and mostly blog about music, live action movies/dramas, manga/webtoons, and occasionally webnovels~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~

It’s nice to meet all of you lovely people from around the world! Thanks for stopping by our blog!~
💜• ขอบคุณค่ะ • ありがとうございます • 감사합니다 • 谢谢你 • Salamat Po •💜

Wanna Buy Boba/Coffee For Your Bobae?☕ (´｡• ω •｡`) 💜: [Ko-Fi]
Feel free to buy me bubble tea/milk tea/coffee if you’d like. I’m always sleep deprived, and I’ll forever appreciate your kindness~

Let’s Be Friends On SNS! 💜(♡°▽°♡)
Let’s talk memes, music, dramas, movies, spoilers, or fan spazz!~
I also sing and write lyrics~ You can hit me up on my socials or Discord. I’m always happy to make friends~ For questions or business inquiries, contact me through my BAYOG email~
[Twitter] | [Instagram] | [YouTube] | [Cardd]
Contact: BAYOGMinty@gmail.com | Discord: piecesofminty#0182

Dramas I’ve Watched/Am Watching 🎞️: [DramaList]
Manga/Manhwa/Webtoons I’m Reading 📚: [AniList]
My Music Playlists/What I’m Listening To🎧: [Spotify]

WordExcerpt Affiliate
We’re a [WordExcerpt] Affiliate! Use our referral link if you’re interested in reading and purchasing novels!
Referral Link: [WordExcerpt Store]
Use our coupon code for a discount: BAYOGMinty

JOIN THE BAYOG FAM (つ≧▽≦)つ 🎮🎞️
We share and chat lots of stuff on Discord, and we’re on other platforms too!
Don’t forget to say hi in the Discord server so I can properly welcome you~
[Discord Server] | [YouTube]| [Twitch] | [Facebook]| [Podcasts @ Spotify]
Follow the BAYOG Bros Too!🎮
They all good people! These your guys for anime, manga, and games!
[Kenny – Blackatron] | [Nick – Rokutsu]
[Marc – cmdrcluckcluck] | [Loha – Loheezy]

---

BE SAFE. BE RESPONSIBLE.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WEAR A MASK.
SOCIAL DISTANCE. PLEASE.

Take care y’all. Please stay safe and take care of yourself. All jokes and fun aside…Always wash your hands, practice social distancing, and wear a mask! It’s better to be cautious than face irrevocable consequences of health complications or death.

---

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blmsites.carrd.co
• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://blmstanguide.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co

STOP ASIAN HATE CRIMES

As an Asian-American, racism and hate crimes against AAPI isn’t new. It’s always been around. Unfortunately, misinformation and the pandemic has caused an insane surge in racism and xenophobia. There has also been an insane rise in hate crimes. More recently, we’re seeing a surge of hate crimes against the Asian elderly. Particularly in the California and New York areas. Some cases even leading to injuries and even death. The sad thing is that many cases do not get alot of attention, or are just looked passed. It breaks my heart and is cause for concern since it affects our community. Since some of the BAYOG Crew (including myself) are Asian-Americans ourselves, I wanted to use our small platform to help in anyway. Hate, racism, and xenophobia is an ugly thing. We’re friends, in the same community, and against the same social injustices. So be kind and let’s fight these things together.

You can also check the following for more information, ways to help, & to donate:

• http://hateisavirus.org
• https://gofundme.com/AAPI
• http://advancingjustice-aajc.org
• http://caasf.org/
• [Donate to Different Organizations to Support AAPI Communities]
• https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/

Please report hate crimes at Stop AAPI Hate:

• http://stopaapihate.org

Volunteer
You can see if your community has a volunteer chaperone or neighborhood watch/patrol program.
Some examples:

• Compassion in Oakland @ Oakland, California| http://compassioninoakland.org
• Safe Walks @ NYC, New York| https://safewalx.com/en/welcome
• Guardian Angels| http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
  They’re well known patrol volunteers in NYC, but they do have other branches too.

Volunteer at any other organizations that provide assistance to Asian-Americans; Particularly the elderly.
Some examples:

• Heart of Dinner @ NYC, New York| https://www.heartofdinner.org/
  An organization that supports local businesses and provides meals and care packages to the Asian elderly in NYC.