IU releases new single 'Bye, Summer'

IU gave her fans a surprise gift at the end of summer.

IU released her digital single "Bye, Summer" on various music streaming sites at 7 AM on the 10th. This release was made without any prior notice or promotion, and she hopes that it will be a special gift to her fans as summer draws to a close and the cool breeze begins to blow.

"Bye, Summer" was first revealed at the '2024 IU HEREH WORLD TOUR CONCERT ENCORE: THE WINNING' held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in September last year, and garnered much attention. This song is one that IU created while on her world tour last year, and on stage, IU introduced it by saying, "While doing this tour, the summer felt unusually long. But I want to say that this summer was the best summer because I was with you all. This is a song that I want to share with you because the summer was especially long and I loved you passionately."

At the time, IU performed the song while playing the guitar herself, receiving a thunderous cheer from fans. The rain that began to fall lightly at the beginning of the performance cleared by the end of the song, creating a beautiful scene that seemed to have been staged. The live clip of "Bye, Summer" released after the performance garnered significant attention, rising to the top of YouTube's trending videos. Since then, fans have been constantly requesting an official release, making this surprise release a special gift to them.

"Bye, Summer" was written and composed by IU herself, adding to the song's authenticity. She co-wrote the song with Seo Dong-hwan, who also collaborated on "Love Wins All." IU's signature lyrical vocals, a simple yet beautiful melody, and refreshing band sounds combine to create a song that feels like the end of summer is approaching like a cool breeze. The lyric video for "Bye, Summer" that was released alongside the song can be viewed on IU's official YouTube channel. The video, like a short fairy tale, tells the story of a boy and a girl who build memories on a summer day and part ways at the end of the season.

IU will be holding a fan meetup titled '2025 IU FAN MEET-UP 'Bye, Summer'' at KSPO DOME on the 13th and 14th. She is currently busy filming her next drama, '21st Century Grand Prince's Wife.'

Jeong Ha-eun, Enter News Team Reporter

Source: JTBC