The themes of identity and celebrity life are further explored when we see IU modifying herself in different ways, such as covering her face with a sheet mask, or applying lipstick. She makes fun of how two-faced other people can be, wondering whether the woman who smiled at her as she passed “Is still smiling after going around the corner?” We are often so eager to please others, IU notes, that we are happy to be dishonest in the process. Of course, IU is not the only manipulative person out there. She sings: “Trust me moderately if I pretend to be a grown up” and then “If I pretend to be immature, please be fooled a bit,” meaning that no matter what identity she adopts, she still has the power to trick others as that identity is not 100% her true self. Turning 23, for IU, is the transition between childhood and adulthood, where you are still able to dabble in a little bit of both. Clearly, turning 23 and eating the tainted cake has robbed her of the innocence she started her career with. IU continues to make the audience doubt her by singing “At first I never wrote even a single line of lies,” hinting that now, she lies quite regularly. With all of this, IU is cleverly commenting on the nature of her industry, where people are always trying to dissect and interpret every part of her, reaching vastly different conclusions. The heart is really simple.” The audience is taken for a ride, unsure of whether to trust her. In this way, IU demonstrates that no one, including herself, will ever work out her true identity, because “You cannot tell with my face, making an opposite face expression. Then, she sweetly says she wants to fall in love, before contradicting herself with “No, I want to make money. IU presents the listener with contradictory descriptions of who she is, always following it up with “Try to guess, which one?” First, she tells us that she wants to remain a child, but then quickly says she wants to be a woman. Throughout the song, IU questions her identity and others’ true identities, all the while messing with the listener. IU’s coy singing paired with her almost blank facial expressions means she’s hilarious and charming to watch in this MV. The true strengths of this song, however, are its lyrics and themes. Having written the lyrics herself gives the song a new kind of intimacy and relatability, particularly for young women who are treading that fine line between childhood and adulthood. IU muses on the duplicity of humans, identity and reality, constantly teasing the listener throughout the song. IU experiments musically, adopting a disco-esque sound rather than her previous jazzy or acoustic music. This then begins her journey through an alternate world, where IU questions identity, reality and honesty.įor all the people who say that IU always sticks to her musical comfort zone, “Twenty-Three” proves them wrong.
The MV opens with IU blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, before promptly passing out face-first into the cake, a reference to Alice being poisoned in the original story. South Korea’s sweetheart IU is back with her new album CHAT-SHIRE, and the accompanying MV for “Twenty-Three.” In this, IU cleverly retells the story of Alice in Wonderland, adapting it to her own life story. Thematically, the song has some similarities with other coming-of-age songs such as Song Ji-eun’s “Pretty Age 25,” but also explores new territory.
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