In a new interview, K-pop star IU opened up about turning 30 last year, the central theme of her musical works throughout the year.

In a new interview with Marie Claire Korea, K-pop star IU opened up about turning 30, a phase of her life that formed the bedrock of her musical concepts in 2021. Her latest album, in fact, Lilac, was a tribute to the decade she said goodbye to – without any regrets, mind you.

“I was watching an end-of-year awards show at home on New Year’s Eve. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular, but when they started the countdown, I suddenly felt excitement blossoming in my chest,” she told Marie Claire Korea while speaking of her transition into her 30s.

“In the second half of my 20s, I felt a bit of lethargy and malaise, so it was the first time in a while that I’d felt excited. I felt so good that it suddenly gave me confidence that I could do anything. Maybe it’s because it’s still early in the year, but I still have that feeling.” she continued.

Elsewhere in the interview, IU also spoke about how the comfort that stepping into her 30s brought her extended to other aspects of her life.

“There’s something I’ve been dreaming of in the abstract since my 20s. I want to open a small studio or concert space where people can perform or work. Rather than a private studio workspace, I want to make a space where you can show your work to the public. It was just a dream, but now that I’m 30, I’ve resolved upon it and I’m in the process of making it concrete.” she told the magazine.

The singer apparently has also started musing about how long she might be able to continue doing music: “They said that you’d think of this in your 30s, and they were right. It must be science!”

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“Last year, I realized that my ears won’t always be what they are, and thought, ‘What if I can’t make the sounds that I want to make?’ I’m searching for methods now, but I’ve felt fear at the idea that I won’t always be able to work in the physical condition that I desire.” she added.

You can read more about this topic over at the Asia Pop Observer.

Check out ‘Lilac’ by IU:

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