IU recently opened up about her controversial mini-album "Chat-shire." The K-pop idol was performing her solo concert, titled, "24 Steps: One Two Three Four" at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, when she talked about the release.
The "Good Day" hitmaker said that although she was showered with love and support from fans of her music in 2014, she was going through a tough time in her life. The singer revealed that at the time, she was suffering from insomnia and was in hiding due to nervousness and lack of confidence.
However, IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, pointed out that she was finally able to reflect and look deep within herself while working on the album "Chat-shire." "I wanted to create an album that allowed me to honestly reveal myself," Soompi quoted her as saying. "The things I felt when I was 23, and the serious and boring aspects of everyday life. The day the production for the album was finished, I slept really well."
IU's album became the subject of controversy after a publishing company criticized one of the tracks titled "Zeze" of sexualizing a five-year-old character of the same name. IU and the publishing company both issued apologies to each other in the end.
"It was my first time producing [an album] so there were many weak spots and I felt greatly sorry," AllKPop quoted the musician as saying. "I felt regret, thinking I had to create better music for people to listen to, but the album in its state is still who I am."
This is not the first time the album was surrounded by controversy. In 2015, American designer and illustrator Jessica H. Lee accused IU of stealing her artwork for the cover of "Chat-shire" without her consent. Another song from the album, titled "Twenty-Three," came under scrutiny for allegedly sampling a Britney Spears track without permission.
Watch the music video of the song below: