A flower bookmark, Pt. 3 - EP

In the same year IU, aka Lee Ji-eun, starred in the decade-spanning historical drama <i>When Life Gives You Tangerines</i>, the Korean superstar released the third entry in her <i>A Flower Bookmark</i> series. The series, which began in 2014 with <i>A Flower Bookmark</i>, is a nostalgic collection of albums that reinterprets iconic Korean songs in the pop star’s lyrical style. <i>A flower bookmark, Pt. 3</i> was IU’s first addition to the series in eight years, following 2017’s <i>A Flower Bookmark, Pt. 2</i>, and it features collaborations with Korean rapper-singer Wonstein and Korean music collective Balming Tiger.

IU’s six song choices, which feature Korean megahits from the 1970s to 2000s, would be familiar to domestic listeners but new to most international listeners. Lead single “Never Ending Story” was originally released in 2002 by Boohwal, the legendary Korean rock band formed in the 1980s that found a new generation of listeners with the naughts-era breakup ballad. The song had previously been covered by many popular artists, including FTISLAND and MeloMance. IU’s interpretation was arranged by Seo Dong-hwan, who also composed the singer’s 2024 hit “Love wins all.”

Other songs covered by IU in <i>A flower bookmark, Pt. 3</i> include “Red Sneakers,” initially released by Park Hye Kyung in 2002; “October 4th,” originally released by Seo Taiji in 2004; “Last Scene” featuring Wonstein, originally released by Roller Coaster in 2002; “A Beautiful Person” featuring Balming Tiger, originally released by Shin Jung-hyun and the Yupjuns in 1974; and “Square’s Dream,” originally released by White in 1996.