Not to state the obvious, but there’s something absolutely charming about
IU. She’s down-to-earth, awkwardly quirky, and has this half-chuckle, half-snort that slays her
oppa fans whenever she does it.
Yet variety-show appeal isn’t what IU wants to be known for — she’s a
singer first and foremost, and the public sometimes forgets
that. Consequently, skepticism mingled with anticipation when IU
revealed that this album would reflect her coming-of-age (she’ll soon be
turning 20, the age of adulthood in Korea).
It seems like a whimsical, if not child-like concept, and you couldn’t help but wonder — would “Last Fantasy” make a lasting impression, or would it fade away?
–
When you run through the tracks, you quickly understand that her
title embodies the album’s concept perfectly. It’s an accurate
indication of what to expect, starting with a grandiose opening track
and ending with a bittersweet jazz piece. This isn’t just an ordinary
collection of songs, but a true artistic album created to house an “end of fantasy” theme.
**What comes naturally with that intent is an authentic, consistent, and cohesive album in every aspect.
Stand out tracks:
“You and I”
Some might call this IU’s “Good Day – Part 2″, but the similarities end
when we listen to how IU delivers this song. While “Good Day” is mostly
remembered for IU’s high notes, “You and I” is multi-faceted in its
production. From its sweeping instrumentals to the metronome-like beat,
you immediately grasp the ‘time’ motif in this track, which gets
bolstered even further by her lyrics of waiting for love.
Vast, expansive, and rich — if there’s one song that summarizes IU’s
album concept of being both mature and child-like, it’s definitely this
one.
“Wisdom Tooth”
Underneath the layer of maturity in IU’s album, we’re reminded here that
she’s still a young girl going through some growing pains. Literally.
IU complains about how she’s too young to take the pain of
heartbreak, just like how she’s too young to take the pain of removing a
wisdom tooth. The melody itself is reminiscent of 90′s pop-rock bands
like The Cardigans, which is a sound of IU’s that I’d really love for her to develop and explore since she pulls it off so well.
“4AM”
Widely recognized as the track composed by IU’s idol,
Corinne Bailey Rae (whom, if you’ll remember,
she once said she loved more than her mother), ”4AM” became the one song everyone looked forward to. And it didn’t disappoint.
The song acts as the ballast to the airy sound of the album. Here, IU
croons with a soulful tone, which is really refreshing and quite
surprising in fact, since we’ve only heard sweet pop deliveries thus
far. What’s also great about this track is that it seems to channel a
bit of that Jamiroquai disco-neo soul feel. With its grounded melody,
“4AM” prevents the rest of the album from floating away.
“L’amant”
With “L’amant”, IU surrenders and lets go of her dream. She’s accepted
that she’s lost her lover, who took her bright-eyed, idyllic romance
with him.
The soft piano and mournful sax really work together to paint a vivid
mental picture. Having journeyed with IU through 12 tracks, “L’amant”
was like waking up from a dream, and we were left in state of quiet
wonder over the experience.
“Last Fantasy” was meant to be the musical equivalent of a gateway,
the threshold between youth and adulthood, fantasy and reality. By
blending melancholic tones and wistful lyrics with a sweet voice, IU was
able to push forth both direction and controlled progression through
the album. Time, pain, reflection, and longing — one could hear it all
in her tracks (sometimes quite literally, as was the case with the
ticking clock effect in “You and I”).
But thematic cohesion and consistency aren’t the only reasons why
this album is so great – ”Last Fantasy” revives a classic element of
K-Pop that got lost in today’s demand for hooks and immediate aural
gratification.
Originally, K-Pop melodies were based on traditional instrumentation.
That meant utilizing real instruments, carefully-constructed scores and
melodies, and a theme to bring it all together. Nowadays, it’s all
about making your bass bounce and getting an adrenaline rush.
But that’s what makes “Last Fantasy” so unique and refreshing. It
doesn’t completely follow today’s rules for pop music, and yet we’re not
bored to tears. Sure, we don’t love every track after the first 5
seconds, but we grow to appreciate them as we play them. It’s this great
depth and authenticity that makes IU’s “Last Fantasy” feel like an
oasis of real music in a desert of hollow synthetics. We can only hope
that more artists will take IU’s cue next year and focus on delivering
quality over repetitive quantity.
Source: allkpop
