Celebrity (IU song)

Did You Know?

• A music video teaser for "Celebrity" was released on Kakao M's official YouTube channel on January 25, 2021.
• The music video was directed by Paranoid Paradigm and produced by VM Project Architecture.
• The song debuted at number 190 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart before entering the standard Billboard Global 200.

Background

IU first hinted at a new single while accepting the Digital Daesang award for "Blueming" at the 35th Golden Disc Awards on January 9, 2021, describing it as "refreshing" and something that "gives people strength." On January 11, her label EDAM Entertainment announced a pre-release single titled "Celebrity" for January 27, 2021, promising a cheerful pop sound with an energetic genre. The single was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from her fifth Korean-language studio album, Lilac, marking her first release after the chart-topping collaboration "Eight" with BTS' Suga in May 2020.

Composition

"Celebrity" is a dance-pop track that blends pop, electronic music, and tropical house, marking a departure from IU's earlier style. EDAM Entertainment noted its bright, cheerful pop sound was designed to energize listeners and represented a first for the singer. The lyrics address fame, identity, insecurities, loss, and the experience of being a celebrity. The song is set in A major at 100 beats per minute and lasts 3 minutes and 16 seconds.

Commercial performance

Upon release, "Celebrity" debuted atop the Gaon Digital Chart, becoming IU's 17th number one single and 25th number-one overall including featured appearances and OSTs. It remained at number one for six consecutive weeks, one of the longest runs in the chart's history. Internationally, it peaked at number 2 in Singapore and number 13 in New Zealand, and reached number 3 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. On the Billboard Global 200, it entered at number 78, marking IU's first appearance on that global chart.