According to Allkpop, right after its release, the 3rd remake (remade) of Korean singer IU (real name: Lee Ji Eun) A Flower Bookmark 3 has risen to the top of domestic music charts such as Melon, Genie, Bugs...
The title track Never Ending Story easily reached the Top 1 of Melon on its first day of release, May 29.
Although it is undeniable that IU is still promoting brand strength to the fullest extent when releasing the album A Flower Bookmark 3, there have been many divided opinions about the overall music quality of this album.
Korean music critics have considered the musical impact of A Flower Bookmark 3 compared to IUs previous albums.
Speaking about the A Flower Bookmark remake series, music critic Jung Min Jae analyzed: When it was first released in 2014, A Flower Bookmark was a great idea to connect the older generation with the younger generation.
It was a bold and meaningful effort at that time, because dance music and electronic music were the most popular music genres of the year.
However, critics believe that with the album A Flower Bookmark 3, creativity has declined significantly. There are still some interesting songs, but in general, they are all songs that are recreated "in a predictable way".
Music critic Lim Hee Yoon commented: Its getting harder for new songs to enter the Top 100. No matter who you are, you can't easily expect to achieve significant results on the current music chart.
Many music distributors have noted this and they have switched to remaking songs - songs that were released about 20-30 years ago and have proven their popularity, to reduce risks and achieve certain successes.
However, the success in this case is mainly due to the combination of the brand IU and the brand A Flower Bookmark.
Evaluating the song selection in A Flower Bookmark 3, critic Jung Min Jae said, This selection reflects a strategy to attract listeners in their 40s, those born in the 1980s, whose tastes are no longer catching up with the popular melodies on todays charts.
Finally, about the album's music quality, Lim Hee Yoon commented: "A remade album can act like a double-edged sword. It uses songs that have been successful in the past, but that success in the past limits the song's current popularity.
Despite her talent in singing and composing, IU showed uncreative arrangements. In particular, the vocal mix seems quite superficial, like a cup of coffee purchased at a franchises coffee shop. It's disappointing in those aspects.
Critic Jung Min Jae noted: The albums arrangement is quite simple and predictable, although the participants are highly qualified.
Some songs bring a feeling of not being able to overcome the great shadow of the original. This is just an album that makes popular songs suitable for IU's singing voice.
Of course, no artist can take any risks every time they release an album. But it is still difficult to say that IU has shown her full musical ability with this album. Instead, she chose to play safely.
