On April 1, a video titled “Unreleased ‘You & I’ Practice Video from 15 Years Ago (The Day Before Comeback)” was uploaded to IU‘s YouTube channel.
The video was presented as a situational skit, set as the final rehearsal just one day before her original “You & I” comeback. IU fully embraced the concept by recreating her past look, including similar hair and makeup styles from that era.
Notably, she recreated the once-popular heavy eyeliner trend. As IU remarked, “There was eyeliner both above and below the eyes,” a staff member added humorously, “It used to take an hour just to draw the eyeliner. Yesterday, we even got scolded for the makeup being too light,” enhancing the immersive retro atmosphere.
IU then went on to reenact scenes from the “You & I” music video itself. She reunited with dancers she had worked with back then, recreating the choreography. Although the performance originally portrayed her in her late teens to early twenties, IU now in her early 30s was seen catching her breath even during relatively simple moves, adding a lighthearted touch to the video.
Attention to detail stood out throughout the production. While IU’s channel usually uploads videos in high resolution (up to 2160p), this video was intentionally limited to 720p to mimic the visual quality of the past, further enhancing the nostalgic vibe.
In another playful moment, while acting as her 19-year-old self, the dancers asked, “Do you think we could perform at the main stadium in 10 years?” IU responded, “Let’s not say unrealistic things. Let’s just work hard and maybe perform at the gymnastics arena someday.” The staff added, “We haven’t even done a nationwide tour yet,” drawing laughter.
In reality, IU later achieved far beyond those “modest” goals performing at KSPO Dome in 2019 and becoming the first Korean female solo artist to hold a concert at Seoul Olympic Stadium in 2022. She is also set to perform at Goyang Stadium this September.
Netizens reacted enthusiastically to the video, leaving comments such as, “Can someone really go this far for April Fools’ Day?”, “It’s amazing that the same people from 15 years ago are still with her,” and “I totally believed it.”
Sources: Daum