Chat-Shire
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Chat-Shire
| type = ep
| artist = IU
| cover = IU Chat-Shire.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| released = October 23, 2015
| recorded =
| length = 25:40 (digital)
31:56 (CD)
| language = Korean
| label =
| producer =
- IU
| prev_title = A Flower Bookmark
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Palette
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Chat-Shire
| type = ep
| single1 = Twenty-Three
| single1date = October 23, 2015
}}
{{External music video|type=ep|{{YouTube|42Gtm4-Ax2U|"Twenty-Three"}}
}}
}}
Chat-Shire (stylized as CHAT-SHIRE) is the fifth Korean-language extended play by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. The self-composed EP was released digitally on October 23, 2015, and physically four days later by LOEN Entertainment under its imprint LOEN Tree.{{cite news| last=Seong| first=Jin-hee| title=컴백! 아이유, 새 미니앨범 '챗셔' 10월 23일 발매..전곡 프로듀싱 ("Comeback! IU to Release Her Self-Produced New EP "Chat-Shire" on October 23rd")| url=http://thestar.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/10/12/2015101200739.html| accessdate=October 28, 2015| publisher=The Chosun Ilbo| date=October 12, 2015| language=ko| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125172237/http://thestar.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/10/12/2015101200739.html| archive-date=November 25, 2015| url-status=dead}} It was her first original material release since Modern Times (2013).
Chat-Shire contains seven tracks in total including the lead single "Twenty-Three". It also features two CD-only bonus tracks ("Heart" and "Twenty Three") from KBS's television series The Producers, in which IU starred as Cindy.{{cite news| last=Won| first=Ho-seong| title=아이유 '스물셋', 드라마 '프로듀사' 삽입곡 '23'과의 관계는? CD 보너스 트랙 삽입 ("What's the Relationship Between "Twenty-Three" by IU, and "Twenty Three" from "The Producers"?")| url=http://www.sportsq.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=96682| accessdate=October 28, 2015| publisher=SPORTSQ| date=October 23, 2015|language=ko}}
Composition
According to Scott Interrante of PopMatters, Chat-Shire uses lush orchestrations and complex arrangements that recreates a 90's chamber pop sound similar to The Cardigans.{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/the-best-k-pop-of-2015-2495465522.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3|title=The Best K-Pop of 2015| last=Scott|first=Interrante | work=PopMatters | date=2015-12-17 | accessdate=2020-04-29}}
The song "Red Queen" was inspired by a drawing created by Sulli.{{cite news | url=https://news.nate.com/view/20151024n06449?mid=n0107 | title=설리, 절친 아이유 응원 "도저히 안 사랑할 수 없어" | language=ko | work=TenAsia | date=2015-10-24 | accessdate=2019-10-17}}
Reception
=Commercial reception=
The lead single, "Twenty-Three" ({{langx|ko|스물셋}}), topped the national music charts upon release with several of the album's tracks also ranking in the top ten.{{cite news|title=IU tops eight domestic charts with new song "Twenty-Three"|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2015/11/143_189287.html|newspaper=The Korea Times|location=South Korea|date=October 23, 2015|access-date=April 8, 2018}} The track eventually achieved a Perfect All-Kill, as the single hit Number 1 on all of the major South Korean music sites simultaneously.{{cite web|url=http://m.entertain.naver.com/read?oid=109&aid=0003185062|title=아이유, 진짜 '센 언니'|website=Naver}} The album reached a peak position of number two on Gaon Album Chart{{cite web|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=45&hitYear=2015&termGbn=week|title=Gaon Album Chart - Week 45 (see #2)|website=Gaon Music Chart}} and also reached number four on Billboard{{'}}s World Albums chart.{{Cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/world-albums/2015-11-14|title=World Albums: Week of November 14, 2015|work=World Albums|publisher=Billboard|date=November 14, 2015|accessdate=April 8, 2018}}
=Critical reception=
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = IZM{{cite web| url=http://izm.co.kr/contentRead.asp?idx=27205&bigcateidx=1&subcateidx=3&view_tp=1&view_sort=1| title=Chat-Shire| work=IZM| accessdate=April 8, 2018|language=ko}}
| rev1Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}
}}
Billboard listed the album at number six on its list of "Top 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2015" and described the album as a "must-hear" release, containing "some of [IU's] most personal music yet", and named "The Shower" ({{langx|ko|푸르던}}) as its stand-out track.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/6828137/best-k-pop-albums-2015|title=The 10 Best K-pop Albums of 2015|date=December 30, 2015|magazine=Billboard}} Seoul Beats also highlighted the "personal quality" showcased in many of the album's tracks and praised IU's "growing maturity as an artist" and her willingness to experiment musically.{{Cite web|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2015/10/iu-creates-a-wonderland-in-twenty-three/|title=IU Creates A Wonderland In 'Twenty-Three'|website=Seoul Beats|date=October 25, 2015|accessdate=April 8, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2015/10/down-the-rabbit-hole-with-ius-chat-shire/|title=Down The Rabbit Hole With IU's Chat-Shire|website=Seoul Beats|date=October 27, 2015|accessdate=April 8, 2018}}
Plagiarism controversy
Following its release, the album was controversial for allegedly using Britney Spears' voice and sampling her 2007 song "Gimme More" without permission in the bonus track "23". Although she did not compose the music for the song, IU issued an apology for not checking the samples' sources as the album's producer.{{Cite news|last1 = Lim|first1 = Jeong-yeo|last2 = Ko|first2 = Ji-seon|url = http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201511061746382724472_2|title = IU apologizes amid plagiarism, pedophilia charges|work = The Korea Herald|location = Seoul|date = November 6, 2015|accessdate = November 10, 2015}}
The lyrics for "Zezé" and its illustration on the album cover were criticized by the Korean publisher of the novel My Sweet Orange Tree for its reinterpretation of its five-year-old protagonist, Zezé.{{Cite news |last = Sung|first = So-young|url = http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3011234|title = Controversy surrounds IU, again|work = Korea Joongang Daily|date = November 7, 2015|accessdate = November 8, 2015}} Amidst growing debate in the music community, the book's publisher later apologized for its failure to acknowledge the "diversity of interpretation".{{Cite news |last = Sung|first = So-Young|url = http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3011439|title = Publisher backs down in IU debate|work = Korea JoongAng Daily|location = Seoul|date = November 12, 2015|accessdate = November 12, 2015}} The controversy surrounding "Zezé" attracted international attention with AbeBooks reporting My Sweet Orange Tree as the most searched for book on its site on November 5–6, despite the book being out of print in English for years.{{Cite news |last = Flood|first = Alison|url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/09/k-pop-star-iu-song-sexualising-jose-mauro-de-vasconcelos-my-sweet-orange-tree|title = K-pop star IU's song accused of 'sexualising' book's child hero|work = The Guardian|location = London|date = November 10, 2015|accessdate = November 11, 2015}}{{Cite web |last = Davies|first = Richard|url = http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/11/08/k-pop-erupts-over-a-book-inspired-sexualized-pop-song/|title = K-pop Erupts over a Book-Inspired 'Sexualized' Pop Song|date = November 8, 2015|website = AbeBooks|accessdate = November 11, 2015}} Meanwhile, South Korea's largest book store chain, Kyobo Book Centre, reported that sales of the book has increased 5.7 times over the period of November 5–8 when compared to sales over the November 1–4 period.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Arrangement
| all_lyrics = IU
| total_length = 25:40
| headline = Chat-Shire {{nobold|– digital download{{cite web| url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/chat-shire/1051977837| title=Chat-Shire by IU on iTunes| date=23 October 2015| publisher=iTunes Store| access-date=23 October 2015}}}}
| title1 = Shoes
| note1 = 새 신발; Sae Sinbal
| music1 = Lee Jong-hoon
| extra1 = Lee Jong-hoon
| length1 = 3:35
| title2 = Zezé
| note2 =
| music2 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu
| extra2 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu
| length2 = 3:11
| title3 = Twenty-Three
| note3 = 스물셋; Seumulset
| music3 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu, IU
| extra3 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu
| length3 = 3:14
| title4 = The Shower
| note4 = 푸르던; Pureudeon
| music4 = IU
| extra4 = Kim Je-hwi
| length4 = 4:07
| title5 = Red Queen
| note5 = featuring Zion.T
| music5 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu
| extra5 = Lee Jong-hoon, Lee Chae-kyu
| length5 = 3:33
| title6 = Knees
| note6 = 무릎; Mureup
| music6 = IU
| extra6 = Lee Jong-hoon
| length6 = 4:43
| title7 = Glasses
| note7 = 안경; An-gyeong
| music7 = IU
| extra7 = Kim Je-hwi
| length7 = 3:17
}}
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Arrangement
| total_length = 31:56
| headline = Chat-Shire {{nobold|– physical edition (bonus tracks){{cite web| url=http://www.synnara.co.kr/sp/sp120Main?categoryId=&productId=P000352174| title=아이유 (IU) – CHAT-SHIRE (4TH 미니앨범)| publisher=Media Synnara| accessdate=October 28, 2015|language=ko}}}}
| title8 = Heart
| note8 = 마음; Maeum, from The Producers
| music8 = IU, Kim Je-hwi
| extra8 = IU, Kim Je-hwi
| length8 = 2:47
| title9 = Twenty Three
| note9 = from The Producers
| music9 = PJ, Lee Jong-hoon
| extra9 = PJ, Lee Jong-hoon
| length9 = 3:29
}}
Notes
- The title of track 1 literally means "New Shoes".
- The title of track 4 literally means "Once Blue".
- The title of track 7 literally means "Eyeglasses".
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Chart (2015) ! scope="col"| Peak ! scope="col"| Sales |
| scope="row"| South Korean Gaon Weekly Albums Chart{{cite web| url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=45&hitYear=2015&termGbn=week| title=South Korean Gaon Chart: Album – The 45th Week of 2015| work=Gaon Chart| publisher=Korea Music Content Industry Association| accessdate=November 12, 2015}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | rowspan="5"|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| South Korean Gaon Monthly Albums Chart{{cite web| url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=10&hitYear=2015&termGbn=month| title=South Korean Gaon Chart: Album – October 2015| work=Gaon Chart| publisher=Korea Music Content Industry Association| date=November 12, 2015| accessdate=November 12, 2015}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 |
| scope="row"| South Korean Gaon Year-End Albums Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 56 |
| scope="row"| US Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/heatseekers-albums/2015-11-14| title=Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart – The Week of November 14, 2015| magazine=Billboard| accessdate=November 4, 2015}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 19 |
| scope="row"| US Billboard World Albums Chart{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/world-albums/2015-11-14| title=Billboard World Albums Chart – The Week of November 14, 2015| magazine=Billboard| accessdate=November 4, 2015}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 |
Release history
| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align:center;"| Region ! style="text-align:center;"| Date ! style="text-align:center;"| Format ! style="text-align:center;"| Label |
| style="text-align:center;"| South Korea
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| October 23, 2015 | rowspan="2"| Digital download | rowspan="3"| LOEN Tree |
| style="text-align:center;"| Various |
| style="text-align:center;"| South Korea
| style="text-align:center;"| October 27, 2015 | CD |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{IU (singer)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chat-Shire}}