Love Wins All
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Wins All
| type = single
| cover = IU - Love Wins All.png
| alt = A black-and-white photograph of a chandelier with cobwebs on it with "Love Wins All" written over it in pink handwriting
| artist = IU
| EP = The Winning
| released = {{start date|2024|01|24}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = K-pop
| length = 4:31
| language = Korean
| label = Edam
| composer = Seo Dong-hwan
| lyricist = IU
| producer =
| prev_title = People Pt. 2
| prev_year = 2023
| next_title = Holssi
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|JleoAppaxi0|"Love Wins All"}}}}
}}
"Love Wins All" is a song by South Korean singer-songwriter IU, released on January 24, 2024, through Edam Entertainment as the lead single from her sixth Korean EP The Winning. It was written by IU and composed by Seo Dong-hwan, and is her first single as a lead artist since "Winter Sleep", released in December 2021. The music video, starring IU alongside BTS member V, was released on the same date. The song achieved a perfect all-kill on the South Korean charts and debuted atop the Circle Digital Chart.
Background
The song's title was initially announced as "Love Wins" on January 15, 2024,{{cite news|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-15/entertainment/kpop/IU-to-drop-prerelease-single-Love-wins/1958432|title=IU to drop prerelease single 'Love wins'|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|last=Kim|first=Ji-ye|date=January 15, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=January 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131163804/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-15/entertainment/kpop/IU-to-drop-prerelease-single-Love-wins/1958432|url-status=live}} before being changed by IU's label Edam to "Love Wins All" before release due to criticism that the title was already in use as a slogan to commemorate the United States legalizing same-sex marriage in 2015.{{cite news|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-19/entertainment/kpop/IU-scraps-Love-wins-single-title-after-online-backlash/1962772|title=IU scraps 'Love wins' single title after online backlash|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|last=Cho|first=Yong-jun|date=January 19, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=January 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131160158/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-19/entertainment/kpop/IU-scraps-Love-wins-single-title-after-online-backlash/1962772|url-status=live}}
Music video
The music video was released in conjunction with the song on January 24, 2024, and was directed by Um Tae-hwa.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/iu-reveals-how-bts-v-cast-love-wins-all-music-video-3578481|title=IU reveals how BTS' V was cast in the music video for 'Love Wins All'|website=NME|last=Yeo|first=Gladys|date=January 29, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=February 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201002150/https://www.nme.com/news/music/iu-reveals-how-bts-v-cast-love-wins-all-music-video-3578481|url-status=live}} It stars IU and BTS member V as a married couple in a post-apocalyptic world,{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/k-pop/music/news/iu-and-bts-v-collaboration-love-wins-all-achieves-all-kill-status-emerges-as-the-first-chart-topping-single-of-2024/articleshow/107202427.cms|title=IU and BTS' V collaboration 'Love Wins All' emerges as the first chart-topping single of 2024|newspaper=Times of India|date=January 28, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=January 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131160304/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/k-pop/music/news/iu-and-bts-v-collaboration-love-wins-all-achieves-all-kill-status-emerges-as-the-first-chart-topping-single-of-2024/articleshow/107202427.cms|url-status=live}} trying to survive as they recall memories from happier times. IU explained that she first sent V the music, which he enjoyed, and as she had been in contact with him and was also looking for somebody to cast opposite her, asked him to star in the video after realizing he might suit the role.
The video was criticized online for its depiction of disabilities, as IU is shown as having a hearing impairment and V as having a visual impairment. The pair find a camcorder through which they are able to view the other without their respective disabilities, which was considered to be "discriminatory" as it implies disabled people "admire and fantasize" about not having their disabilities.{{cite news|url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240130000592|title=IU to unveil 6th EP The Winning next month|newspaper=The Korea Herald|last=Hong|first=Yoo|date=January 30, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=February 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201012712/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240130000592|url-status=live}}
Critical reception
NME{{'s}} Rhian Daly scored "Love Wins All" four out of five stars, praising it as a "masterclass of a ballad" that is "delivered over a whisper of a piano melody and soft, unobtrusive strings".{{cite magazine|last=Daly|first=Rhian|title=On 'Love Wins All', IU renews our faith in romance|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/track/iu-love-wins-all-review-3576697|magazine=NME|date=25 January 2024|access-date=1 January 2025|archive-date=26 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226135231/https://www.nme.com/reviews/track/iu-love-wins-all-review-3576697|url-status=live}} The track was included in the publication's mid-year and year-end lists of the best K-pop songs in 2024, ranking at number 17 on the latter list.{{cite magazine|last=Ramli|first=Sofiana|title=The 15 best K-pop songs of 2024 – so far|url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/best-k-pop-songs-b-sides-2024-so-far-3768664|date=2024|magazine=NME|access-date=1 January 2025|archive-date=29 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229143805/https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/best-k-pop-songs-b-sides-2024-so-far-3768664|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Daly|first=Rhian|title=The 25 best K-pop songs of 2024|url=https://www.nme.com/lists/end-of-year/best-kpop-songs-2024-3820590|date=11 December 2024|magazine=NME|access-date=1 January 2025|archive-date=31 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231035246/https://www.nme.com/lists/end-of-year/best-kpop-songs-2024-3820590|url-status=live}} Paste ranked the song at number seven on its list of the 20 best K-pop songs of 2024, favorably commenting on IU's "emotive vocals".{{cite magazine|last=Burt|first=Kayti|title=The 20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2024|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/k-pop/the-20-best-k-pop-songs-of-2024|date=26 December 2024|access-date=1 January 2025|magazine=Paste|archive-date=30 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230064225/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/k-pop/the-20-best-k-pop-songs-of-2024|url-status=live}}
Commercial performance
In addition to achieving a perfect all-kill on the South Korean charts,{{cite news|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-30/entertainment/kpop/IU-to-drop-EP-The-Winning-on-Feb-20-after-Love-wins-all-hits-No-1/1969924|title=IU to drop EP The Winning on Feb. 20 after 'Love wins all' hits No. 1|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|last=Cho|first=Yong-jun|date=January 30, 2024|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=January 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131160248/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-30/entertainment/kpop/IU-to-drop-EP-The-Winning-on-Feb-20-after-Love-wins-all-hits-No-1/1969924|url-status=live}} it debuted atop the Circle Digital Chart. The song reached number 25 on the Billboard Global 200, number three on the US World Digital Song Sales chart, and number 80 on the Japan Hot 100.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot100&year=2024&month=02&day=05|title=Billboard Japan Hot 100: Week of January 31, 2024|website=Billboard Japan|language=ja|access-date=February 1, 2024|archive-date=January 31, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131040831/https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=hot100&year=2024&month=02&day=05|url-status=live}}
Accolades
On South Korean music programs, "Love Wins All" won eight first place awards and achieved a triple crown on Inkigayo.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:아이유, 방송 출연 없이 '인기가요' 1위...트리플크라운 달성|trans-title=IU takes first place on ‘Inkigayo’ without appearing on TV...Triple Crown achieved|url=https://news.nate.com/view/20240225n12757|via=Nate|publisher=Celuv Media|language=ko|last=Jeong|first=Won-hee|date=February 25, 2024|access-date=February 25, 2024|archive-date=February 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225115515/https://news.nate.com/view/20240225n12757|url-status=live}}
Charts
{{col begin}}
{{col 2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col 2}}
=Monthly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Monthly chart performance for "Love Wins All" ! scope="col" | Chart (2024) ! scope="col" | Position |
| scope="row" | South Korea (Circle){{cite web|url=https://circlechart.kr/page_chart/onoff.circle?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=02&hitYear=2024&termGbn=month&yearTime=3|title=Circle Digital Chart – February 2024|website=Circle Chart|language=ko|access-date=March 9, 2024}}
| 1 |
|---|
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for "Love Wins All" ! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| South Korea (Circle){{cite web|url=https://circlechart.kr/page_chart/onoff.circle?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=2024&hitYear=2024&termGbn=year&yearTime=3|title=Digital Chart – 2024|website=Circle Chart|language=ko|access-date=January 11, 2025}}
| 5 |
|---|
{{col end}}