IU explains low-res Europe photos, reveals new single 'Dear My Crazy Soulmate' is written for Yoo In-na

IU's Sept. 10 single comes with a very personal B-side

IU dropped the digital single 이 별로부터 on September 10. Two title tracks came with it: 이 별로부터 and Dear My Crazy Soulmate. IU wrote both. The second one went straight to actress Yoo In-na—the music video description reads "유인나에게" (For Yoo In-na).

September 15 brought a video on IU's personal account. The caption read "Sure YOO IN NA we best soulmate" and "Dear my crazy soulmate." Fifteen years compressed into one clip: recent photos, selfies, moments at each other's events, old travel pictures, a Europe trip from roughly a decade ago. Dear My Crazy Soulmate soundtracked the whole thing.

Why those Europe photos look like a screen grab

At the September 16 Melon Music Wave chat event, IU explained the grainy quality circulating online.

"The reason I can't release the Europe travel photos in high quality is because those photos are on Unna's phone, and she hasn't transferred them to her new phone recently, so I took a photo of the screen itself."

Perfectly on-brand for a friendship that has survived 15 years and an 11-year age gap.

15 years, no managers required

IU (33) and Yoo In-na (44) met in 2010 on the SBS variety show 영웅호걸. They later appeared together in the KBS2 drama 최고다 이순신. Since then: solo backpacking trips without managers or staff. Matching friendship outfits. Valentine's Day friendship rings. Christmases spent together.

At the 2017 Melon Music Awards, IU called Yoo In-na "my closest friend, number one fan, and muse" during her acceptance speech. The new song's lyrics hit the same note: "You can be weird in front of me forever, that's why I like you more" and "My dream is for us to become weird gramma together."