The Very First Thing IU Desired So Much That She Cried When It Was Gone

IU recently sat down for an interview about her new album, The Winning, on her YouTube channel. The video opened with a recount of what she considered her very first desire.

It turned out to be an expensive doll that came from the Korean toy brand Mimi, something that a kindergarten-aged child like her would find pretty.

First desire? When I was young, I wanted a lot of things. I wanted a lot of pretty accessories. At the time, my family owned, should I call it a stationery store? My family used to run a general store. [When I was] in kindergarten the store was always crowded with customers. There were a lot of very pretty items I wanted to have. There were a lot of toys too. There was also a Mimi doll, the biggest doll in the store. A fully dressed doll mannequin. She was a Mimi doll fully dressed from head to toe.

— IU

It was this doll that IU was “dying to have” as a kid. It was the kind of toy that was coveted by everyone her age but was also too expensive to buy on a whim. The singer made it her goal to take it home with her one day, no matter how long it would take.

I was dying to have her. There was only one piece our store had only one piece too. All the kids in my neighborhood had their eyes on it but their parents won’t buy it for them. It was very expensive. You know parents won’t get those for their kids easily even if they want it badly. I had my eyes on it so ‘I am going to have it one day’ that’s what I thought.

— IU