Sulli, Goo Hara, Jonghyun. BTS imagery/references. Personal, symbolic. Theories. And isn't it lovely that (whatever the personal story might be) this beautiful and talented young woman makes a song and MV that can simply resonate with anybody on the universal level...that is the power of poetry and music. Gotta smile at the ARMY ring hiding in the dark corner of the MV, though. I would have never seen it on my own! SUGA. Being all poetic and tender.
That's how amazing she is at conveying her emotions in her music. Yoongi too :) Also, I had no idea about the Army ring. I couldn't really tell about the ring it was too dark. But I did think that it was Suga in the airplane with her.
The girl with the White Dress is probably a representation of Sulli and the Lizard (Dragon) is a representation of Jonghyun that used to love Charmander, is just a theory...
Yes i also agree because the lizard and the girl is a part of the fantasy which means already a memory based on the theory i am also curios in suga's face in the animation hehe
@@blubi999 yeah, like the different way to the animation between the white dressed girl and the dragon with the girl in plane, means that they are now in the different "world" with iu and ours 😭
@@tashyaranadipura4850 It's all just memories, she is trying to gain them back maybe by reliving them. This is probably all in her subconscious or unconscious and the machine is saving it all. The girl in white is IU, she's wearing the dress the whole time. Seem like all the animation with the dragon are part of her memories. It could be a sad memory or a good memory.
I feel the song can be looked at as universal but can be seen very personal to IU looking at her past. The girl outside the plane isn't IU but her friends Sulli & Goo Hara, the lizard/dragon represents Jonghyun. She is missing them being in her life but can find comfort in that they can all be together living a happy life that wasn't available to them in this world.
I think the girl outside the plane is still IU but it must be her memory of when her friends were alive and IU feeling joy then. She conveyed those emotions in that part. Which could all mean it's a good memory, a happy memory. Recurring helplessness and fatigue, and a longing for the ‘Orange Island’ where ‘we’ were not sad and could be free.” She's on that island in her memory. There is something about free falling or flying that feels like you're set free in that scene. I think that's why the 'Orange Island' part made me tear up, it just felt like longing and that fatigue. Maybe because I am feeling the same thing; the fatigue and helplessness. And I understood all that without reading the lyrics or her press release or seeing this theory video or reading everyone's comments. IU and Yoongi really know how to convey emotions like this, I think that's a precious thing :)
I think that the song itself can just be generally about people who longs for past memories as they grow up cause nothing stays as it is, but it can be related to her friends that passed away through the MV
I prefer your reading of the lizard as a symbol of regeneration and healing than fan's reading (fans read everything an artist puts as autobiographical and sometimes their reading is inaccurate.) One thing I want to add to what you said, is that the orange island, the orange sky, and the orange colors look more like a sunset (this is how I see it). The orange color is not solid orange but different ranges of orange, which makes me believe that it's a sunset (the orange island, the orange sky and every time the background color changes to orange, it's a sunset). In literature, poets and novelists often use sunset as a symbol of death. So, it could be that the orange island is a memory of a dead person.
I think orange represents both the nightfall and the dawn. When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow. We become -in IU's case- aware of the maturity that the age 28 brings with it. So in a way I do believe she's finally coming to terms with her pain and grief. She's "elaborating" it in her memories, and she's accepted that some of it are destined to live on ONLY in her memories. But accepting this painful truth, also makes her able to keep living in the actual in the present, and not be chained by it. She's set free. Now she's able, maybe through this song, to save them and chooses to cherish them in a positive way. And by doing so she faces the storm of uncertainty that the past events in her life have brought upon her. There's no real certainty or forever in life. But there can be, inside of who she is. Because those memories will keep living with her, forever.
Or it could be the death of a part of her. Like Haku Haya said "When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow." It's like with BTS's Young Forever. It was a part of growing up and dealing with grief and pain.
I think it's open to personal interpretation for listeners, which is something a lot of artists have done, while having a double interpretation for herself. How else do you explain her using Sulli's stylist to recreate some of Sulli's past looks?
Someone ever told me while I was shopping and had by accident many things in the color orange, that orange represents a new beginning. I was quite surprised when she said that as I was indeed trying to carve a new path for myself. I haven't forgotten that even to this day and maybe the color orange has that type of symbolic meaning? So like the ending of the past and the beginning of the new path 🤔
Your theories make so much sense, they blow me away everytime! I had a theory of my own though, when i read the lyrics I saw it was a really sad song, talking about loss, longing and memories but the music is upbeat and happy kind of. So I started thinking and for me it is more like a letter to a friend who is gone and can never come back. It's a way of telling your friend are you happy where you are? I'm still here, but I will be OK, I'll get through this don't worry, we'll meet on our island (our memories) where we will be forever young and happy. And of course I also thought about Sulli and Jonghyun.
I think orange represents both the nightfall and the dawn. When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow. We become -in IU's case- aware of the maturity that the age 28 brings with it. So in a way I do believe she's finally coming to terms with her pain and grief. She's "elaborating" it in her memories, and she's accepted that some of it are destined to live on ONLY in her memories. But accepting this painful truth, also makes her able to keep living in the actual in the present, and not be chained by it. She's set free. Now she's able, maybe through this song, to save them and chooses to cherish them in a positive way. And by doing so she faces the storm of uncertainty that the past events in her life have brought upon her. There's no real certainty or forever in life. But there can be, inside of who she is. Because those memories will keep living with her, forever.
The memory thing I was talking about in an earlier comment is partly right. IU in the mv was trying to get her memories back because she lost them; that machine she was using did store data or her memories. “The song I’ll be releasing is a song about sad yearning that stems from returning to the same place, not being able to move on, and keep getting lost in thoughts.” “The reason the song is called Eight from the beginning is I wanted to express my state of mind as a 28-year-old. As I did for Twenty-three or Palette, I sometimes try to reflect my age in my songs, so I wanted to do the same this time.” Yoongi and her are the same age, it’s why they worked on the song together. “The whole process itself felt comfortable. It felt comfortable and casual as I worked on it. Of all the songs I worked on recently, the process for this song was the most casual. The melody is also very easy, and for the lyrics, I didn’t really have to put too much thought into it as I was writing it. So I just wrote what I felt like writing” She talks about that in her behind video: ua-cam.com/video/b0zf8S34DrI/v-deo.html This is just the other behind film video: ua-cam.com/video/bqkKcsohRKo/v-deo.html
I had a feeling yesterday that you might be working on an analysis and breakdown of this mv :) I was awake when the mv came out but decided to go to sleep. (The timestamps are from the music video) So I watched the mv from BigHit without the subtitles and I started tearing up at the animated part around 2:16 of the mv. (There weren’t any English subtitles on the official one) The ending for the one on 1theK is different; I watched that one too. The music video just feels so nostalgic, the whole video is so beautiful and heartfelt. I love songs and mvs like this, especially ones from IU, her voice has a comforting feeling. It gives me comfort. I don’t know why but I’ve been feeling really nostalgic this whole week for some reason. The mv also felt youthful and full of light even when talking about something difficult. And the eternity/eternal, infinity thing is expressed a lot in this song. Seems like IU is going back into her memory or dream, that’s interesting. At the beginning of the mv, it reminded me of Teen Wolf with Lydia. In one of the episodes on the show, she’s in her mother’s lake house. There is a white room and one of her friends hears something behind the walls and when Lydia finally physically brakes the wall and looked it behind it, there was an old computer like a Magnetophone player type machine. It looks similar to the one that’s in this mv. Magnetic tape provides a means of preserving and reproducing varied forms of information. Recordings on tape can be played back immediately and are easily erased, permitting the tape to be reused many times without a loss in quality of the recording. Magnetic tape was initially designed for sound recording. German engineers developed an audiotape recording machine called a Magnetophone. Magnetic tape was introduced as a data-storage medium. Magnetic disk technology was applied to data storage in 1962. The random accessibility of data stored in disk units made these devices particularly suitable for use as auxiliary memories in high-speed computer systems. If you’re interested read more about it here: www.britannica.com/technology/magnetic-recording So the machine stored a lot of information, it felt like it was storing IU’s memories or dreams I thought that’s an interesting concept and it makes sense in the mv. Imagine being able to see your memories or dreams like that. And the “forever young or forever we’re young” really got me, it just expresses the way life is filled with turbulence, uncertainty, and learning to grow from it all. I felt like this is another song that I needed to hear right now. It’s expressed in BTS’s concepts and the way Yoongi produces, it’s amazing. The way Yoongi says Suga is so soft (I just like that in all the heartfelt songs he’s helped produce). I also wondered who the other person was in the scene at 1:47 with the image of animated IU. Maybe it’s Yoongi or it could be someone else listening to the song while on the plane. On a side note I was drinking some passion fruit juice and the color of it is orange lol It just reminded me of the color in the animation scene. It was also a warm tone of color too rather than the white of the room she's always in. Her dress is white in the memory, white is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and it also means safety, right. White usually has a positive connotation and can also represent a successful beginning. But in China, Korea, and some other Asian countries white represents death, mourning, and is traditionally worn at funerals.
Thank you for pointing every bits and pieces of eight. It has really a nice and up beat but the moment i read the lyrics i cant stop crying. It really is a bittersweet song for me.
great explanation. you touched on things that i didn't even notice in the video the first couple times i watched it. for me though, i took the eerie echoing "so are you happy now, finally happy now" at the end when she wakes up kind of like herself rhetorically asking "are you happy now? did going through your memories, reliving the past, did it do what you wanted it to accomplish? are you okay now?" but that might've just been me. it's a great song anyways, makes me want to cry if i think too much about it lol.
Beautiful theory, thank you! I really love how it's such a bright song and yet talking about loss & memories. Bittersweet and a reflection of these times.
Wow... you are really amazing... your theory covers much more than I hoped for... and wow pointing out the army ring on the plane and how it was suga .... Genius. I didn’t even think about that. You are the best🙏🏽❤️🥰
while watching the mv and listening to the audio i felt lots of deja vu and jamais vu at the same time, this song is gonna have to tie with my favourite song seesaw for favourite song 💕 im only 12 and i have been through a lot i would say but i would like to continue to learn more and become wiser
The only thing I don't agree with is Suga's ring. It has something written on it and ARMY ring has the inscription on the inside, not the outside. Not that I don't believe it's a representation of Suga... I believe it's him because he is watching her recorded memories and appears when he stars singing. Everything else It's amazing as always! Thank you for the analysis!
before you post hating comments about someone please think what he/she will feel. Remember every word you say may hurt someone and the reason why they self-harm and suicide attempt. To iu haters are you happy because you are the reason she lost her 3 friends died because of all your hate comment and cyberbullying. Are you happy seeing iu struggling with her life?
Someone said when the girl was riding the dragon it was as if sulli is the girl and the dragon is jonghyun and they are flying away to place that will succeed in making them happy unlike this world
your theories are as always great. however, this theory focused on IU's part. but I'm sure we all sensed bts world in this mv. you can feel it with the presence of dragon lizard- air plain- moon- time travelling. I don't know if it's more than symbols. I just hope your theory would have a second part.
I don't know if it is time traveling, she never left the table she was laying on, it was like she projected herself into her memories or dreams to maybe remember the good times of her youth. IU said it was her trying to remember because she lost the memory. The machine is downloading her memories; the memories she can't recall. There really isn't any time-travel in this mv. Also, Yoongi did produce it but the music video is IU's; I mean it is about her and she did write it. But I do agree there are some similarities to BTS. I think it's fine for this theory video to not have a second part.
@@AwakeningWings I agree with you. it's not time travelling but it just reminds me of time travelling. I still believe there are many reference that could match with bts universe. even choosing the number eight which horizontally it looks like an infinity sign and is just after the seven ( the album). I have zero ideas. but I believe nothing happens in bts world accidentally. using the word shadow. ( being without shadow forever). and other things that I couldn't remember now.....
@@amiablelucifer2005 Yeah :) And I understand what you're saying 😊 💜 It's like time traveling in your memories as Bookish Theories mentioned. I see it too, with the song talking about shadows and light/sun the orange colors. I just think that IU was also thinking the same things as BTS while writing the song because it is a part of growing as a person. She worked with Yoongi, so we can assume that they were thinking the same things. And Yoongi will always talk about it in his work and in his words too.
By the way..i figure out something...though it does share some symbols with bts universe... but it is txt world which these lyrics and mv are totally fit for. Just watch magic island... it totally match with it
I think that this explanation, while plausible, is inaccurate. There is very good reason to believe that this song is about her friends who died very suddenly from suicide, Sulli (the girl in the dream) followed by Goo Hara (the lizard) soon thereafter. In her memory, she dreams of Sulli, only to awaken to find Goo Hara gone as well. The two of them are together while IU remains. There is also an ambiguous reference to "are you happy now" which I think is intentional. It is both an accusation towards her friends as well as to those who contributed to their deaths. Having worked with many people who have survived personal attempts or have lost loved ones to suicide makes me quite confident that these emotions are playing out in the lyrics. This is by far one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard on the topic of suicide.
IU born in May-5th month SUGA born in March-3rd month 5+3=8 5 letters in March 3 letters in May....again 8! I love it when coincidences like this happen...or are they? Beautiful song! Loved your theory amiche! 💜💜💜
I thought it was of Sulli as the girl in the white dress and the dragon was Jonghyun as he liked charmander. The 8 represented Jonghyun's birthday april 8th and her friendship with Sulli that lasted 8 years....
Hello Bookish Theories, i would recommend you to do a video about ATEEZ's journey since they have been giving some clues about their journey from Twitter's blue room :)
Is it weird that I also thought of Repunzel while watching the mv? In Tangled, Repunzel has Pascal; a chameleon. He helps protect her too, which I thought was cute. Also, the henna on the corner IU's right eye the sun shape also reminded me of Tangled. The white designs on her hands reminded me of Porter Robinsons Shelter. This isn't a theory or anything, it's just what I thought.
I saw it too, but I skipped it lol I've heard the song a few times and watched the mv, I didn't feel like watching the mv again. I thought it was odd for JYP entertainment to have ads. for their music. And also it could be for people to listen to their music or because of the quarantine.
I'd like to know if you happen to agree with the theory about the song being for Sulli, Goo Hara and Jonghyun, if you thought about it but didn't find it convincing or if you just didn't see it. I admire your work, I'm interested in your thought process.
I think it’s very plausible that the song may be about them and I tend to agree with the theories that talk about it! The reason why I chose not to mention it is because IU herself didn’t say anything specific to confirm it, so I followed the ‘official’ statement and wrote the theory keeping in mind the general message of the song. I always try my best to keep my theories as objective as possible, so even if I don’t think it’s wrong to assume that she wrote the lyrics thinking about her friends, it’s also a very personal part of her life that it’s difficult to confirm. Because of that I decided to explain the universal meaning rather than the personal one. Does it make sense? :D I hope this answers your question! Thank you so much for your support! 🙏🏻☺️
@@bookishtheories it absolutely does. Sorry for the late answer, I'm also convinced that this rumor or theory will not be confirmed by IU, it's something so personal that deserves to remain undisclosed. Thanks again and, buon lavoro! 😉
I understood the music video right when I watched it for the first time, so I agree with everything you've said in your analysis. I love the sound of IU's voice. I always have; she's amazing. I've also read this somewhere. Eight is a symbol of infinity and a constant flow of energy and power. It could also mean peace, harmony, and balance. The number eight can be seen as a symbol of Resurrection and Regeneration. In bible numerology, it means a new beginning; a new order or creation, and the 'born again' event, resurrected from the dead into eternal life. In this music video, it's the memories that are eternal. I also found this image yesterday: www.pinterest.com/pin/851250767045885513/ Eight is seen balancer that unites the conscious with the unconscious, I like that part in the image and it makes sense in this music video. I also wanted to add about lizards and you’ve talked about them too. I was watching an art video on doll making/sculpting and the artist was talking about this for her dragon design (her video was posted on April 11th). In Australian Aboriginal culture, lizards represent regeneration, transformation, and survival through hardships. In Maori culture, they are often regarded as guardians. To keep every disease and evil spirit away. This was from a book called “The Polynesian Tattoo Handbook: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CREATING MEANINGFUL POLYNESIAN TATTOOS.” The "survival through hardships" really reminded of this mv and of IU and Yoongi; they've both been through a lot of struggles. It’s kind of strange that I saw this other video before IU’s mv came out and it was talking about lizards/dragons.
I just wanted to share this comment from this mv ua-cam.com/video/TgOu00Mf3kI/v-deo.html This comment really stood out to me. This is exactly what the mv is portraying. This is what the comment said: It’s consoling that you can always have that “FOREVER” and revisit all the good things in “MEMORIES” (they also edited their post and added more to it)
The latest piece of the puzzle: IU appeared to likened the '8' to a Moebius strip, a ribbon that folds back on itself, as though she's moving along a path but not making any forward progress. The characters in the memory house weren't IU, she was playing other characters, most probably her two friends Sulli and Hara, though IU has studiously refrained from mentioning them in interviews. I interpret 'Are you happy now?' much more darkly than you. I think she's talking directly to the online bullies who drove her friends to suicide. 'Are you happy with what you've done now that my life has been ruined?'
Just wanted to share this live acoustic by IU: ua-cam.com/video/tJM0yIbg8iQ/v-deo.html Her voice is so beautiful. I love her acoustic and live versions of her songs. I was also thinking that she can easily sing Suga's part or rap it :)
The fact that this video has 8 minutes :)
and uploaded at May 8
It would be the biggest coincidence if the video was 8:56
@@Iseeyou0165 no may 7
Sulli, Goo Hara, Jonghyun. BTS imagery/references. Personal, symbolic. Theories.
And isn't it lovely that (whatever the personal story might be) this beautiful and talented young woman makes a song and MV that can simply resonate with anybody on the universal level...that is the power of poetry and music.
Gotta smile at the ARMY ring hiding in the dark corner of the MV, though. I would have never seen it on my own! SUGA. Being all poetic and tender.
That's how amazing she is at conveying her emotions in her music. Yoongi too :)
Also, I had no idea about the Army ring. I couldn't really tell about the ring it was too dark. But I did think that it was Suga in the airplane with her.
I can't find the Army ring. I'm chacking over and over, but can't see it(((
The girl with the White Dress is probably a representation of Sulli and the Lizard (Dragon) is a representation of Jonghyun that used to love Charmander, is just a theory...
Yes i also agree because the lizard and the girl is a part of the fantasy which means already a memory based on the theory i am also curios in suga's face in the animation hehe
@@blubi999 yeah, like the different way to the animation between the white dressed girl and the dragon with the girl in plane, means that they are now in the different "world" with iu and ours 😭
@@tashyaranadipura4850 It's all just memories, she is trying to gain them back maybe by reliving them. This is probably all in her subconscious or unconscious and the machine is saving it all. The girl in white is IU, she's wearing the dress the whole time. Seem like all the animation with the dragon are part of her memories. It could be a sad memory or a good memory.
The small lizard (maybe Iguana) is Hara. Hara's nickname is Iguana.
And peach is goo hara
I feel the song can be looked at as universal but can be seen very personal to IU looking at her past. The girl outside the plane isn't IU but her friends Sulli & Goo Hara, the lizard/dragon represents Jonghyun. She is missing them being in her life but can find comfort in that they can all be together living a happy life that wasn't available to them in this world.
I think the girl outside the plane is still IU but it must be her memory of when her friends were alive and IU feeling joy then. She conveyed those emotions in that part. Which could all mean it's a good memory, a happy memory. Recurring helplessness and fatigue, and a longing for the ‘Orange Island’ where ‘we’ were not sad and could be free.” She's on that island in her memory. There is something about free falling or flying that feels like you're set free in that scene. I think that's why the 'Orange Island' part made me tear up, it just felt like longing and that fatigue. Maybe because I am feeling the same thing; the fatigue and helplessness. And I understood all that without reading the lyrics or her press release or seeing this theory video or reading everyone's comments. IU and Yoongi really know how to convey emotions like this, I think that's a precious thing :)
@@AwakeningWings nope...its sulli.
@@hannancota7593 It could be Sulli or IU, either way it's a sad and happy memory.
I think that the song itself can just be generally about people who longs for past memories as they grow up cause nothing stays as it is, but it can be related to her friends that passed away through the MV
FYI: DKDKTV also has an Explained Video on this, which David gave a gracious shout out to Bookish Theories -- now that's class!
I’m so so grateful 🥺🙏🏻
Was not expecting this! You pointed out so much I hadn't noticed yet, like the cool vs. warm tones! It all makes so much sense! Thank you!
I prefer your reading of the lizard as a symbol of regeneration and healing than fan's reading (fans read everything an artist puts as autobiographical and sometimes their reading is inaccurate.) One thing I want to add to what you said, is that the orange island, the orange sky, and the orange colors look more like a sunset (this is how I see it). The orange color is not solid orange but different ranges of orange, which makes me believe that it's a sunset (the orange island, the orange sky and every time the background color changes to orange, it's a sunset). In literature, poets and novelists often use sunset as a symbol of death. So, it could be that the orange island is a memory of a dead person.
I think orange represents both the nightfall and the dawn. When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow. We become -in IU's case- aware of the maturity that the age 28 brings with it.
So in a way I do believe she's finally coming to terms with her pain and grief. She's "elaborating" it in her memories, and she's accepted that some of it are destined to live on ONLY in her memories. But accepting this painful truth, also makes her able to keep living in the actual in the present, and not be chained by it. She's set free.
Now she's able, maybe through this song, to save them and chooses to cherish them in a positive way. And by doing so she faces the storm of uncertainty that the past events in her life have brought upon her.
There's no real certainty or forever in life. But there can be, inside of who she is. Because those memories will keep living with her, forever.
@@hakuhaya2522 I agree with you. That is what she is talking about in the song and in the behind video :)
Or it could be the death of a part of her. Like Haku Haya said "When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow." It's like with BTS's Young Forever. It was a part of growing up and dealing with grief and pain.
I think it's open to personal interpretation for listeners, which is something a lot of artists have done, while having a double interpretation for herself. How else do you explain her using Sulli's stylist to recreate some of Sulli's past looks?
Someone ever told me while I was shopping and had by accident many things in the color orange, that orange represents a new beginning. I was quite surprised when she said that as I was indeed trying to carve a new path for myself. I haven't forgotten that even to this day and maybe the color orange has that type of symbolic meaning? So like the ending of the past and the beginning of the new path 🤔
Your theories make so much sense, they blow me away everytime! I had a theory of my own though, when i read the lyrics I saw it was a really sad song, talking about loss, longing and memories but the music is upbeat and happy kind of. So I started thinking and for me it is more like a letter to a friend who is gone and can never come back. It's a way of telling your friend are you happy where you are? I'm still here, but I will be OK, I'll get through this don't worry, we'll meet on our island (our memories) where we will be forever young and happy.
And of course I also thought about Sulli and Jonghyun.
I think orange represents both the nightfall and the dawn. When we heal from a painful memory or version of ourselves trapped in grief, bit by bit it changes us and we become someone new. We grow. We become -in IU's case- aware of the maturity that the age 28 brings with it.
So in a way I do believe she's finally coming to terms with her pain and grief. She's "elaborating" it in her memories, and she's accepted that some of it are destined to live on ONLY in her memories. But accepting this painful truth, also makes her able to keep living in the actual in the present, and not be chained by it. She's set free.
Now she's able, maybe through this song, to save them and chooses to cherish them in a positive way. And by doing so she faces the storm of uncertainty that the past events in her life have brought upon her.
There's no real certainty or forever in life. But there can be, inside of who she is. Because those memories will keep living with her, forever.
Thank you for this thoughtful interpretation of the MV that I intuitively love so much🧡✨
I appreciate you pointing out SUGA in the animation😲💜✨
The memory thing I was talking about in an earlier comment is partly right. IU in the mv was trying to get her memories back because she lost them; that machine she was using did store data or her memories. “The song I’ll be releasing is a song about sad yearning that stems from returning to the same place, not being able to move on, and keep getting lost in thoughts.”
“The reason the song is called Eight from the beginning is I wanted to express my state of mind as a 28-year-old. As I did for Twenty-three or Palette, I sometimes try to reflect my age in my songs, so I wanted to do the same this time.”
Yoongi and her are the same age, it’s why they worked on the song together. “The whole process itself felt comfortable. It felt comfortable and casual as I worked on it. Of all the songs I worked on recently, the process for this song was the most casual. The melody is also very easy,
and for the lyrics, I didn’t really have to put too much thought into it as I was writing it. So I just wrote what I felt like writing”
She talks about that in her behind video: ua-cam.com/video/b0zf8S34DrI/v-deo.html
This is just the other behind film video: ua-cam.com/video/bqkKcsohRKo/v-deo.html
Everytime I hear this song I cry
Your theory just made me cry even more
Hi Bookish Theories!! Just want to thank you for making informative, well-made and well-researched video theories!!! Keep these video coming!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I had a feeling yesterday that you might be working on an analysis and breakdown of this mv :)
I was awake when the mv came out but decided to go to sleep. (The timestamps are from the music video)
So I watched the mv from BigHit without the subtitles and I started tearing up at the animated part around 2:16 of the mv. (There weren’t any English subtitles on the official one) The ending for the one on 1theK is different; I watched that one too. The music video just feels so nostalgic, the whole video is so beautiful and heartfelt. I love songs and mvs like this, especially ones from IU, her voice has a comforting feeling. It gives me comfort. I don’t know why but I’ve been feeling really nostalgic this whole week for some reason. The mv also felt youthful and full of light even when talking about something difficult. And the eternity/eternal, infinity thing is expressed a lot in this song.
Seems like IU is going back into her memory or dream, that’s interesting. At the beginning of the mv, it reminded me of Teen Wolf with Lydia. In one of the episodes on the show, she’s in her mother’s lake house. There is a white room and one of her friends hears something behind the walls and when Lydia finally physically brakes the wall and looked it behind it, there was an old computer like a Magnetophone player type machine. It looks similar to the one that’s in this mv. Magnetic tape provides a means of preserving and reproducing varied forms of information. Recordings on tape can be played back immediately and are easily erased, permitting the tape to be reused many times without a loss in quality of the recording. Magnetic tape was initially designed for sound recording. German engineers developed an audiotape recording machine called a Magnetophone. Magnetic tape was introduced as a data-storage medium. Magnetic disk technology was applied to data storage in 1962. The random accessibility of data stored in disk units made these devices particularly suitable for use as auxiliary memories in high-speed computer systems. If you’re interested read more about it here: www.britannica.com/technology/magnetic-recording
So the machine stored a lot of information, it felt like it was storing IU’s memories or dreams I thought that’s an interesting concept and it makes sense in the mv. Imagine being able to see your memories or dreams like that.
And the “forever young or forever we’re young” really got me, it just expresses the way life is filled with turbulence, uncertainty, and learning to grow from it all. I felt like this is another song that I needed to hear right now. It’s expressed in BTS’s concepts and the way Yoongi produces, it’s amazing. The way Yoongi says Suga is so soft (I just like that in all the heartfelt songs he’s helped produce). I also wondered who the other person was in the scene at 1:47 with the image of animated IU. Maybe it’s Yoongi or it could be someone else listening to the song while on the plane.
On a side note I was drinking some passion fruit juice and the color of it is orange lol
It just reminded me of the color in the animation scene. It was also a warm tone of color too rather than the white of the room she's always in. Her dress is white in the memory, white is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and it also means safety, right. White usually has a positive connotation and can also represent a successful beginning. But in China, Korea, and some other Asian countries white represents death, mourning, and is traditionally worn at funerals.
Thank you!! I didn’t even realize Suga was in the MV or that he was watching the MV on his phone. 😄
Yes he was the animation who is holding the phone and the reason why we know is Yoongi because of the BTSxARMY ring that he was wearing
Esther La - I’m not seeing the ring. I went back and looked but still not seeing it. I even paused the MV. 😄
@@zbrewed but she showed it in the video
Thank you for pointing every bits and pieces of eight. It has really a nice and up beat but the moment i read the lyrics i cant stop crying. It really is a bittersweet song for me.
Did I tell you lately that I love you? I so enjoy your work, thank you so much👌😁💜
great explanation. you touched on things that i didn't even notice in the video the first couple times i watched it.
for me though, i took the eerie echoing "so are you happy now, finally happy now" at the end when she wakes up kind of like herself rhetorically asking "are you happy now? did going through your memories, reliving the past, did it do what you wanted it to accomplish? are you okay now?" but that might've just been me. it's a great song anyways, makes me want to cry if i think too much about it lol.
THIS IS SO WOW! GOOD JOB!! I LIKE IT SO MUCH!!
Beautiful theory, thank you! I really love how it's such a bright song and yet talking about loss & memories. Bittersweet and a reflection of these times.
This is so interesting because IU teaches us to Comfort ourselves using memories but txt teaches us to not use it to much
Wow... you are really amazing... your theory covers much more than I hoped for... and wow pointing out the army ring on the plane and how it was suga .... Genius. I didn’t even think about that. You are the best🙏🏽❤️🥰
Really like your explanations!!! I think it encompass more of the meaning IU & Suga are going for ... :) Thanks!
Thanks for this! I honestly couldn't decide how to feel about this song/MV because I don't think I fully got it, but you helped a lot!
True using the lucid dream in a good way makes you feel good..
I basically almost crying when I watch this. This meaning is so deep. 😢
I'm early for this upload!! 😍💕
while watching the mv and listening to the audio i felt lots of deja vu and jamais vu at the same time, this song is gonna have to tie with my favourite song seesaw for favourite song 💕 im only 12 and i have been through a lot i would say but i would like to continue to learn more and become wiser
The only thing I don't agree with is Suga's ring. It has something written on it and ARMY ring has the inscription on the inside, not the outside. Not that I don't believe it's a representation of Suga... I believe it's him because he is watching her recorded memories and appears when he stars singing. Everything else It's amazing as always! Thank you for the analysis!
I'm crying, thanks so much for explaining this one :')
before you post hating comments about someone please think what he/she will feel. Remember every word you say may hurt someone and the reason why they self-harm and suicide attempt. To iu haters are you happy because you are the reason she lost her 3 friends died because of all your hate comment and cyberbullying. Are you happy seeing iu struggling with her life?
Ah, i might have to watch ur theory again >_< your voice is so pretty, i got distracted
Thank you for making this video!!
The lizard represents Goo Hara
The Girl in white represents Sulli
The dragon represents Jonghyun
A beautiful song by beautiful people explained with such a beautiful voice 😍 💜❤💙
Wow I really love the design of the MV and the background story ❤️❤️❤️
always amazed of suga's mind
Someone said when the girl was riding the dragon it was as if sulli is the girl and the dragon is jonghyun and they are flying away to place that will succeed in making them happy unlike this world
Beautiful analysis😌 thnx to dkdktv I came here
Both theories are making me cry ;(
your theories are as always great. however, this theory focused on IU's part. but I'm sure we all sensed bts world in this mv. you can feel it with the presence of dragon lizard- air plain- moon- time travelling. I don't know if it's more than symbols. I just hope your theory would have a second part.
I don't know if it is time traveling, she never left the table she was laying on, it was like she projected herself into her memories or dreams to maybe remember the good times of her youth. IU said it was her trying to remember because she lost the memory. The machine is downloading her memories; the memories she can't recall. There really isn't any time-travel in this mv. Also, Yoongi did produce it but the music video is IU's; I mean it is about her and she did write it. But I do agree there are some similarities to BTS. I think it's fine for this theory video to not have a second part.
@@AwakeningWings I agree with you. it's not time travelling but it just reminds me of time travelling. I still believe there are many reference that could match with bts universe. even choosing the number eight which horizontally it looks like an infinity sign and is just after the seven ( the album). I have zero ideas. but I believe nothing happens in bts world accidentally. using the word shadow. ( being without shadow forever). and other things that I couldn't remember now.....
@@amiablelucifer2005 Yeah :)
And I understand what you're saying 😊 💜
It's like time traveling in your memories as Bookish Theories mentioned.
I see it too, with the song talking about shadows and light/sun the orange colors. I just think that IU was also thinking the same things as BTS while writing the song because it is a part of growing as a person. She worked with Yoongi, so we can assume that they were thinking the same things. And Yoongi will always talk about it in his work and in his words too.
By the way..i figure out something...though it does share some symbols with bts universe... but it is txt world which these lyrics and mv are totally fit for. Just watch magic island... it totally match with it
I love your explanations 🥰
You really did make me cry..
I think that this explanation, while plausible, is inaccurate. There is very good reason to believe that this song is about her friends who died very suddenly from suicide, Sulli (the girl in the dream) followed by Goo Hara (the lizard) soon thereafter. In her memory, she dreams of Sulli, only to awaken to find Goo Hara gone as well. The two of them are together while IU remains. There is also an ambiguous reference to "are you happy now" which I think is intentional. It is both an accusation towards her friends as well as to those who contributed to their deaths. Having worked with many people who have survived personal attempts or have lost loved ones to suicide makes me quite confident that these emotions are playing out in the lyrics. This is by far one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard on the topic of suicide.
Thank you for this heart breaking explanation.. God bless and hope your doing ok.. Stay safe!
It's good to know that your safe and healthy 😊. But Italy is still having a hard time due to Covid-19! Be safe...
After DKDKTV IM HERE✋
IU born in May-5th month
SUGA born in March-3rd month
5+3=8
5 letters in March
3 letters in May....again 8!
I love it when coincidences like this happen...or are they?
Beautiful song! Loved your theory amiche! 💜💜💜
@@wateverusae87 yes which is the 5th month.
@@wateverusae87 yeah but she is sayin may is 5th month she did not say may 5
I thought it was of Sulli as the girl in the white dress and the dragon was Jonghyun as he liked charmander. The 8 represented Jonghyun's birthday april 8th and her friendship with Sulli that lasted 8 years....
Complimenti 👏👏👏
Wow I really enjoy your videos:) Can u explain the SVT - Falling Flower MV? Thank u sm!
Hello and welcome back to... I like so much this sentence💜💜😍😘
Hello Bookish Theories, i would recommend you to do a video about ATEEZ's journey since they have been giving some clues about their journey from Twitter's blue room :)
i’m gonna cry :(((
Is it weird that I also thought of Repunzel while watching the mv? In Tangled, Repunzel has Pascal; a chameleon. He helps protect her too, which I thought was cute. Also, the henna on the corner IU's right eye the sun shape also reminded me of Tangled. The white designs on her hands reminded me of Porter Robinsons Shelter. This isn't a theory or anything, it's just what I thought.
Love it...
I got an add for feel special before the video and I don’t know how to feel... I didn’t skip it
Maybe you *_feel special_*
Ok I'll let myself out..
Angelina Schippers ok that actually got me 😂
I saw it too, but I skipped it lol
I've heard the song a few times and watched the mv, I didn't feel like watching the mv again. I thought it was odd for JYP entertainment to have ads. for their music. And also it could be for people to listen to their music or because of the quarantine.
I'd like to know if you happen to agree with the theory about the song being for Sulli, Goo Hara and Jonghyun, if you thought about it but didn't find it convincing or if you just didn't see it. I admire your work, I'm interested in your thought process.
I think it’s very plausible that the song may be about them and I tend to agree with the theories that talk about it! The reason why I chose not to mention it is because IU herself didn’t say anything specific to confirm it, so I followed the ‘official’ statement and wrote the theory keeping in mind the general message of the song. I always try my best to keep my theories as objective as possible, so even if I don’t think it’s wrong to assume that she wrote the lyrics thinking about her friends, it’s also a very personal part of her life that it’s difficult to confirm. Because of that I decided to explain the universal meaning rather than the personal one. Does it make sense? :D I hope this answers your question! Thank you so much for your support! 🙏🏻☺️
@@bookishtheories it absolutely does. Sorry for the late answer, I'm also convinced that this rumor or theory will not be confirmed by IU, it's something so personal that deserves to remain undisclosed. Thanks again and, buon lavoro! 😉
I understood the music video right when I watched it for the first time, so I agree with everything you've said in your analysis.
I love the sound of IU's voice. I always have; she's amazing.
I've also read this somewhere. Eight is a symbol of infinity and a constant flow of energy and power. It could also mean peace, harmony, and balance. The number eight can be seen as a symbol of Resurrection and Regeneration. In bible numerology, it means a new beginning; a new order or creation, and the 'born again' event, resurrected from the dead into eternal life. In this music video, it's the memories that are eternal.
I also found this image yesterday: www.pinterest.com/pin/851250767045885513/
Eight is seen balancer that unites the conscious with the unconscious, I like that part in the image and it makes sense in this music video.
I also wanted to add about lizards and you’ve talked about them too. I was watching an art video on doll making/sculpting and the artist was talking about this for her dragon design (her video was posted on April 11th). In Australian Aboriginal culture, lizards represent regeneration, transformation, and survival through hardships. In Maori culture, they are often regarded as guardians. To keep every disease and evil spirit away. This was from a book called “The Polynesian Tattoo Handbook: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CREATING MEANINGFUL POLYNESIAN TATTOOS.” The "survival through hardships" really reminded of this mv and of IU and Yoongi; they've both been through a lot of struggles. It’s kind of strange that I saw this other video before IU’s mv came out and it was talking about lizards/dragons.
Thank you for that good explanation of whats the meaning of the song
DKDKTV brought me here
Oooh is the memory islands like that in Inside out?
Min youngi
I think the memories are about jonghyun and sulli
I just wanted to share this comment from this mv ua-cam.com/video/TgOu00Mf3kI/v-deo.html
This comment really stood out to me. This is exactly what the mv is portraying.
This is what the comment said: It’s consoling that you can always have that “FOREVER” and revisit all the good things in “MEMORIES”
(they also edited their post and added more to it)
The latest piece of the puzzle: IU appeared to likened the '8' to a Moebius strip, a ribbon that folds back on itself, as though she's moving along a path but not making any forward progress. The characters in the memory house weren't IU, she was playing other characters, most probably her two friends Sulli and Hara, though IU has studiously refrained from mentioning them in interviews. I interpret 'Are you happy now?' much more darkly than you. I think she's talking directly to the online bullies who drove her friends to suicide. 'Are you happy with what you've done now that my life has been ruined?'
But isn't the girl in white dress (animation) supposed to be sulli?
is it just me or does her voice sound like Eurus Holmes from Sherlock? either way, great explanation, and video!
You know what I’ll take that eheh :D thank you so much! 🤗
@@bookishtheories Omg thank you for replying! and you are most welcome!!
Iu is 28 and suga is 28...
28+28=56 its may 6
Just wanted to share this live acoustic by IU: ua-cam.com/video/tJM0yIbg8iQ/v-deo.html
Her voice is so beautiful. I love her acoustic and live versions of her songs. I was also thinking that she can easily sing Suga's part or rap it :)
how did u manage to see the ARMY ring on suga? i cant see anything
It's on the left hand. The hand that's not holding the phone :)
I think only Twitter Army knows that Yoongi was in the MV because he was wearing a BTSxARMY ring
WHY IS IT ENTITLED EIGHT?!
😭
The lizard represents Goo Hara
The Girl in white represents Sulli
The dragon represents Jonghyun