IU's Remakes: 8 Songs Worth Hearing Alongside the Originals

Many of her remakes were released as part of the Flower Bookmark series, and she has continued to revisit covers on later albums and live stages since. Checking her studio and remake album lists by era is a good way to see which songs she's reworked over time.

There's no fixed order, but starting with the original lets you absorb the period arrangement and mood before hearing how IU's interpretation departs from it. If you heard the remake first, going back to the original can be just as rewarding — you get a sense of how the song felt when it was first released.

It helps to remember that a remake adds a new interpretation rather than replacing the original. Rather than deciding which version is "better," appreciating the gap between when the original came out and when IU revisited it is a more respectful way to listen — and it's fairer to the original artist.

Details like which album a song appears on or its exact release year can change with reissues or streaming catalog updates, so this list doesn't state them directly. For accurate information, check a music platform or IU's official channels.

Yes — many of these remakes are arranged to stand on their own, so you don't need to know the original to enjoy them. That said, listening to the original alongside it reveals what IU changed and what she kept, which adds another layer of enjoyment.