iu performs and dedicates "gloomy clock" in jonghyun's memory

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

181215 || IU's ment before her tribute for Jonghyun 🌙 Thank you for doing this, it really means the world to me.

#WishYouWereHere #IUinSG #SHINee pic.twitter.com/2ssFUBO0qi

— Chasing Rainstorms △ ○ □ (@rainstormlit) December 15, 2018

at the singaporean stop of her ongoing dlwlrma tour, iu altered her usual setlist to include a performance of "a gloomy clock" in dedication of jonghyun. "a gloomy clock", which was included on her modern times album, is a duet with jonghyun that he both composed and wrote the lyrics to. jonghyun had originally written the song for himself, but after sending a demo to iu for her opinion, she got back him the day that followed and asked if she could buy the song from him for herself. jonghyun and iu became close friends after they were both brought into the fixed debut cast of immortal song 2 in 2011. during the performance, iu changed her usually purple microphone to a pearl aqua one, and changed a part of the lyrics to say "종현이 빛이나" (jonghyun shines). after the performance, the melody for jonghyun's "하루의 끝 (end of a day)" was also included in the piano solo section of "dear name" (which can be listened to here).

source(s): @cosmicsticks (1) / @ikonbuns (1) / @rainstormlit (1)

we're coming up on a year in less than two days. i thought this was a beautiful and apt tribute to jonghyun, and touching considering how close they were so i figured it'd be nice to share for those who haven't seen it. if any other tributes come up in the following days i'll share them as well. take care, everyone!

Comments

[raisinrum.livejournal.com]

I'm tearing up ㅠㅅㅠ
I can't believe it's been almost a year since his passing.

[psharp10.livejournal.com]

this was really nice, even though i don't have it in me to listen to it yet
i've still not come to terms with it, i don't think i ever will tbh
can't believe it'll soon be a year oh god

[bea-chan22.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, it still does not sink in to me that he is gone. I know it's almost a year, but he and SHINee are so ingrained in my daily life that I see them frequently.

I am thankful for IU in giving a tribute for him. May she always have a good suppprt system with her.

[audiograms.livejournal.com]

So happy someone is remembering him. SM seems to want to erase his memory

[volume1995.livejournal.com]

we don’t deserve iu. such a sweet tribute too.
i hope you’re holding up okay op ;;

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

i'm doing as okay as i can be, but we're not on the actual date yet so who knows how i'll be tomorrow, lol. i hope you're holding up okay too. <3

[volume1995.livejournal.com]

im doing fine too. if you ever need to talk or something, just hmu!!

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

thank you!! the same goes for you.

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

I'll be thinking of you too. Really, really admired how you soldiered on during the passing last year to keep people as informed as you did, bless you

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

ah. ;; i've done the best i can considering everything. it hasn't been the easiest but what can you do. i hope you're doing well!

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

I'll be ok, though even as a non shawol the death has gotten to me. I think we all just want to make sure you remember yourself and also take care of yourself well during this time <3

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

i'm trying my best to remember to take care of myself. <3

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

Jonghyun's suicide forced me to stop making excuses for how awful K-pop is ("the management practices are inhumane but I want to support the artist" in particular), and now I absolutely hate the entire K-pop machine. I hoped his death would force some kind of change, but NOTHING HAPPENED. I'm so enraged whenever I think about it. I hope K-pop becomes irrelevant in 2019. #cancelKpop

IU is the only artist I check on. I feel so terrible for her. I'm glad the people who knew him won't let his memory get swept away.

[illenxe.livejournal.com]

I hate this attitude of thinking because it completely diminishes how serious depression is as a disease. Jonghyun is probably one of the few artists who has almost full control over his music, has a lot of personal freedom as an established senior, absolutely loved his fans and willing resigned a contract with SM. "The kpop machine" is not to blame for his suicide. Did the pressures of being a celebrity contribute to it? Maybe, but he had long history of depression, and to blame kpop for his death rather than recognizing how deadly mental illness is only contributing to the problem.

[kyulkyung.livejournal.com]

exactly. what an awful and tasteless take. it's been a whole year and people still use jonghyun's suicide as a showpiece for why kpop, a country's entire music industry, is bad and deserves to be shunned? give me a break.

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

Sis, I have clinical depression than I'm overseen for by my doctor and my therapist. Two of my family members dealt with their depression by shooting themselves in the mouth. I'm very familiar with what a terrible and cruel disease depression is, and the hideousness of suicidal ideation.

That said, I believe that you and anyone with your opinion find it easier to separate awful practices of the kpop industry and how much you want to support your faves. Which, you know, is what it is. We all make choices. I also think that it would be irresponsible on my part to continue to support an industry that has been known to pimp out trainees, put severely ill and injured group members on stage, make their artists perform immediately after a friend's suicide, be permissive of artists starving themselves to the point members can laugh about being starved on television, handlers hitting group members, etc etc etc.

So you do your thing and I'll do what I think is righ

[kyulkyung.livejournal.com]

i just think it's strange how only kpop is held to such a high standard when these things happen in the west as well. no one's as vocal about boycotting hollywood or america's music industry as they are about kpop. i think it's important to call out and constantly remind fans of the harmful practices present in kpop, but a lot of the discourse around it still leaves a weird taste in my mouth.

that's my last comment on this issue. sorry for derailing your post, op.

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

Industries with bad practices should be boycotted, point blank. I'm not perfect, but I do my best to avoid industries or companies with inhumane business practices or models (whether it's entertainment, food, clothing, cosmetics, whatever). One of the most jarring articles that came out after his death was titled "The Price of K-pop Perfection." Of course he was very sick, but it's extremely disingenuous to act as if the Korean entertainment industry, as well as the issues in Korean society that result in the highest suicide rate globally, didn't have a role in his death.

I'd been a fan of K-pop since 2009. In that time, I've seen so many idols hurt and mistreated; we all say "I can't believe the company would do this!!" or "Something has to change!! X company is trash!", but the fact is that a fan's support and interest sustains the abusive system and keeps it profitable. Watching idols perform and sing boppy songs while joking about how they're being starved, or they're collapsing onstage, is grotesque. It's ethically bankrupt. I can't do it.

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

it's fine. you didn't do anything wrong lol

[calzonazos.livejournal.com]

So we're now going to pretend that all the celebs (Eunji comes to mind) who came out after his death and confessed struggling with the same suicidal thoughts and thinking similar words to those on his final letter, is something that never happened huh

Also plenty of former kpop idols have talked about the toll the industry takes on mental and physical health and implying that speaking about it it's disrespectful to Jjong's death is a nuclear hot take

[yxerin.livejournal.com]

... kpop isn't korea's entire music industry tho? when using the term people usually mean the specific industrial complex with trainee systems and where the concept of a multi-faceted "idol" is central. there's a lot of korean music that is created outside of this specific system. there was a number of factors that led to jonghyun's suicide but the toxic industry that surrounded him certainly didn't help

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

Sis, I have clinical depression than I'm overseen for by my doctor and my therapist. Two of my family members dealt with their depression by shooting themselves in the mouth. I'm very familiar with what a terrible and cruel disease depression is, and the hideousness of suicidal ideation.

That said, I believe that you and anyone with your opinion find it easier to separate awful practices of the kpop industry and how much you want to support your faves. Which, you know, is what it is. We all make choices. I also think that it would be irresponsible on my part to continue to support an industry that has been known to pimp out trainees, put severely ill and injured group members on stage, make their artists perform immediately after a friend's suicide, be permissive of artists starving themselves to the point members can laugh about being starved on television, handlers hitting group members, etc etc etc.

So you do your thing and I'll do what I think is right.

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

nah, you're just making assumptions about this person and anyone who is disagreeing with you now. yeah, some people do try to separate both, but others who were fans of jonghyun and followed him actively are far better equipped to discuss this topic. jonghyun never shyed away from talking about depression and mental health, nor did he shy from talking about either when it wasn't directly in relation to him. he was active in stressing for people to take care of themselves, and often at least subtly critical of the industry. it would be naive to say that the industry didn't play a small part in what happened, but it also wasn't the only reason why it did. jonghyun loved his fans, being a part of shinee, and making music for both (and in general).

it's important to hold discussions about mental health and depression in relation to the industry, just like it is with any other entertainment industry globally. but what shawols have asked time and time over is, bar these general discussions, jonghyun is not a poster child for depression. he is not to be used as a tool or as an example. he was and remains more than that. so, while i respect and understand why you feel the way you do about the industry (because i have my reservations about it too): understand why shawols feel the way that they do. we've had to watch jonghyun be disrespected, misrepresented and used as a chip in battle for almost a full year now and we'd love for it to stop lol

[impatiences.livejournal.com]

I believe your position is ethically bankrupt, but if you feel good about it, and still enjoy watching people perform for you while being subjected to inhumane conditions and treatment, do your thing. I can't do it. Ignoring human suffering for the purposes of entertainment is grotesque.

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

yeah, you know nothing about me or how i've felt this last year so, if you will, take a step back from the derailing of this post. this was meant to post as a nice memorial to jonghyun and i want it to remain that way.

[illenxe.livejournal.com]

There's a time and a place to criticize the kpop industry. Hating on the industry that allowed Jonghyun to fully indulge in music and fans, where he derived his moments of happiness, is ignorant at this time.

[vintage-boom.livejournal.com]

mte thank you for saying it so well.

[sciencebottle.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you that his depression existed regardless and that the kpop system isn't necessarily to blame. I don't agree however that the societal standards that are perpetuated by the kpop machine didn't play any role at all. I think it's absolutely important to acknowledge that the system, the standards that artists are being held to, and the lengths people must go to adhere to hierarchies and loyalty do make an impact on stress and mental health.

We can enjoy kpop, but its important, in my opinion, to look with a critical lens.

[torontok.livejournal.com]

Exactly.How disgusting to derail a nice memorial post for him with this garbage.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

i think you have a really good point here but at the same time i dont think its fair for jjong and his legacy to reduce him just to his depression and the way he died

like a person who deals everyday with depression too, i like to believe i'm more than my mental disease ...

[kyulkyung.livejournal.com]

i haven't been able to listen to shinee or jonghyun's solo music since his passing but i've always loved this song as well as his friendship with iu. still can't believe he's gone.

[ashdevilrun23.livejournal.com]

I won't have internet for the next week and a bit after tomorrow... and I know his anniversary is coming up :( I hope everyone here will be okay during this rough time.
I'm so grateful to iu for singing their songs and even earlier in the year when she received an award and talked about him. I like seeing how loved he was by the people around him, what an impact he had
Every time I hear replay lately I've been tearing up, his vocals are so strong 💙💙 miss him

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

that was really nice of her.
just the other day i looked at my calender and thought to myself "oh, jonghyun's anniversary is in a few days..."
time really flew by. feels like it was just yesterday when i got off work and my friend told me the news.

[sciencebottle.livejournal.com]

This was beautiful, I was pretty choked up. I thought about him so much over this past year.

[purring-feline.livejournal.com]

This is such a sweet gesture, from the lyric changes to the colour of her mic. I can't imagine how heavy the hearts of his loved ones must feel as we approach the anniversary. I feel I've been in a daze, myself; some days it doesn't feel real.
I hope you're also taking care of yourself, op!!

[sheisagentleman.livejournal.com]

gloomy clock has always made me cry but even since jonghyun’s passing, i can’t listen to it anymore because it becomes even sadder.

i hope iu and jonghyun’s friends and family are strong and comforted during this time of the year. i wish them the best.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Thank you, IU!

[accioanime.livejournal.com]

wow it's been a year. It just felt like yesterday when I logged into omona and heard the news here. I was so confused at first and didn't believe it till I read the comments.

This was such a sweet gesture, very well thought out.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

awww 💕 iu sang gloomy clocks again on her Bangkok stop

Jieun sang Gloomy Clock again today as her tribute to Jonghyun 😭💜 #IUinBangkok2018 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IUinBangkok2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) pic.twitter.com/NadpDPtyPR (https://t.co/NadpDPtyPR)

— ainun (@twigsyalice) December 16, 2018 (https://twitter.com/twigsyalice/status/1074308216727646208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

also instead of playing her usual 'Dear name' opening, she played 'End of the day'

iu did another tribute for jonghyun by included the melody of "end of a day" to her last performance 'dear name' at her concert in singapore yesterday [cmiiw] 💙

iu vid © wanna1_trash pic.twitter.com/UYRvsBzN1T (https://t.co/UYRvsBzN1T)

— ❅ (@winterjonghyun) December 16, 2018 (https://twitter.com/winterjonghyun/status/1074134313728303104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

idk she dont have more schedules until christmas eve, she was chilling and site-seeing during this tour but for some reason she didnt stayed for more than few hours on Bangkok and now she just rushed back to korea as soon as her concert ended...

rumor has it she wants to be in korea for jjong anniversary

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

that's understandable. i figure that his family is going to be doing a jesa so maybe she'll be attending it? depending on how many close friends of his they'd want there. shiny foundation is also doing their arts festival for him today. key also is still in korea despite him having a few fanmeets in japan later this week. i get it though, if they want to be closer to friends and family.

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

for not being a shawol his death really has gotten to me so much? It just makes me so so sad and his impact both as an artist as a person is very much felt in the korean entertainment industry. I hope everyone remembering/mourning him can be ok

[theharleyquinn.livejournal.com]

this song carries so many special memories <3

[neongoldtooth.livejournal.com]

this is so sweet. i love her and jonghyun. i really really miss him.
if i "got" anything from his passing it was to try and really deal with my own depression in a way that hopefully is helping rather than just deflecting and using self deprecating humor. anyways i hope anyone who has depression or is dealing with his death or just this time of the year is doing ok.