IU Comes Under Fire For Allegedly “Queer-Baiting” With Her Song Title, “Love Wins”

IU recently teased her new single with BTS’s V, “Love Wins.”

As much as many are excited over the collaboration and new music, a portion of the public have taken issue to the title. “Love Wins” is a phrase that is strongly and commonly linked to LGBTQ+.

Disappointed members of the public brought up the topic. They accused her of queer-baiting.

https://twitter.com/irosbighug/status/1747181837288706141

아이유 러브 윈즈는 걍 귀여움과 다정이 세상을 구할거에요 정도의 가벼운 겉모습만 차용하고 싶었던건데 늘 그렇듯 그의 지난 마케팅 역사들을 보면 그 의도가 너무 투명해서 아쉽고 실망스러운거

— 파라티 (@para_ti_1) January 16, 2024

IU wants to pretend that “Love Wins” is about how cuteness and being friendly will save the world, using a light-hearted disguise. But as you can observe from her past marketing strategies, just as how she always is, her intentions are too transparent. It’s a pity and it’s disappointing.

— Para_ti_1

Others point out that the meaning of the phrase is obvious, despite her fans rebuffing that the singer is merely refering to the general message of love.

결코 성소수자의 맥락을 선언하지 않고 이성애를 전면에 내세우면서 "성소수자들 응원하는 의미'도' 될 수 있다는 거"라고 해석하도록 유도하는 걸 [퀴어베이팅]이라고 하고, 이미 지지와 연대보다는 혐오로 보는 것이 옳다고 논의가 마무리 된 내용이란다.

그러게. 아이유는 아마 알고 있았을지도? https://t.co/CXeuXLZhom

— 핑테 (@pinktail_butt) January 16, 2024

Ultimately, she did not announce any context of LGBTQ+, and put forth an image of hetero love on the front, while inciting a possible interpretation of “support for LGBTQ+.” We call this queer-baiting, and people are already concluding that they don’t like this instead of agreeing with and supporting it. I think IU knows this too?

— Pinktail_butt

Despite the backlash, many fans have insisted that IU has always been using the slogan throughout her career.

She used “ Love wins”and “Love shall prevail over haters” over and over in her interviews and speech so what’s the problem now?
They just want to start a hate train for a successful woman bc how could they criticize a title when they don’t even know the content of the song?

— M Love Wins (@schattigIU) January 16, 2024

Her company has not yet responded to the backlash.