IU‘s anticipated pre-release single “Love wins all” has been released along with its music video, which co-stars BTS‘s V.
IU (left) and V (right)
The music video is actually a dystopian sci-fi short film starring IU and V, with a runtime of a little over five minutes. So, check out 10+ details you might have missed the first time watching below.
1. IU spoiled “Love wins all.”
She teased the song at her fanmeeting last year.
‘Love wins all’ was the song she spoiled at her fan meeting last year! pic.twitter.com/GgecmTEItt
— Words by IU (@wordsbyIU) January 23, 2024
2. Corpse Bride
Fans are comparing IU and V dressed in their bridal attire to the main characters of the film Corpse Bride.
Love wins all corpse’s bride pic.twitter.com/lFrWH40h8v
— THV (@Taehyungimpact) January 23, 2024
if they ever consider a live action remake … please pic.twitter.com/eBVczfgTC0
— ًً (@fairytaegis) January 23, 2024
3. V’s character represents IU’s fans.
IU dedicated “Love wins all” to her loved ones, including fans.
#Love_wins_all Song Introduction
IU: A song dedicated to my loved ones esp fans. I also want to be someone who’s there for you in your rising & setting moments. To be the person beside you saying, “Don’t be afraid. Let’s fade away together most splendidly.”
V represents us 🥹 https://t.co/RaxYbWytMk pic.twitter.com/y4kL3xW6gy
— 수 (@4seasonswithIU) January 23, 2024
4. “Love wins all” is composed by Seo Donghwan.
Seo Donghwan is also the band keyboardist of IU’s Palette.
Love wins all is composed by IU’s Palette band keyboardist Seo Donghwan who is also a great composer. He is credited a lot in this song.
Jehwi and and Kim Heewon (ttn) are chorus pic.twitter.com/TDhgqyaiAd
— Strawberry Moon (@3viesls) January 23, 2024
5. Sign language
IU and V communicated using sign language in the video. One theory is that the killer cube that chases them can detect them based on noise, so the characters communicate without speaking.
IU using sign language again i just had a massive Jian flashback pic.twitter.com/R3ZUu6RJPr
— (@chatshirelore) January 23, 2024
IU using sign language to communicate
Makes me think that the “cube” can sense them if they make noise so they communicate with sign.
Maybe in the dream sequence she was a beautiful bride singing her heart out with V pic.twitter.com/jVwxtY5GV5
— Strawberry Moon (@3viesls) January 23, 2024
6. Marginalized
Yet, it is believed that V’s character is partially blind and IU’s is deaf, which is why the cube is chasing them. An analysis of the music video shows that the cube extinguishes marginalized people.
“IU can’t hear and V’s one eye can’t see”
“That square seems to extinguish those marginalized people, and that camcorder shows them in a world where they are not discriminated against.” https://t.co/QJtI4jgCjd
— (@chatshirelore) January 23, 2024
7. Camcorder
But before the cube annihilates them, the characters can experience what they wish for. So, IU and V are led to the camcorder and dream of marrying and living in a world without discrimination.
my theory this place is souls last destination before they’ll be departed to egregore (the cube) once it’s time and they can experience something they wished for but couldn’t have and that’s exactly what they had wedding with happy ending soulmates that never meant to be pic.twitter.com/zqoNIVSwY5
— yely⁷ (@bichwi) January 23, 2024
“When IU sings, there are people dressed in black clothes in the crowd who are not congratulating them, but pointing fingers at them. This scene shows that even in a world overflowing with hate, love is enough to win” pic.twitter.com/QnpEIzY0gE
— TAE GUIDE (@taeguide) January 23, 2024
i think that theory is right iu is deaf v is blind in one eye the square eliminates ppl with disabilities but whenever they use the camcorder it shows them happy in a world where they are no longer suffering & being discriminated against pic.twitter.com/Rt6Ctpk666
— (@serenefiIms) January 23, 2024
8. Piled Clothes
For ARMYs, the piled clothes might give flashbacks to the “Spring Day” MV.
Spring day Love wins all pic.twitter.com/SLCbUkeCoo
— ⋆₊ﾟᴀᴍᴇᴛʜʏꜱᴛ⋆☽˚⋆ (@Amethyst_btstwt) January 23, 2024
But in “Love wins all,” it represents people who are no longer on this planet.
“why are you crying? it’s just an a lil scene”
the scene where their clothes joined the mountain of other clothes which means how so many others just vanished: pic.twitter.com/9acP5ekPOO
— tay ⁷ (@kimgayism) January 23, 2024
A netizen pointed out that it resembles artist Christian Boltanski‘s art installation of a 40-foot-tall mountain of clothing, “No Man’s Land.”
Seems that IU’s Love Wins All MV was inspired by Christian Boltanski’s artwork, “No Man’s Land”
Discarded clothing symbolizes humans. The crane was the metaphoric hand of God.
The mountain symbolizes an eternal afterlife, where every individual rests after death. https://t.co/zNcfygbnKS pic.twitter.com/KLETyip3Id
— erlinzhang (@erlinzhang) January 23, 2024
9. Cube
The cube was listed at the end of the credits as a “Special Guest,” and ARMYs pointed out its resemblance to the sugar cube from Suga‘s Suchwita.
did they just put that fkin cube on the credit as a ‘special guest’? pic.twitter.com/gdW42uQ0YK
— keci⁷⁺¹ (slow) (@likechizu) January 23, 2024
IU & Taehyung was being chased by Suchwita sugar cube https://t.co/lDbhWfINDa pic.twitter.com/7OCNjh0PWo
— KeyCee⁷⁼¹ (@nam_jooniebear) January 23, 2024
10. Warm Bodies
A netizen pointed out similarities between “Love wins all” MV and the film Warm Bodies in that V begins to transform due to IU’s love. Some believe his character is a zombie, like the male lead in the movie.
from tae’s pov, you can see how he began seeing her in colors again meaning that his eyes are functioning/regained their natural color (zombie’s eyes are transparent/white) and iu noticed it too.
“love wins all” her love made him human again! https://t.co/tXr0zaktjP
— box (@kissygguks) January 22, 2024
11. Sacrificial Love
Throughout the music video, V is led by IU, who is very protective of him. In the end, when faced with the cube, he takes the weapon from IU, takes charge, and attacks it in their defense.
i especially loved this scene because throughout the whole mv iu is the one that’s leading him and taking charge but in this moment, faced with imminent danger and death, taehyung is the one that takes the lead and fights for them. it’s so bittersweet pic.twitter.com/nOfxcK07yY
— ✩⡱ (@taeteland) January 23, 2024
12. Eye
When IU looked through the camcorder, she saw V with no scars or blindness, and she traced the eye that he was blind in.
the way IU kept tracing over taehyung’s right eye everytime when she saw him through the camera pic.twitter.com/5GNUtJnfRt
— nochu (ꪜ) (@vantebear_) January 23, 2024
In the end, when faced with the cube, she covers his seeing eye so he won’t have to see the end.
it’s the fact that iu covers tae’s only good eye so he doesn’t have to see the inevitable happen to them #VxIU #Love_wins_all #LoveWinsAllMV pic.twitter.com/yVlEpqGPDT
— bts memeories⁷ (@btsmemeories) January 23, 2024
13. Parallels
ARMYs have pointed out various parallels in both scenes from the music video itself as well as other content, such as Jungkook‘s “Seven” and more.
love wins all x seven x spring day cinematic parallels pic.twitter.com/8jFy31lNRT
— yely⁷ (@bichwi) January 19, 2024
the parallels……………. pic.twitter.com/cYbkbivqQy
— rose⁷ (@taessarect) January 23, 2024
14. Happy ending?
Fans have been searching for where the “win” is in “Love wins all.” Most viewers believe that the cube killed the people. Yet, another fan’s hopeful theory is that the cube was sent by a philanthropist who transported everyone to a new planet upon seeing that the Earth was dying.
The #Love_wins_all music video!
But that box actually was sent by philanthropist aliens that saw our planet dying, so it transported everyone safe & sound to a new planet where they all lived happily ever after. That’s the ending, no, I will not take questions.
— IllustrisFlamma⁷ 아포방포 장미해 🫰 (@IllustrisFlamma) January 23, 2024
Watch the full MV below.
