K-Pop Singer IU Reveals She Suffered From Insomnia, Talks About Overcoming Self-Hatred

K-pop idol IU's personal experiences are the inspiration for her songs. The singer has revealed how her struggles with insomnia and self-hatred motivated her to write some of her most successful songs.

Lee Ji-Eun, popularly known as IU, appeared as a guest on the 100th episode of the popular South Korean variety show "You Quiz on the Block" on Wednesday. The singer-turned-actress said she was a big fan of the show.

"I've watched 'You Quiz' so much. Even if I miss the show when it first airs, I watch the rerun. I also watched the BTS episode that recorded the highest ratings," she said, according to Soompi.

The "Dear Name" singer also opened up about how she struggled to accept herself during her younger days, despite the remarkable success she achieved as a celebrity.

"When I was young, I had a lot of self-hatred. Even if I achieved good results, it was hard for me to love myself. When I turned 25 years old, that was the turning point in my life," IU said.

The singer shared the meaning and inspiration behind the lyrics of her hit single "Palette," adding that she learned to accept both her shortcomings and strengths before being able to love herself.

"The reason I wrote the lyrics 'I think I know a little bit now [who I am]' was because I felt like there was nothing left that could make me more disappointed in myself or surprised by myself. I was finally able to accept both my shortcomings and my strengths. I was finally able to like myself," she said.

IU also talked about the inspiration behind her much-loved ballad single "Through the Night."

"Back then, I was having a hard time sleeping. Since I myself couldn't sleep well, the words 'Sleep well' were a sincere expression of my feelings. Because back then, if someone fell asleep before me, I felt kind of sad," she expressed, Soompi reported.

"When my friends and I stopped contacting each other because they went to sleep, I found it increasingly hard to support their falling asleep."

"I began using the words 'Sleep well' very sparingly. But I thought to myself that if it were someone I really loved, I would want them to sleep well, regardless of whether I was [having trouble sleeping], and that's why I wrote those lyrics," the singer added.

The 100th episode of the show featuring IU got very high ratings, which proved the singer's popularity and influence. The episode recorded an average nationwide rating of 5.773%, which is the second-highest-rated episode of the show.

An episode featuring BTS holds the record for the highest ratings, with an average rating of 6.74%.