Display MoreThe problem is she has to divide her time in music and acting, something few people now do. Idols who began to act made a full transition to acting, and it was kinda rare that people in the position of IU spent a sizable time acting.
So she can't really run any long term tv shows.
It is said that KakaoM might buy SM, since Mr. Sooman Lee might have doubts on his sons' management acumen. That will change the game but that is somewhere in the horizon.
It is true that since IU will stand no chance fighting people like BTS directly she is going for a long term strategy, build enough network of supporters who can continue the fight for quite a while.
I think she will figure out how to 'divide' her time, that is not a big challenge. It is very much possible that she reduces actual singing performances, but take on more composing, the song to Jung Seung Hwan might be the first of many. It is production/performance which takes the bulk of the time, not as much lyric writing and composing.
So she would increase the time on acting, while still keeping a good presence in music. TV shows might be tougher though, movies are better planned.
Whichever route Kakao M takes, there is a good chance that she might have a massive influence on the 'content' side of the business i.e. the artists, while KakaoM handles the technology, money etc. She has the chops for it.
BTS is yet another crest, eventually they will also subside, tastes change, new acts come etc., apart from artistry, what matters is the networks built, mutual investments etc. in any industry. There I think IU is in a great position.
But this post is about business - Hybe vs. Edam and the way it is presented is misleading. LOEN had a long history and backing of SK, Melon and then Kakao M took over. So by the nature of her backing, I don't think there is really a business gap between her and the big 3/4.
If Kakao M does acquire SM, then she would be the 'Senior Singer' of most artists in SM still.
Artistic popularity gaps are not a big deal, they come and go, ever fluctuating, you should know, you have been predicting that X group or Y group whenever they achieve fame, will push her out, has not happened yet, has it?
She can easily ride through BTS period as well - the advantages of starting so young and even if she does not, her artistic legacy is secure beyond doubt.
Never mind international fans etc., which too is a passing phase. Every decade or so, a genre of music from some country will dominate and then it will get merged - Latin America had a big push in the previous period. Now it is Kpop.
The music itself is anyway barely native Korean and now even the language/expressions are increasingly English and generic. So BTS might be the peak for both themselves and Kpop.
