Nation’s Sweetheart IU is one of the few female artists who share a notably close connection with BTS. One of the earliest examples of this connection can be seen through Jungkook, her well-known and devoted fanboy. Over the years, Jungkook has repeatedly mentioned and praised IU, regarded her as a role model, attended her concerts, appeared shy when seated near her, and covered several of her songs—demonstrating his long-standing admiration.

Meanwhile, j-hope appeared as a guest on Episode 14 of IU’s Palette, which aired on July 28, 2022. He expressed his respect for and admiration toward the senior artist, and the two showcased their shared energy and similarities in their musical beginnings to the audience.

While Jungkook and j-hope embody the image of pαѕѕionate fans, BTS members who have officially collaborated with IU are SUGA and V, both of whom even share close personal friendships with her. IU and V surprised fans during an episode of IU’s Palette in 2021 when they revealed that they had been friends for many years and were closer than the public had αѕѕumed. Their relationship drew even more attention in 2024, when they collaborated on the music video Love Wins All, which generated widespread buzz thanks to its emotional storyline and the strong on-screen chemistry between the two artists.

As for SUGA, an interesting detail is that he and IU are the same age, which allowed their collaboration to develop naturally. IU has worked with SUGA on more than one occasion, most notably on the songs “eight” and “People Pt. 2.” Both tracks were warmly received by listeners and achieved significant popularity upon release.

Following her successful collaborations with two BTS members, it is only natural that the public has begun to hope for further interactions between IU and BTS in the future—especially now that the members have fully returned from military service. Recently, in one K-media article, the possibility of a collaboration between IU and RM has been directly suggested, positioning it as a continuation of the close ties between leading K-pop superstars and the industry’s top solo female artist.

The article focused on analyzing the musical resonance between IU and RM as a songwriter, illustrating how well their artistic sensibilities align and how naturally they could work together to create a deeply moving masterpiece. It quoted: “There are songs whose fragrance seems to spread the moment you gently brush against the lyrics. In the era of easy listening, melo∂ιєs that are pleasant and unobtrusive have gradually grown larger than expansive, essay-like lyrics. Nevertheless, there are artists who move against the current of the times to tell their own stories,” explicitly naming IU and RM.

IU’s “Holssi” and RM’s “Wild Flower" were presented as representative examples. The shared keyword between Holssi (IU) and Wild Flower Play (RM) is dispersion. Rather than existing as perfect, complete forms, both artists scatter fragments of themselves—becoming seeds drifting into the sky or wildflowers blooming in barren fields—in order to rediscover their true selves. As listeners follow IU’s latest album, they encounter another artist: RM. Meeting at the highest point, the two chose to abandon becoming flamboyant flowers, instead embracing dandelion seeds and wildflowers.

Building on this shared foundation, K-media further emphasized the possibility of a future collaboration between IU and BTS’s leader. The article cited IU’s own revelation from a past conversation with SUGA, in which she admitted that she had long intended to collaborate with RM, but that the project had remained dormant for years due to her shyness.

IU confessed:  "I asked you if I could have his number, and got it [Got RM's number through SUGA]. But I never called him...Asking you for his number took a lot of courage for me and I had this impulse to do this quickly. That's how I felt but after I got his number... He's just a total stranger. I couldn't get up the courage to just call someone I didn't know at all. So anyway, in the end [Sadly, put off the collab with RM], I never called RM".

When asked what kind of music she would create with RM, IU answered that it would likely be a “very serious” song reflecting her mental state at the time. She added: "I think... It would've been soṃệẗḧing really serious...I wasn't in the best place...I wanted to bring out those emotions in a song".

Now that these intentions have come to light, both the media and fans around the world have been actively voicing their support, suggesting that the time has finally come for IU to revive the collaboration idea with producer RM that she had hesitated over and left untouched for many years. Netizens are currently flocking to online communities to share their thoughts on the possibility of a future collaboration between the two artists:

- Reminds me of when Joon was feeling wronged during festa when yoongi brought up how the trainees come to him and he waslike, "why no one come up to me? Do they think I'm going to answer in English?" Like babe, you're intimidating

- Now i really want namjoon and iu Collab in 2026, SOTY please come on

- The more I think about it, the more IU and RM just make perfect sense together. Their music is so introspective and poetic—if they ever collaborate, it would be the kind of song that stays with you for a long time

- I'm just vibing to namjoon" wake up" rap & watching this tweet. definitely it would be superb if they Collab

- Would've been so amazing! But eight is genuinely one of my favorite songs ever, and I'll always be grateful for it

- omggg please please hope we will get collab between them in future

- Now I’m hoping they get to collab and work with each other in the future.

- Namjoon is the best for such songs. Like his fave saying "true beauty is a true sadness". Kinda his brand(?) And his lyrics can make his listeners reflect on their lifes. But it reminds me of Dazed interview. He's not always serious

- We must get another collaboration in 2026, IU-ah, please, just get it

- IU’s storytelling and RM’s lyrical depth feel like they’re on the same wavelength. A collaboration between them wouldn’t just be a нιт, it would be emotionally powerful and incredibly meaningful.