What are the five hidden fairy tales in IU’s “Cruel Fairy Tale”?

The hidden story behind IU’s “Cruel Fairy Tale,” a track included in her latest mini plus album release, has been catching the attention of both the press and fans.



Songwriter Kim Eana teased on her Twitter, “In the lyrics, there are five hidden fairy tales!”


Once she was bombarded with questions on what those five were, she replied, “Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. All of you, please have fun guessing the remaining one.”


She hinted, “‘By stepping on the tears I shed one by one’ means ‘Please come to find me, as I’ve left prints of my tears around.’ This is referring to Hansel and Gretel, when they leave bread crumbs to find their way back.”


The rest were up for the netizens to find, and some have speculated that the lyric, “And when the clock rings 12, I’ll awake from my dreams. Amidst the blessings of others, we will be dancing together“, to be in reference to Cinderella.


Netizens commented, “The idea is wonderful and very amazing,” “How can such beautiful lyrics be made out of fairy tales,” and “It fits so well with the song’s atmosphere.”