"Twenty-Three" (스물셋; Seumulset) is a song recorded by South Korean singer-songwriter IU for the fifth extended play Chat-Shire.
It was a commercial success topping the Gaon Digital Chart upon release and has since sold over 2.5 million downloads in South Korea.
[6] Lyrically, the song feels like a personal declaration of the singer, in which she discusses the contradictions and pressures of becoming an adult woman who is struggling to choose between childhood and adulthood.
"[2] "Twenty-Three" received generally positive reviews from music critics praising IU's vocal performance and her skill as a songwriter.
On behalf of the publication, Jacques Peterson explained: "The talented star once again proved that she could seamlessly blend her singer/songwriter leanings with catchy hooks and melodies, cementing herself as this generation’s greatest K-pop princess.
"[6] Scott Interrante of PopMatters dubbed "Twenty-Three" as " one of the most entertaining songs of 2015," praising the singer's "powerful" and "expressive" vocals and felt that the track brought "her music into a more personal direction than they have before.