For fans of the South Korean singer IU unsure about her recent transformation from sweet to sexy, the solo star says, blame it on her producer.

At a press conference Monday at the K-Art Hall in Seoul, IU pointed to the producer of her new album "Modern Times," set for release at midnight on Tuesday, as being the reason behind the image change.

And though the 20-year-old K-pop singer was initially feeling conflicted, she eventually allowed the producer, presumably LOEN Entertainment regular Cho Young Chul, to push her style into sexier territory.

"I think the producer had that intention," IU said about the change, according to the website allkpop.   

"It has been a while and my image needed a change.  I believe I said I should show a sexier side, but my personal thoughts were [maybe I shouldn't put so] much of an emphasis on sexiness.  It is kind of a trick from the teasers and pictures.  It was simply trying this and that to show something new.   Do you believe I have the ability to go for sexy?  I hear that it doesn't work for some people.  I don't have a big ambition for it."

The K-pop star wants her new album to have a more liberated feeling than her previous work.

"For my last album, I emphasized my girl-like image with braids and a cute one-piece, but this time, I give off a devilish vibe," IU said. 

"I want to perform on stage with a free and playful expression.  The expression will be a lot more free than my previous album."

The singer is returning from a 17-month hiatus from the music industry, during which she filmed the drama "You're the Best" for the Korean Broadcasting System's KBS2 channel.

IU, whose real name is Lee Ji Eun admitted to yearning to return to the life of a pop star during her time away from music.

"While filming for my drama, I really missed the stage and wanted to go on various variety and radio programs," she said.

IU admitted to being a little nervous about releasing her album on a month with so many new releases.

"I didn't know so many singers would be making a comeback in October," IU said. 

"I even worried while looking at the news and thinking 'why we didn't check more carefully?'  However, there are rather a lot of advantages.  As there will be many singers, there will be many, many people showing more interest."