Singer Lee Young-ji expressed her bittersweet farewell to 'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow.'

At the age of 22, Lee Young-ji, who became the MC of 'The Seasons,' not only took the title of the youngest MC of the program but also claimed the title of the longest-serving MC while conveying her sad farewell.

'The Seasons' is a music talk show that introduced a unique format called 'annual project' for the first time in KBS's late-night music program. Following 'Jay Park's Drive,' 'Choi Jung-hoon's Night Park,' 'AKMU's Onalobam,' 'Lee Hyori's Red Carpet,' and 'Zico's Artist,' it has entered its sixth season with 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow.' The title of the sixth season, 'Rainbow,' signifies that it will present colorful stories and performances each week with various genres of musicians.

Ahead of the final recording of 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow,' Lee Young-ji met with OSEN and opened up, saying, 'The previous MCs were very senior in musical experience, and when I saw the way they hosted, I felt a burden of whether I could truly carry on that legacy.'

She continued, 'Even if it wasn't for 'The Seasons,' there were many incredible people like Noh Young-sim, Lee So-ra, Yoon Do-hyun, and Yoo Hee-yeol. It felt like a significant burden to think that I had inherited even a brief moment of their legacy. Everyone told me, 'You're doing great,' and 'There's no one who’s done this well since day one,' and I thought, 'I guess they must have said that several times.' It felt like a strategy. However, whenever they provided feedback, they encouraged me and opened the door for me to do even more, making it comfortable for me to enjoy my time. 'The Seasons' was initially a workplace, but in the end, it became family.'

Lee Young-ji stated that she was able to grow more through 'The Seasons.' Among the things she learned and grew the most in were 'manners' and 'musical insight.' She said, 'As I was doing things casually through my YouTube channel, I lacked manners, but I learned about manners through 'The Seasons.'

She added, 'Many individuals who are active in diverse music genres came to introduce their music to me. I was in a position to learn about their interpretations of music, why they loved that music, and how they created it, which helped me broaden my musical insight. I was able to conduct the show with respect and manners towards the guests.'

Among the memorable guests, she pointed out Yang Hee-eun, who gifted her glasses, and Kim Yeon-ja, with whom she shared the stage during the first broadcast. Lee Young-ji said, 'The criteria for remembering someone are very diverse, but the person that comes to mind now is Ms. Yang Hee-eun. She gifted me five pairs of glasses that she personally uses. While they have value, they are also precious glasses that she has used for a long time. When she appeared, I mentioned how beautiful her glasses were, and she asked me if I would wear them if she gave them to me. I replied, 'Of course, I’ll wear them every time because you like them,' and she asked me to send her my address, which she really did gift me the glasses. I thought about whether someone who is such a younger junior would receive such kindness from Ms. Yang Hee-eun.' She also said, 'Ms. Kim Yeon-ja is also memorable. We sang 'Amor Fati' together during the first broadcast, and that is my life song. It was an honor to be able to sing with her. Not only the two of them but many others are also memorable, making it very difficult to pick just one person.'

'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' is particularly monumental within 'The Seasons.' While Lee Young-ji claimed the titles of the youngest and longest-serving MC, it also received the honor of winning an award at the entertainment awards ceremony for the first time since its launch. 'The Seasons' won three awards at the 2024 KBS Entertainment Awards, including the Rookie Award in the show and variety sector (Zico), the Broadcast Writer Award (Seo Hyun-a), and the Excellence Award in the show and variety sector (Lee Young-ji).

Lee Young-ji, who won the honor of receiving an award at the terrestrial entertainment awards for the first time, stated, 'Today, I received a plaque of appreciation from the entertainment center director and also the Excellence Award at the entertainment awards. I thought, 'Is this even possible?' I was wondering if they would give me the Rookie Award, but I was so bewildered and grateful to have received the Excellence Award. I was immensely grateful just to have been entrusted with the MC role. The production team of 'The Seasons' said, 'It’s because you did well,' and 'You should also win the grand prize,' which I was very thankful for.'

<Continued in interview②.>

/elnino8919@osen.co.kr

[OSEN = Reporter Jang Woo-young]