"Our Ballad" began its first broadcast smoothly, ranking first in viewership in its time slot.
On Tuesday the 23rd, the SBS music audition program "Our Ballad" (directed by Jeong Ik-seung, An Jeong-hyeon, Han Ye-seul, Go Ji-yeon) led viewers into a broad world of ballads with emotionally transcendent stages combining the stories and voices of contestants whose average age was 18.2, evoking memories of those days and delivering deep emotion. As a result, part 2 of episode 1 recorded a 4.7% viewership in the Seoul metropolitan area, and the peak minute rating rose to 5.2%. The 2049 rating was 1.1%, and both household rating and 2049 rating ranked first overall in the same time slot, marking a pleasant start. (Nielsen Korea)
In round 1, themed around the first ballad of my life, a variety of musicians and classic songs were introduced, offering a unique pleasure. The lineup included 1980s artists whose opening notes pull at the heart such as Kim Kwang-seok and Lee Eun-ha; 1990s ballad sensations like 015B, Kang Su-ji; rock ballad icons Im Jae-bum and Park Sang-min; as well as 2010s K-POP icons BigBang, filling the show with not only traditional ballads but also diverse ballad songs, and it also featured hidden masterpieces like Jeong Seung-hwan's "Jaerija" and Zitten's "Sunflower."
In particular, the stages by skilled performers who captured the attention of 150 topbaekgui with tastes ranging from music experts to public picks delivered a rapturous time. To pass, a contestant needed to be chosen by at least 100 of the topbaekgui, and Lee Ye-ji received the most votes with 146 out of 150. She delivered a profound resonance with Im Jae-bum's "For You," which she and her father listened to during the three years she rode her father's truck to school when he worked in delivery during her elementary school years. Actor Cha Tae-hyun, who has three children, was deeply absorbed in Lee Ye-ji's performance and couldn't hold back his tears.
Song Ji-woo, who mustered the courage to participate to overcome stage fright, performed "Like the face that sent me away with a smile." Her stage, interpreted with a clear voice and the shy sensibility of a girl, moved all nine members of the topbaekgui representative panel for the first time. Danny Gu praised her, saying, "I could feel a narrative within the song. And for the first time I could hear the lyrics," adding that the lyrics resonated so much he had to press the button after the first line.
Also, Cheon Beom-seok chose Jeong Seung-hwan's "Jaerija," creating goosebumps. Jeong Seung-hwan said, "It's different from how I sing it, but it seems to have been interpreted well, and I'm grateful that someone sang my song better than I did." Meanwhile, Min Soo-hyun sang "One Love," a favorite song of his father from his college days, with piano accompaniment. Just before the song ended, at the final note the acceptance light dramatically turned on, and he advanced to the next round with 100 votes, amplifying the thrill.
Lee Jun-seok, who opened round 1, narrowly passed with 102 votes for 015B's "On the Empty Street," and Hong Seung-min, who evoked the sensibility of a traditional balladeer with Kang Su-ji's "Scattered Days," received the acceptance light at the last moment and went straight to round 2. Kim Kwang-seok superfan Lee Ji-hoon received 117 votes for Zitten's "Sunflower."
On the other hand, the varied perspectives and evaluations of the topbaekgui increased the viewing pleasure. Among them, Jo Eun-se, who sang BigBang's "IF YOU," received votes from most of the topbaekgui representatives but was eliminated by a margin of just two votes. Cha Tae-hyun, who did not press the acceptance button, acknowledged Jo Eun-se's skill but offered a realistic comment befitting an audition enthusiast, saying, "Honestly, it's a picture I see too often." In response, Jun Hyun-moo said, "Aren't we the topbaekgui? I think it may be because there wasn't the kind of standout moment people generally expect."
SBS music audition "Our Ballad," which captivated viewers with era-spanning ballad classics reborn through the contestants' voices and the resonant reviews of 150 topbaekgui, airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m.
[Photo] SBS "Our Ballad" video capture
[OSEN]