A massive global audition project to select the nation's representative vocalists is unveiled.
On the 12th in the afternoon at the SBS building in Mokdong, Yangcheon District, Seoul, SBS held a press conference for its new audition variety show "Veiled Musician." Attendees at the press conference included Choi Daniel, Ailee, Paul Kim, Shin Yong-jae, MONSTA X's Kihyun, Bolbbalgan4 (Ahn Ji-young), KISS OF LIFE Bell, and producer Lee Hong-hee, who spoke about the program.
"Veiled Musician" is a survival program in which contestants hide their appearance, age, region, education and other factors behind a veil and compete solely on voice and musicality. When asked by reporters about the differences from other blind-format survival programs, producer Lee Hong-hee said, 'I think an audition is fundamentally different from "Hidden Singer" or other face-concealing programs. Other shows are simply mimicry contests or mystery entertainment where you guess who it is, but this one is distinctive in that contestants are chosen solely by the singing ability of the person behind the veil without any information.'
Contestants sing behind the veil, and they are eliminated if they receive three or more rejections. A notable feature is that eliminated contestants can choose whether to reveal their faces. Producer Lee Hong-hee said, "Nowadays, when people apply to audition programs, I think the pressure they feel after their faces are revealed is great, so to reduce that burden we created a hidden format to give a chance to contestants who have excellent ability but cannot freely show themselves because of other conditions. Some eliminated contestants choose not to reveal their faces, but there were many who, having showcased their skills and received objective and frank judgment from the judges, felt empathy and gratitude and decided to reveal themselves. I thought that was considerate to the contestants and a format that allowed them to feel that."
However, when eliminated the stage lighting is turned off, and contestants must continue to finish the song after the lights go out, which could feel somewhat harsh. Regarding this, producer Lee Hong-hee said, "I thought contestants put time and effort into performing that one song. It felt too regrettable to simply cut them off by evaluating the time they worked on a song, so we set it so they finish the song. In fact, we deliberately configured the system so contestants would not fully sense the situation when lights were shone from behind. The lights turning yellow, then red, then off while singing could affect the emotional line or delivery of the song, so we tried to minimize that; contestants do not know the lights are out. Requiring them to finish the song is a matter of respect for the contestants' preparation."
The judges on "Veiled Musician" include vocal powerhouses Ailee, Paul Kim, Shin Yong-jae, MONSTA X's Kihyun, Bolbbalgan4, and KISS OF LIFE Bell. When asked why he chose these judges, producer Lee Hong-hee said, "There are many reasons, but the most important was talent. They are leading vocalists, and having them evaluate contestants would itself be a great opportunity for the contestants. I also wanted the judges to be similar in age and have a youthful vibe. Other audition programs also have prominent judges, but our judges are no less capable and are young and close in age to the contestants, so I thought they could empathize in their evaluations, which is why we chose them."
Among them, Kihyun, who is participating as a judge on an audition program for the first time, said, "When I first received the offer to be a judge, I thought about it a lot. I first questioned whether I belonged in this position. Then, when I heard the lineup I thought, when would I ever sit alongside such amazing people at a judging table? So I decided to participate. My standard is that there are simply many people who sing well. Even on other shows and on ours, there are many talented people, but how they develop the song they bring matters. I saw many techniques that unfolded like watching a film," explaining his judging criteria.
Ahn Ji-young said, "This year has been one of many changes. My motto has been to try everything. I was grateful for the judging offer, and since I don't appear on broadcasts often, I saw it as a new opportunity and participated. As you know, I'm very familiar with audition stages because I was there before. I chose to be a judge because I wanted to feel that nostalgia again and go back to that place. My criteria for passing contestants were innate talent and charm that cannot be concealed. I awarded passes to those who smartly interpreted that in their own way," she explained.
Bell said, "Before becoming an idol, I worked as a composer for about two years. I started early as a composer and have experience as a producer, staffer and director. From that beginning to becoming an idol, the musical world, musical standards and things I built up, I hoped those would help in judging, so I approached it sincerely. I am very grateful; through this program I thought I would both judge and learn a lot, and I approached it with joy and still feel very proud," she said.
Judgments from those who actually participated in audition programs are also highly anticipated. Ahn Ji-young said, "Being labeled as from an audition program was often uncomfortable. When 'audition alumni' was attached to me, I realized that the heat and attitude toward music during those auditions were when I loved music the most. So when I returned as a judge, the passion of those singing felt intense and I thought about how much they loved music to win. Sometimes I felt so sorry about giving a rejection that the whole audition process was very fulfilling and happy for me. It also made me reminisce," she said.
Paul Kim said, "I am not a case that shone because of auditions. As a judge, I feel I don't have know-how to hand to someone to make them win first place, but auditioning itself is just appearing on broadcast; we've always gone through being eliminated and passing. Through this, first place is good, but I think it's important to communicate with people through music and make a living from this music. Judges can offer various know-how. From each person's position and experiences, 'If I had received this advice around that time, I might have grown faster,' and with that regret I hoped our guidance would help contestants," he said.
Ailee said, "For me, it was just one day in terms of audition programs or survival shows. It was a Chuseok special, so the tension, nervousness and excitement were much less than for the other two. But when I was a trainee and auditioned and got feedback from judges, I remembered many comments that actually helped me and judged with those in mind. I tried to empathize with how nervous contestants might be, what they needed to hear, and how they could improve, and offered a lot of advice," she said.
On the criteria for pressing the 'eliminate' button, she said, "I'm probably the one who pressed the eliminate button most. After judging, I felt everyone is truly talented; they all sing well. Among them, those who were outstanding, caught the eye and ear, and stayed in the mind got better results. Compared to earlier rounds, our judging criteria shifted to technically evaluate how well contestants applied and corrected the feedback we gave each round as seven judges. I pressed the eliminate button when I felt a contestant had no greater stage to show."
Meanwhile, Choi Daniel takes on MC duties for an audition program for the first time through "Veiled Musician." He said, "When I first received the MC offer I wondered, 'Are these people really okay?' I thought they should reconsider entrusting me with such hosting, but I was very grateful for the casting offer. So I thought I should work harder for 'Veiled Musician' and, a few days before filming, communicated with the writers and production team asking, 'What should I do?' I consulted with the producer about what I should develop or refine. When musicians arrive, I welcomed them energetically and helped create the atmosphere. I paid attention to many aspects both inside and outside the program," he said.
He added, "The production team, writers and producer made everyone comfortable, and I met most of the judges for the first time except Paul Kim. Of course I had seen them a lot on TV and they sing so well. They treated me kindly, so filming in a comfortable environment was fortunate and made good memories. After a broadcast ends I often forget what happened, but sharing such a good memory in that moment was a great experience. As for whether I hosted well, watch on Netflix and leave comments," he joked, drawing laughter.
After the eight-week journey of "Veiled Musician," the top three from nine Asian countries including Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Mongolia will gather in Korea to compete for Asia's top spot in the vocal national competition "Veiled Cup." Producer Lee Hong-hee said, "A global program is not about traveling abroad to film or having foreigners come to Korea to film; I think a global program is produced locally according to each country's platform conditions and environment, with consulting provided for that production. I produce the Korean edition of 'Veiled Musician,' but each country will produce its own edition on its platforms. I consult on set design, judging direction and how selections are made."
He added, "Representatives chosen from each country will gather in Korea for the 'Veiled Cup,' and we are aiming to schedule it on SBS in January next year. For the 'Veiled Cup' I think judging standards are important, so we are working to avoid giving any disadvantages to contestants. We are also considering ways not to give Korean contestants special advantages. We are considering options like translating lyrics into English or having everyone perform new songs together as missions."
Asked why the Korean edition of 'Veiled Musician' was placed on Netflix, he said, "The Korean edition of 'Veiled Musician' was released on Netflix exclusively for Korea. The reason for releasing it on Netflix was that if 'Veiled Cup' is scheduled on SBS and then distributed via Netflix, we wanted to show on Netflix a precursor that reveals how Korea's representative was selected. Viewers might be curious about the history of how the Korean national representative was chosen, and releasing that on Netflix seemed appropriate, so it was scheduled there."
He said, "Whenever the finals in the nine countries take place, I will bring judges to observe. Each country has its own vocal style, vocal production and what judges sense differs. I think those differences reflect each country's characteristics. The Korean edition of 'Veiled Musician' will show what a currently Korean-style vocalist can be. It will show global viewers 'this is Korea's vocal style.'"
Regarding the winner's future after the 'Veiled Cup,' he said, "I don't know how it will be structured, but we plan to offer winners representing each country the opportunity to perform on SBS' Inkigayo and give them the chance to sing drama OSTs that air or will air on SBS. Not only the first-place winner but whether it's a top seven or top six, we are planning an Asia tour where they would visit certain countries together."
Finally, Kihyun urged viewers to watch, saying, "The contestants sing really well. If you have even a little interest in music, you won't regret watching, so please tune in; we judged diligently so as not to shame their passion." Ahn Ji-young said, "When I wondered what their thoughts were and how they sang on stage, it was simply a love for music. I hope everyone listens closely to the contestants' stories and gives them a lot of love," and Paul Kim added, "After filming the auditions I wanted to sing so much and hear more, so I listened to much more music. Hearing other judges' opinions made me subconsciously wonder if I met their standards when I performed. That helped me a lot. Look forward to the contestants' skill improvements and how they progress to the 'Veiled Cup.'"
Ailee said, "The contestants are all very talented. This is not about keeping or eliminating people based on good or bad performance; it's about choosing who can represent Asia. My biggest wish is for people to cheer for and encourage the contestants. I also want to personally appeal that when judges offer sharp criticism, please don't resent them too much." Shin Yong-jae added, "The contestants' skills are fundamentally outstanding, and many musicians add their own colors. You can see their growth over episodes, so please show a lot of interest."
Bell added, "Regardless of nationality, appearance or gender, if you love music you can receive a fair opportunity on this show. Personally, I grew a lot, learned a lot and experienced many emotions. I hope viewers feel the same through this program, and music lovers will enjoy it, so please give it your support."
[Photo] OSEN reporter Min Kyung-hoon
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