"Change Street" marked a meaningful start.
Change Street (Change Street, directed by Oh Jun-seong), a large-scale project commemorating the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan normalization of diplomatic relations, premiered on the ENA channel on the 20th.
"Change Street" is a new-concept cultural exchange program in which artists representing Korea and Japan deeply enter each other's streets, languages and sensibilities and communicate through music, highlighting music's essential power of communication through busking stages set in each country's city landmarks and spaces steeped in their respective histories and cultures.
Korean artists Lee Seung-gi, Super Junior Ryeowook, Chungha, TOMORROW X TOGETHER Taehyun and Japanese artists DJ KOO, Takahashi Ai, KENJI03, Tomioka Ai and Rainy opened the doors to "Change Street" in the broadcast that day.
The Korean team began their first busking performance at Deitsumura, a large garden near Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo. For the long-awaited first stage, Taehyun, who chose Sung Si-kyung's "On the street" with the determination "I hope the emotion of the lyrics comes through even if sung in Korean," firmly established another face as a balladeer with his clear, delicate soprano and sincere expressiveness.
Chungha followed with Yoon Mi-rae's "Always," the OST from the drama "Descendants of the Sun." Chungha's pure yet strong voice reinterpreted the song's poignant narrative at a new temperature, drawing the immersion of local tourists. Ryeowook performed Seo Young-eun's "You inside me," the OST from the drama "First Love," showcasing his characteristic soft tone and delicate emotional line that evoked the excitement of first love. The final stage was topped by Lee Seung-gi. Choosing The One's "Love," the OST from the drama "My Husband's Woman," Lee Seung-gi dominated the atmosphere at the site with a deeply resonant vocal, leaving an afterglow on the Korean team's busking stage.
The Japanese team held a busking performance at the Paju National Folk Museum, which preserves Korean history and culture. Tomioka Ai gently opened the stage with Yuuri's "Betelgeuse," followed by Takahashi Ai and DJ KOO, who raised the venue's energy in an instant by DJing and performing Morning Musume's hit "Ren'ai Revolution 21." Takahashi Ai, who served as the sixth-generation leader of Morning Musume, engaged the audience with her signature songs and drew empathy across generations.
Rainy selected Hirai Ken's "With eyes closed," changing the mood. As a balladeer representing a generation and evoking his father Tokunaga Hideaki, he delivered the song's sentiment delicately with a deep, lyrical tone, offering another resonance. DJ KOO and KENJI03 then presented a collaborative stage of "Ruby ring," displaying powerful vocals and seasoned performance that conveyed energy transcending generations.
The "street songs" performed in special spaces also drew attention. Ryeowook passionately sang "The Little Prince" from atop a rickshaw on Asakusa Street, turning the street itself into a stage, and Rainy completed a memorable scene of connecting with music amid everyday scenery by cooking and eating instant noodles at Han River Park before performing the "Spiral" busking. The "street songs," which naturally connected by sharing similar situations and emotions despite different cultures, were enough to clearly show the program's identity.
Studio reactions featuring MCs Shin Dong-yup and U-Know Yunho, as well as Kangnam, Director General Matsuda and Koda Kumi, also heightened the program's density. Their empathetic responses to the musicians and stages, as well as their explanations of the songs' backgrounds and the cultures and customs of both countries, helped viewers' understanding and played a key role in driving entertainment.
"Change Street" delivered a persuasive message from the first episode, going beyond a simple music variety show to change streets and perspectives and even revive memories. It showed how music-centered exchange can expand in depth, making viewers look forward to its future journey.
Meanwhile, the global music variety program "Change Street," which links the streets, people and music of both countries into one flow, is jointly produced by Forest Media Co., Ltd., Hangang Fore ENM Co., Ltd. and ENA, and airs every Saturday at 9:30 p.m. on the ENA channel.
The "Change Street" soundtrack is released every Saturday at 12 p.m. on major music sites, and full versions of the busking videos can be viewed on the official "Change Street" YouTube channel.
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