A unique combination of the TOP12 produced a powerful resonance.
On the 20th, SBS' Mumu X Chacha - Uba Radio (hereafter "Uba Radio," directed by Ahn Jung-hyeon) aired stages featuring unusual pairings that could not be seen in the competition, from rival duets to four-member ballad idol showdowns, drawing viewers deeper into the program.
In the first segment, which gifts a song matching a listener's story, two duet teams that viewers wanted to see performed, attracting attention. On the Mumu team, official rivals from the competition, Lee Ye-ji and Choi Eun-bin, teamed up, while on the Chacha team, career duettists Lee Ji-hoon and Jeremy, who have sung together since childhood, appeared as a male-male duet.
The two teams staged a performance for two friends of 10 years who had recently broken up after a long relationship. First on stage, Lee Ye-ji and Choi Eun-bin chose Fly to the Sky's "Missing You," deeply conveying the emotions of a breakup. Jun Hyun-moo said, "Hearing it up close pierces the heart," and could not hide the lingering impact of the performance. The listener also said, "I could briefly forget the breakup," expressing that she felt comforted.
Opposing them, Lee Ji-hoon and Jeremy selected Zion.T's "Eyes" to deliver a breakup sentiment of a different resolution. Jun Hyun-moo praised them, saying, "The feeling of Zion.T and Lee Moon-sae is gone and it became the two of their song," and "It brings to mind a mountain lodge cabin scene," and the listener, choking up, said, "I got goosebumps," drawing attention. With the two friends divided in opinion, in the overall vote the Lee Ji-hoon and Jeremy team led by 10 votes, giving the Chacha team its first victory.
In the second segment, stars called in from across Korea, drawing attention. Mumu team star Seo Jang-hoon, introduced as a "ballad enthusiast," sweetly performed Bit and Salt's "Don't leave my side," and TOP12 could not hide their surprise at his unexpected skill.
That day Seo Jang-hoon told not only Song Ji-woo but the TOP12, "It hasn't even started yet. The real contest depends on who endures the longest," and sincerely advised and urged, "Please become singers who sing good songs for a long time," adding emotional weight. Song Ji-woo selected Lee Hyun-woo's "I must erase you in sorrow," completing the stage with a dreamy tone and delicate emotional line.
As a Chacha team star, aespa's Karina appeared and stirred the scene. Karina named Jeong Ji-woong as her one pick and said, "His voice is so good I looked him up on the live broadcast and clips." In response, Jeong Ji-woong bowed 90 degrees in thanks, then sang a line after changing the round 2 competition song "Annine" into Karina's "Rina," adding laughter.
Jeong Ji-woong selected Jang Hye Jin's "One late night in 1994" for Karina and delivered deep emotion. Unlike the piano-centered original, the use of guitar stood out. After watching Jeong Ji-woong's stage, Choi Eun-bin wiped tears of emotion, and Cheon Beom-seok praised, "Jeong Ji-woong's head voice even targets the hearts of men," adding to the laughter. That day Song Ji-woo and Jeong Ji-woong's match ended in a 22:22 tie, marking the program's first tie record.
The final segment was a new corner introduced as "We go quite well together," the "four-member ballad idol showdown." Male-female four-member groups directly paired by MumuChacha appeared, and the final stage had three points at stake, raising the tension of the contest. On the Mumu team, Cheon Beom-seok, Hong Seung-min, Lee Jun-seok, and Jeong Ji-woong united under the team name "Cheon Hong I Jeong" and performed BTOB's "Missing you." In addition to stable vocal ability, an unexpected rap part appeared, prompting reactions such as "It reminds me of 2AM" and "The rap is surprisingly incredible," which lifted the atmosphere.
On the Chacha team, Lee Ye-ji, Choi Eun-bin, Min Su-hyun, and Kim Yoon formed "Small Mama" and chose Echo's "Happy me." The four overwhelmed the stage with harmonies they prepared huddled together, delicate emotional lines, and beautiful harmony, and the venue could not escape the lingering impression for some time with exclamations of "This is crazy." Even the opposing team "Cheon Hong I Jeong" was left speechless and declared, "We're clocking out," provoking laughter. With Chacha having 2 points and Mumu 1 point earlier, "Small Mama" won and took 3 points, and the final score of 5:1 gave the Chacha team its second victory.
Meanwhile, at the end of the broadcast it was announced that singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin would appear, raising expectations. In episode 4, Lee Mu-jin is scheduled to present a legendary duet stage that fully unites the audition universe with winner Lee Ye-ji. After the broadcast, viewers expressed anticipation for the next episode, saying, "Lee Mu-jin and Lee Ye-ji! This is crazy," and "My favorite Jisung's Lee Mu-jin appears! Jisung will be happy," and also heaped praise for the unusual pairings, saying, "Small Mama shines even as a group," and, "Jeremy and Lee Ji-hoon are a dream duet."
[Photo] SBS' Mumu X Chacha - Uba Radio broadcast capture
[OSEN]