Soul-G-Kim Tae-yeon-Lee Soo-yeon-Cha Ji-yeon-Koo Soo-kyung-Geum Jan-di-Hong Ja-Hong Ji-yoon-Kang Hye-yeon-Kim Joo-i-So Yu-mi-Bin Ye-seo and 12 others finally advanced to the semifinals of King of Singers 3 after a spectacular war of shocking reversals and ranking turnarounds.
The Aug. 10 broadcast of MBN's King of Singers 3 episode 8 again broke its own record with a peak minute rating of 12.8% and a nationwide rating of 11.8%. In particular, for two consecutive weeks it swept the Tuesday ratings across all channels—including terrestrial, general programming, and cable—claiming the top spot and proving its dominance as the undisputed 'variety show powerhouse.'
In King of Singers 3 episode 8, following last week's round 2 performances by Kim Tae-yeon, Soul-G, and Bin Ye-seo, the remaining active contestants competed in the main round 3, round 2 "fate war." Because main round 3, round 2 "fate war" awarded a total of 900 points—three times more than round 1—the lower-ranked contestants from round 1 fought bloody battles to stage comebacks.
First, Hai-ryang, who grabbed another chance after Sook-haeng voluntarily withdrew, appeared wearing a hanbok-inspired costume and presented "Meosi Ggeokjeong-inga" in a unique pumba style. Hai-ryang rallied everyone with enthusiasm but received criticism that "her throat condition seems bad," and shocked viewers by receiving 298 out of 450 points from the celebrity judging panel. Choo Da-hye, who ranked 16th in round 1, showed intense nervousness but quickly captured attention with an opening featuring a long pipe, and with her distinctive tone arranged a gugak-style rendition of "Spring Rain" to earn 343 points.
So Yu-mi, who appeared in a trendy hip-hop style completely different from before, chose "Alleyway" and became the first in the King of Singers series to use rap, delivering high-difficulty hip-hop moves without a break that surprised everyone. Saying "I was active in a hip-hop crew 15 years ago," So Yu-mi received praise that it was "her most comfortable look" and earned 328 points. Kang Hye-yeon, who faced elimination after ranking 13th in round 1, showed tremors in her lips from the start of the performance and sang "Nameless Bird" with delicate emotion, receiving encouragement from Jeong Su-ra to "not be discouraged no matter the result" and earning 343 points.
Stephanie transformed into a game heroine look from hair to leather outfit and leather boots, drawing cheers. Choosing "Do Not Change, My Love," Stephanie completed a sensational stage with a shocking opening that began upside down and a vampire concept that was maximized, and her previously lacking vocal power earned thumbs-up as she received 340 points. Hong Ji-yoon, who plummeted to ninth in round 1 after being MVP in main round 2, took the stage in a red polka-dot dress determined to "flip the results," delivering "Mr. Yoo" with lovable energy. Amid Sul Woon-do's admiration that "you are a child who will follow Joo Hyun-mi's generation," Hong Ji-yoon scored a high 391 points, hinting at a ranking reversal.
Koo Soo-kyung, who made a miraculous history by ranking first in round 1, expressed emotion saying, "Being first feels like a dream and greed is starting to arise." But Koo Soo-kyung chose the difficult song "Faraway Place," causing the masters to worry, and ultimately missed a note with unstable high notes and received 340 points, swallowing disappointment. Jang Tae-hee, with a statuesque nine-heads-tall figure, selected "10:50," delivering a charming intro and ending that cried "My young master" and showcased her irresistible charm. Jang Tae-hee caused the room to roar with laughter with the killing line, "The world made me a writer and love made me a poet," and recorded 310 points.
The youngest but overwhelmingly charismatic golden maknae Lee Soo-yeon chose master Yoon Myung-seon's song "Monologue," and unleashed a perfect vocal arc from stable mid-low tones to storming high notes. Praised by the original composer Yoon Myung-seon that "it was already over from the first line," she secured a high 410 points to stay among the top ranks. Geum Jan-di, who received harsh criticism in round 1, said she was upset that "my mental state is completely broken" and then completed a seasoned performance of "Kkochimi." Receiving feedback from original artist Joo Hyun-mi that "it might have been better delivered more calmly," she teared up and scored 313 points, sensing the high walls set by the masters.
Cha Ji-yeon appeared with commanding steps like her nickname "Commander Cha," exuding an imposing presence. She chose "Tess-hyung!" and completed a godlike performance with explosive high notes and fantastic tempo control that brought everyone to their feet. Shin Dong-yeob said, "The venue went crazy," and Joo Hyun-mi praised, "She's a vocal I really want," as Cha Ji-yeon achieved the highest celebrity judging panel score of 429. Kim Joo-i, who was eliminated in main round 1 but miraculously survived as an additional contestant, took the stage with grim determination that "Kim Joo-i does not die" after choosing "Weed" to overturn her 15th-place ranking. Kim Joo-i fused the song with gugak, adding pansori and guttural sounds to create a powerful performance and raised her ranking with 348 points.
Hong Ja expressed a desperate wish to hear that "no one can match Hong Ja in this genre" and chose "Lover," releasing deep appeal with her unique beef-bone soup voice. Sul Woon-do commented, "Even with a husky voice she reaches high notes and gives emotion. She has a good voice," and she entered the safe zone with 362 points.
Finally, main round 3 ended and the final rankings, including the round 2 national judging panel scores, were announced. Soul-G was first, Kim Tae-yeon second, Lee Soo-yeon third, Cha Ji-yeon fourth, Koo Soo-kyung fifth, Geum Jan-di sixth, Hong Ja seventh, and Hong Ji-yoon eighth, securing direct advancement to the semifinals. However, ninth-place Stephanie, 10th-place So Yu-mi, 11th-place Kang Hye-yeon, 12th-place Kim Joo-i, 13th-place Bin Ye-seo, 14th-place Jang Tae-hee, 15th-place Hai-ryang, and 16th-place Choo Da-hye became elimination candidates and entered the last-chance redemption round.
In the redemption round, the celebrity judging panel voted for one contestant who failed to show their skills, and the two contestants with the most votes were eliminated. In redemption group 1, Kang Hye-yeon-Kim Joo-i-Jang Tae-hee-Choo Da-hye competed with "It's too much," and before a revote that occurred because three contestants tied with five votes, Kang Hye-yeon, who had initially received zero votes, survived. The contestant with the most votes, Choo Da-hye, was selected for elimination first, and after a revote Jang Tae-hee became the final eliminated contestant. In redemption group 2, Bin Ye-seo-Stephanie-Hai-ryang-So Yu-mi each sang a verse of "Dorido," and unexpectedly Stephanie and Hai-ryang were eliminated. After 12 semifinalists were finalized, Soul-G was the only contestant to surpass 1,000 points in the total of main round 3 and was crowned MVP, kissing the trophy while saying "I feel like I've grown another step," heightening expectations for the grand semifinals.
[photo] Screenshot of MBN's King of Singers 3 broadcast
[OSEN]