'Mistrot 4' TOP5 have been finalized. Her Chanmi·Lee Sona·Hong Seongyun·Yoon Taehwa·Gil Ryeowon secured the top five and will stand on the final stage.
On the afternoon of the 26th, the general programming channel TV CHOSUN's 'Mistrot 4' aired the long-awaited semifinals, the final gate toward the championship. Of a total of 88 teams, only 10 trot queens now remain. In particular, this season proceeded with a TOP5, not TOP7, system, making the semifinals even harsher and fiercer. Also, real-time text voting, which had been implemented only in the final until now, was conducted starting from the semifinals, drawing explosive anticipation even before the broadcast. Along with this, the season's TOP5 winner's special, a new song written and composed by Jang Yoon Jeong,
The semifinal mission was an authentic trot showdown. As Korea's original trot audition, a genuine trot contest evaluated contestants' affection for and understanding of traditional trot. This semifinal had a total of 2,500 points, of which the masters' score was 1,600 points and the remaining 900 points were all decided by the people's choice. The on-site national representative group's score was 200 points, the national cheering voting score was 200 points (1st place 200 points, with a 10-point decrement from 2nd to 10th), and the real-time text voting score was 500 points (1st place 500 points, with points allocated proportionally based on votes from 2nd place onward). The people's choice acted as a more important variable than ever. With MC Kim Sung-Ju's voting start remark, the real-time national vote began.
First, contestant number 0, Yumi, revealed her deep affection for trot, saying, "Appearing on 'Mistrot 4' feels like the most praise-worthy thing in my life." Yumi's semifinal song was Sul Woon-do's "The lost 30 years," which became a beloved national song through 'Looking for Separated Families.' Performing with the ambitious desire "to become a master singer of the era," Yumi received the comment from Kim Yonja, "a rival has appeared," for her mother's cries of anguish and the short but well-researched vibrato technique. Contestant number 1, Lee Eliya, was praised for overwhelming emotional acting and restrained expression like an actress in imija's "Twilight Blues." Lee Eliya also sincerely said, "I'm glad I didn't forget the dream of music and kept it in my heart and that I had the courage to do this."
Contestant number 2, Yeom Yuri, chose the high-difficulty song Shin Se-young's "Frontline Nocturne" and completed a performance that left a deep aftertaste. Lee Kyung-kyu said, "Yeom Yuri has a tone that fits the 1950s-60s," and Pak Sun Zoo praised, "Yeom Yuri's unique trot has been completed. It was the best stage so far." Contestant number 3, Yoon Taehwa, chose Na Hoon-a's "Mangmo." A fan of traditional trot who debuted at 19 and has quietly walked her path as an 18-year trot singer, Yoon Taehwa sang passionately recalling her late grandmother, bringing tears to the masters and viewers. Jang Yoon Jeong praised, "As expected, she's experienced. She sang as if she had become the narrator, allowing a calm listening experience."
Contestant number 4, Her Chanmi, selected Kim Sang-bae's "No, no." Since the song is specialized for males, it is somewhat difficult for a female vocalist to sing. Before the stage began, the masters even expressed concern, saying, "It could be a song that fails if done wrong." Her Chanmi revealed her unusual determination, saying, "I prepared thinking I was dead." Then Her Chanmi overwhelmed the venue with stormy high notes, unwavering expression, and restrained beauty. Joo Younghoon said, "She sang everything perfectly—rhythm and pitch," and Jang Yoon Jeong marveled, "Her Chanmi seems to have changed beyond development. It's impossible to gauge how hard she studied." Ten masters gave full 100 points, and she received an astounding 1,585 points out of 1,600 masters' points, ranking first in the interim score.
Contestant number 5, Lee Sona, sang Joo Byeong-seon's "Chilgapsan." Lee Sona, who had been on the rise to the extent of earning the title of true Sona, was shaken by the result of 8th place in the 4th round of the main competition. On this day, Lee Sona, thinking of her mother battling Parkinson's disease, said the song held a heartbreaking meaning for her. She completed a stage filled with sincere emotion and ultimately burst into tears. Contestant number 6, the youngest trot queen in the TOP10, Yoon Yunseo, perfectly digested Ahn Jung-mi's "Daejeon Blues," demonstrating blues push-and-pull skills that controlled the audience. Kim Yonja marveled, "She really is good. Volume control, push-and-pull, she did the blues technique all of it." Pak Se-ri praised, "She seems like a genius. The future of trot may change thanks to Yunseo."
Contestant number 7, Hong Seongyun, sang Jo Hang-jo's "Truly" without any excess. Joo Younghoon gave unprecedented praise, saying, "He showed Hong Seongyun's natural voice. It seems a second Lee Sun-hee has appeared." Contestant number 8, Gil Ryeowon, expressed more than mere vibrato in Jinsung's "I'm a fool," conveying deep understanding of traditional trot. Park Ji-hyun noted, "It's amazing to perform this much at the first audition," mentioning the new face Gil Ryeowon's active role. Contestant number 9, Kim Sanha, the comeback hero of the main competition's 4th round, completed Kim Jung-ho's "A nameless girl" with his distinctive husky mid-low voice. Jang Yoon Jeong offered a loving critique that moved Kim Sanha: "The public must receive love to do their job. You're doing well, and you'll continue to do well, so I hope you trust and love yourself a little more."
After all TOP10 performances ended, the trot queens' rankings were revealed, heightening the tension. First, masters' scores ranked: 1st Her Chanmi (1,585 points), 2nd Gil Ryeowon (1,576 points), 3rd Yoon Yunseo (1,561 points), 4th Lee Sona (1,558 points), 5th Yoon Taehwa (1,547 points), 6th Hong Seongyun (1,544 points), 7th Yeom Yuri (1,542 points), 8th Kim Sanha (1,515 points), 9th Yumi (1,503 points), 10th Lee Eliya (1,468 points). Adding online voting and national representative group scores, the interim rankings were: 1st Gil Ryeowon (1,907 points), 2nd Her Chanmi (1,906 points), 3rd Hong Seongyun (1,896 points), 4th Lee Sona (1,891 points), 5th Yoon Taehwa (1,872 points), 6th Yoon Yunseo (1,866 points), 7th Yeom Yuri (1,816 points), 8th Kim Sanha (1,766 points), 9th Lee Eliya (1,739 points), 10th Yumi (1,726 points). The contest proceeded as an ultra-close match with only a few points' difference.
Then the final rankings including real-time text votes were revealed. The semifinal's final text vote total was 1,029,169 votes, of which 858,328 were valid. The final rankings were: 1st Her Chanmi (2,406 points), 2nd Lee Sona (2,365.92 points), 3rd Hong Seongyun (2,326 points), 4th Yoon Taehwa (2,231.69 points), 5th Gil Ryeowon (2,208.10 points). Her Chanmi rose from interim 2nd to 1st due to real-time text voting; Lee Sona rose from 4th to 2nd; Yoon Taehwa rose from 5th to 4th, proving once again the power of real-time voting. Moreover, Hong Seongyun, who was 6th in masters' scores, surged to 3rd in the final rankings by combining online votes, the national representative group, and real-time text votes. 6th Yoon Yunseo (2,103.72 points), 7th Yeom Yuri (2,037.83 points), 8th Lee Eliya (2,016.40 points), 9th Kim Sanha (1,957.49 points), and 10th Yumi (1,864.72 points) sadly fell short of the finals.
Only one step remains until the birth of a new legend. Who will be the empress to wear the trot crown? The 'Mistrot 4' final will air on Mar. 5 at 9:30 p.m.
That day's episode of 'Mistrot 4' recorded a nationwide rating of 16.4%, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous week, marking a record high for the show. This is an overwhelming achievement corresponding to first place across all channels in its time slot for 11 consecutive weeks, first among all programs across all channels daily, first in Thursday variety shows, and first in weekly variety show ratings across all channels. The peak rating soared to as high as 17.7% and even surpassed the semifinals rating of last year's 'Mr. Trot.' 'Mistrot 4' is writing an unrivaled blockbuster record among all variety programs across all channels. Attention is on whether 'Mistrot 4,' with only the final remaining, can break the dream rating of 20%.
[Photo] Provided by TV CHOSUN 'Mistrot 4.'
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