Singer Lee Ye-jun cemented his presence as the number one of number ones.
Lee Ye-jun appeared on MBC variety program 1deungdeul broadcast on the 8th and emerged as the new first-place winner after defeating powerful vocalists.
On that day, the 'line-up battle' to determine the top five who would advance to the second 'one-on-one battle' resumed, and Lee Ye-jun took the stage in the ninth spot and sang DAY6's "Welcome to the Show." While other singers earlier mainly performed emotion- and sentiment-driven ballads, Lee Ye-jun went for a brighter song choice to make his move.
From the first note Lee Ye-jun gave listeners a thrilling excitement and instantly turned the venue into a festival. Other singers who finished their stages could not hide their tense expressions, and the MC and panel all rose to their feet. As the music swelled and he became one with it, Lee Ye-jun electrified the audience by delivering a perfect trifecta of unwavering vocal power, precise skill and explosive high notes amid a bright expression.
After Lee Ye-jun's stage ended, MC Boom said, "It was like AI buffering and coming," and Park Ji-hyun marveled, "He's so cool. His singing doesn't waver at all, so he really seems like an AI." In particular, the panel unanimously praised Lee Ye-jun's live skills at an AI level, saying, "He doesn't look like he's struggling. I wish he showed some signs of struggle."
Afterward, Lee Ye-jun quickly extinguished the blue lines and rose relentlessly, finally seizing the gold line. After claiming his first-place victory, Lee Ye-jun emotionally said, "I'm so nervous that I'm crying. Even if it's just a dream, I'm so, so happy."
With Lee Ye-jun standing tall as the new first-place performer, his skills, long mentioned as a strong first-place contender for showing class-different stages each episode, are receiving renewed attention. In the first episode exploration round he proved undeniable live ability by performing Shin Yong-jae's "The reason I became a singer" as the song "that made me first place." MC Lee Min-jung, an audition enthusiast, admired, "This is the voice I really wanted to hear," adding, "I wondered if only Lee Ye-jun's microphone was special. The resonance is so good."
In the first 'line-up battle' Lee Ye-jun reinterpreted IU's "Love Poem" in his own color, and competitor Heo Gak admitted, "It makes me laugh out loud at how good it is," saying, "It hit me so hard I wondered if it's okay to give such a strong message." Then in the first 'one-on-one battle' Lee Ye-jun chose Naul's "Memory of the wind," and after seeing the stage Baek Z Young and Kim Yongjun said, "We were so right to debut early," showing respect. Even his opponent Son Seung-yeon commented, "Like an AI, not a single pitch wavered," offering praise that forgot the competition.
Lee Ye-jun, who has caused a seismic shift by delivering different emotions every episode with only his voice, is drawing expectations about what kind of surprise he will bring in the second 'one-on-one battle.'
Meanwhile, the Lee Ye-jun–interpreted "Welcome to the Show" will be released on various online music sites at 12 p.m. on the 9th.
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