This is a review article written after watching the broadcast.
Ahn Sung Hoon of "1st place" advanced to the face-off match from his first appearance.
On the April 8 broadcast of MBC entertainment show "1st place" episode 4, "Mr. Trot 2" winner Ahn Sung Hoon appeared as a new singer.
As the line-up contest to choose the second contestant to advance to the final showdown began, fierce competitions unfolded. Heo Gak, who was brimming with confidence, chose An Jaewook's "Forever" but settled into third place. In contrast, Son Seung-yeon, who won last week's face-off, chose Im Jae-bum's "Comfort" and defeated Lee Ye-ji to claim first place, surprising everyone.
Tearful Heo Sung-tae said, "Personally, the last three years have been the hardest time of my life," and added, "But there is a line in the lyrics, 'each person has a season.' I think many people in difficult situations were greatly comforted by listening to Seung-yeon's song today, so I'm grateful."
Park Seung-il of Ulala Session also shed tears. He said, "This is the first time I've cried listening to another singer's song," and added, "This show seems to kill people. It's so stressful," which drew laughter.
Kim Ki-tae also drew attention by choosing Im Jae-bum's "This too shall pass." Delivering an overwhelming performance from the first verse, he defeated Son Seung-yeon to seize first place.
However, Lee Ye-jun, who chose DAY6's "Welcome to the Show," immediately took the No. 1 spot. Lee Ye-jun, who rose to first place by defeating Kim Ki-tae, shed tears and said, "Before, when Son Seung-yeon said she remembered when she won 'The Voice Korea,' I now fully understand what she meant. Even if it's just a dream, I'm so happy."
Before the new singer's appearance, Baek Cheong-gang, who had narrowly fallen to sixth place and failed to advance to the face-off, fell to fifth place again. He lamented, "This is really stressful. Why does a new singer have to appear just when I settle into fifth place? It feels like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff."
Then a new No. 1 singer appeared. It was "Mr. Trot 2" winner Ahn Sung Hoon. Jang Yoon Jeong, who had been a judge, praised him, "I think he is an all-rounder singer who transcends genres. For other managers, that would be the scariest part: there's no fluctuation. He manages his condition very well. Watching the stage, he's someone with no flaws."
She added, "I think trot is the only genre that has continued for years in auditions, and I hope this shows that coming in first in this kind of audition is not a coincidence," offering encouragement.
Defying everyone's expectations, Ahn Sung Hoon chose Han Dong Geun's "The luxury called you" and competed with a ballad. Baek Cheong-gang exclaimed, "Suddenly the ballad piano sound rang out and it was unexpected. I wondered if he'd do well, but he did. This is really unfair," expressing admiration.
Ahn Sung Hoon vowed, "Since I'm a trot singer, people might expect me to perform trot. I wanted to show a surprising side and approach it as a general singer, not a trot singer. I hope you feel tense." Park Ji-hyun, who was more surprised than anyone, said, "To keep this secret to this extent. We even met two days ago. We talked about schedules," and could not finish her sentence.
Meanwhile, the singers could not wholeheartedly welcome the arrival of another competitor. Lee Ye-jun, who was holding first place, said, "I'm happy but not really happy; I want to welcome him, but I don't think I can," describing complicated feelings. Ahn Sung Hoon laughed and said, "It feels like the most unwelcome moment in my life."
Ahn Sung Hoon took fourth place from his first appearance, Baek Cheong-gang was pushed down to sixth place again and failed to advance. And 1st Lee Ye-jun, 2nd Kim Ki-tae, 3rd Son Seung-yeon, 4th Ahn Sung Hoon, 5th Lee Ye-ji made the final top five and advanced to the next round.
[Photo] "1st place" broadcast screen capture
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