'1st place' Lee Ye-jun, following last week's final showdown, seized first place again in the head-to-head round. The competition was that fierce.
On the MBC Sunday entertainment program '1st Place' broadcast on the 15th, a head-to-head round unfolded. The head-to-head matchups among the top 1–5 began with the contest between Son Seung-yeon, Kim Ki-tae, Lee Ye-ji and Ahn Sung Hoon, excluding Lee Ye-jun, who was last week's final showdown winner. Lee Ye-jun advanced by bye and went straight to the head-to-head final.
Kim Ki-tae pointed to Son Seung-yeon as his opponent. Son Seung-yeon replied confidently, "The first-place trophy isn't for just anyone to take. I chose my song carefully. If I win, things seem to go as I thought."
Kim Ki-tae and Son Seung-yeon heated up the stage. In particular, Kim Ki-tae encouraged cheers that hadn't been seen before, stirring the competitive spirit of the other singers. Kim Ki-tae said, "After watching Son Seung-yeon's stage, I suddenly felt a desperate urge, so I couldn't just stay still," saying it was a surprise he had planned. Kim Ki-tae advanced.
Lee Ye-ji and Ahn Sung Hoon were matched automatically. Lee Ye-ji sang a song by Park Hyo-shin, and Ahn Sung Hoon sang a song by Buzz. Lee Ye-ji left an indescribable aftertaste, and Ahn Sung Hoon delivered a deep resonance. Lee Ye-jun praised Ahn Sung Hoon's arrangement, saying, "Ahn Sung Hoon's Buzz song is arranged well enough to be sung in the final," unable to hold back his admiration. Kim Yongjun agreed with that assessment, saying, "I don't know about other genres, but I think the song choice was very good."
Meanwhile, Park Ji-hyun said, "Lee Ye-ji has an indescribable charm," and Boom said, "It's like an independent film. After watching Lee Ye-ji, the feeling lingers," expressing that Lee Ye-ji's stage was impressive. Ahn Sung Hoon advanced.
The stage between Ahn Sang-hoon and Kim Ki-tae began. When Kim Ki-tae sang 'Family Photo,' written and composed by SG Wannabe's Kim Jinho, the atmosphere was instantly dominated. Kim Yongjun said with a lump in his throat, "This is 'Family Photo,' written and composed by our SG Wannabe's Kim Jinho. So I know in a sense why he wrote and composed it. So I can't call this stage unfair." It was interpreted to mean that Kim Ki-tae brought the song to life exceptionally well.
Judges Lee Min-jung and Baek Z Young shed tears while watching the stage. Lee Min-jung said, "I was talking with Baek Z Young about having children when I watched the stage." Lee Min-jung has a son and a daughter, and Baek Z Young has one daughter. While the two were talking with a certain shared empathy, Baek Z Young asked about Lee Min-jung's second daughter Seo-ee, "Is her birthday then, around Christmas?" Lee Min-jung, who could only smile at the mention of Seo-ee, said, "For me, what I remember from then is the scene of snow falling at the birthcare center."
Then Lee Min-jung listened to Kim Ki-tae's song that touched on 'family' one by one, and she cried sadly as if it were a scene from a movie.
Lee Ye-jun was no pushover either. Lee Ye-jun sang 'A Place to Lean.' In the passage "Behind each person's smile there is pain," the part that speaks to something anyone might have felt in life left everyone feeling somber and at a loss for words, only able to express admiration. The final winner was Lee Ye-jun, securing a spot in the final showdown as the first-place winner for two consecutive weeks. It was the second confirmed advancement following Son Seung-yeon.
[Photo source] MBC Sunday entertainment program '1st Place'
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