The Ballad of Us winner Lee Ye-ji recounted the situation when the first-place announcement was made.
Recently, an interview with SBS The Ballad of Us TOP6 contestants Lee Ye-ji, Lee Ji-hoon and Song Ji-woo was conducted at the OSEN office in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Lee Ye-ji became the inaugural winner by taking first place on SBS's survival program The Ballad of Us, which ended in December last year. Beloved for her distinctive husky voice, Lee Ye-ji recalled her feelings when the final rankings were announced, saying, "When my name was called, it felt like time stopped. I wondered if I was dreaming. At that time my father had come to watch, and he was sitting on the side visible from the stage, so he was the first person I thought of."
Earlier, during the semifinals, Lee Ye-ji performed Lee Seung-Chul's "Malli flower" as a tribute song for her father, moving many to tears. Lee Ye-ji's father, who watched the performance, also shed tears repeatedly, creating a touching moment. Asked about her father's reaction immediately after winning, Lee Ye-ji recalled the semifinal stage, saying, "My father came to the audience twice. When he first came, he said he was proud while watching his daughter preparing backstage. That was before the song started, and he showed tears."
She continued, "I told him in advance for the final, 'Dad, you absolutely must not cry today. If you cry, I'll be shaken. If I'm shaken, the singing will be shaken and the performance will be ruined. Don't cry under any circumstances.' My father kept promising, 'I really won't cry. Even if you win, I won't cry.' But the moment the name of the first-place winner was called, he cried. Seeing that made me feel the program turned out well," adding, "My father boasted about it all over the neighborhood," she said proudly.
In particular, the 10 semifinalists of The Ballad of Us, including Lee Ye-ji, were given the benefit of an exclusive contract with SM C&C and the opportunity to debut. When asked how she felt about having an agency, Lee Ye-ji said, "It is definitely very different to have one and not to have one. I'm so glad to have access to many opportunities. And it's reassuring. It feels like having a family in the music industry. I can get a lot of help, and when I made music alone there weren't many people I could ask when I didn't know something. But here there are professionals, so it has been very helpful."
She also shared a behind-the-scenes story about the prize money, saying, "One of the winning prizes was a massage chair. It's installed in our house. My father said he wouldn't use it. I, of course, intended to give it to him, but since he said he wouldn't use it, it ended up staying at our house," which brought laughter. (Continued in interview 2.)<
[Photo] OSEN reporter Park Joonhyung
[OSEN]