SBS’s new audition series "The Ballad of Us" wants to unite viewers of every generation through Korea’s most beloved genre: the ballad. Ahead of its debut, the show revealed five big reasons it’s worth a spot on your fall watchlist.
Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. KST, "The Ballad of Us" invites the nation to revisit the songs that scored their lives ― then hands them to 2025’s fresh voices for bold, reimagined performances. Framed as a quest to discover the next torchbearer of Korean ballad, the series just dropped five key watch points.
1. A Powerhouse Team-Up: SBS x SM Entertainment x SM C&C
From the creative minds behind K-pop Star and Netflix’s global hit "Culinary Class Wars," plus a former "My Little Old Boy" showrunner, "The Ballad of Us" boasts a stacked production bench. With SBS partnering with SM Entertainment and SM C&C, the franchise arrives with major firepower ― and the makings of a next-level audition show.
2. Gen Z Voices, Classic Feels
With contestants averaging 18.2 years old, expect fresh emotion on beloved ballads that span generations. The genre isn’t stuck in amber: the show moves from ’80s and ’90s staples to the 2010s and 2020s favorites today’s kids stan ― unearthing “hidden gems” that hit differently when filtered through new voices. The producers also built an original Top 100 just for the series, curated with music experts and a polling firm from a pool of more than 1.2 million tracks released since the 1980s. Those picks will fuel performances and reveals throughout the season.
3. A Game-Changing Group Audition: 150 “Top Ears”
Ballads live at the intersection of memory and emotion ― so the show isn’t leaving judgment to industry insiders alone. Enter the “Top 100 Ears,” a 150-member panel of tastemakers ranging from music pros to everyday listeners who pride themselves on spotting hits early. Together, they’ll cast equal-weight votes to help surface the next breakout balladeer.
The panel includes Jung Jae-hyung, Cha Tae-hyun, Choo Sung-hoon, Jun Hyun-moo, Park Kyung-lim, Danny Koo, Crush, Jung Seung-hwan, and OH MY GIRL MIMI ― all weighing in with the same single vote after each stage.
4. Artist vs. Entertainer: Sparks Will Fly
Beyond judging, the representative panel delivers plenty of playful back-and-forth. Expect witty banter and good-natured clashes ― especially between consummate entertainer Jun Hyun-moo and artist-composer Jung Jae-hyung ― as they champion different standards for what makes a ballad performance unforgettable.
5. Who Takes the Crown?
At the end of the day, it’s all about that final voice that steals the nation’s heart. From the opening round to the finale, look for smile-inducing moments, lump-in-your-throat deliveries, and full-on tearjerkers as viewers try to predict who will rise as "The Ballad of Us"s ultimate winner.
"The Ballad of Us" premieres Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)