SBS’s music audition series "The Ballad of Us" has locked in its 12 semifinalists.
The Nov. 11 episode notched a 2.1% rating in the key 20-49 demo and ranked No. 1 across all Tuesday programming in Korea ― from variety and drama to news ― extending its streak to eight straight weeks. Household ratings hit 5.3%, also No. 1 among Tuesday variety shows for the eighth week, per Nielsen Korea (Seoul metropolitan area, Part 2).
The episode wrapped Round 3’s duet battles, packed with lush harmonies. Advancing to the semifinals: Kim Yoon-yi, Choi Eun-bin, Cheon Beom-seok, Jung Ji-woong, Lee Ye-ji, Hong Seung-min, Im Ji-sung, Song Ji-woo, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Jun-seok, Min Su-hyun and Jeremy.
Kicking off Round 3, Lee Jun-seok teamed with Kwon Mina, while Jung Ji-woong paired with Cheon Beom-seok, taking on two staples from Korea’s 100 Most-Loved Ballads chart: Kim Gun-mo’s "A Beautiful Farewell" (No. 76) and Lee Moon-sae’s :When Love Goes Away" (No. 64). Host Jun Hyun-moo called Jung and Cheon “the voices that define 'The Ballad of Us',” and composer-singer Jung Jae-hyung added, “I wasn’t just hearing a song ― it flooded me with memories,” praising their singular chemistry.
Jung and Cheon won 119 votes to punch their tickets to the semis. Next, Choi Hye-na with Min Su-hyun faced Lee Ye-ji with Hong Seung-min. Choi and Min offered a warm, dual-piano spin on "Don’t Say Goodbye", while late-round survivors Lee and Hong delivered a showstopper with "Back to You Again", blending their contrasting tones into a seamless whole.
“That might be the freshest duet I’ve seen,” Jun Hyun-moo raved about Lee and Hong, while Crush said he could see “a brilliant musical future” for both. The 150-member “Top Ears” jury handed Lee and Hong 104 votes to advance.
The final Round 3 matchup pitted Im Ji-sung and Song Ji-woo against the episode’s lone trio ― Jeremy, Park Seo-jung and Lee Min-ji. Im and Song’s "For Lovers Who Hesitate" sent hearts racing; MIMI exclaimed it was “dopamine overload,” singling out Song’s dreamlike tone, and Jung Jae-hyung applauded Im for shaping the duet into a true shared performance.
Jeremy, Park and Lee reimagined Exhibition’s "Drunken Truth" as a mixed-voice arrangement, drawing big cheers. The Top Ears panel praised their balanced harmonies and team-first blend. In one of the tightest finishes yet, Im and Song prevailed by just five votes.
There was a lifeline for the losing side: the Top Ears jury could save one performer per team. In a dramatic turn, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Jun-seok, Min Su-hyun and Jeremy earned those saves, joining the semifinal lineup.
The semifinal round (Round 4) ― the last stop before the finale ― airs Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 9 p.m. KST on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)