Han Ro-i defeated a favorite to win.
On the November 2 broadcast of SBS' "The Ballad of Us Season 2," Han Ro-i and Park Ye-seung went head-to-head in a one-on-one battle.
On the broadcast, Han Ro-i revealed that he ended up competing after being chosen by Park Ye-seung, the only person he had classified as high risk.
He also showed a positive attitude regarding the harsh criticism directed at his previous performance, saying, "I wondered if busking had left me with habits that didn't fit my age. I felt the need to rethink my way of expression going forward. On the other hand, I felt relieved that it happened now."
Explaining his song selection, he shared that he chose his mother's favorite track, Kang San-eh's "When I Look at You". He said, "I have been living apart from my mother since I was 18. Whenever I busked from then on, I used to send her videos of my performances, and she created a YouTube channel in my name to upload those videos. She told me she uploaded them hoping many people would listen. And among the songs I sing, she loves this track in particular."
He added, "When I told her my competition song, she was thrilled. I will sing for my mother, my number one fan who knows me best and loves my singing."
He then delivered a performance that exceeded everyone's expectations. In response, Park Kyung-lim applauded, saying, "I guarantee your YouTube channel won't stay quiet anymore. The views are going to explode."
The "Top 100 Ears" representatives also praised Han Ro-i's effort, noting that the feedback from the previous round was seamlessly integrated into the performance.
Cha Tae-hyun offered high praise, saying, "Even today, there were moments when his voice sounded like someone else. But as I listened to the song, I thought, 'What does that matter? Who cares?' Han Ro-i's own color was so cool."
BIBI also praised the stage, saying, "At first, I thought, 'Car, the garden?' But after listening to the whole thing, it felt like a tough guy breaking out of Car, the garden. Rather than a 21-year-old, it felt like a master said, 'Excuse me, I'm going to enter your body and leave.'"
Joo Woo-jae commented, "Watching today's performance made me wonder how much busking he must have done until now. It felt as though his vocal cords had undergone iron palm training. He seemed thoroughly tempered on the ground. The guitar and his voice felt like one."
Jung Seung-hwan followed with applause, saying, "I thought to myself that he is someone who sings his own life. The luxury that his mother had enjoyed all to herself until now might now be shared by many more people. It made me want to root for the singer Han Ro-i."
Roy Kim also cheered him on, saying, "Not all singers know their own voice from the very start. You are doing well right now, so I hope you take pride and put on performances that are entirely your own."
Meanwhile, Han Ro-i surprised everyone by defeating title favorite Park Ye-seung with a score of 91 to 59, automatically advancing to the next round.
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