On the Oct. 14 episode of SBS’s "The Ballad of Us", Round 2’s one-on-one battles took center stage.
The night’s marquee matchup was a boyfriend-voice face-off between Hong Seung-min and Cheon Beom-seok.
Hailing from a family of musicians, Hong chose “Eternally” by Sung Si-kyung. Judge Cha Tae-hyun cautioned, “Sung Si-kyung songs rarely land on audition shows because he’s so singular.”
But as soon as the performance began, the room filled with gasps. Hong delivered a version that stood on its own―free of comparisons―and, notably, addressed every critique from his last stage, drawing praise from the show’s 100-member “Top Ears” jury.
MIMI added, “Mission to steal hearts: accomplished. From the first line my heart was racing―and when our eyes met, I felt like I was the one being confessed to.”
Cheon answered with Lim Young-woong’s “If We Ever Meet Again,” pouring his distinct color into the arrangement while accompanying himself on piano. Host Jun Hyun-moo gushed, “I got chills―it felt like "The Ballad of Us" just found its star.”
Violinist Danny Koo marveled, “He’s only studied piano for four years―that level is unreal. He also knows exactly how to use his voice. The performance felt completely finished.” Singer Kwon Jin-ah agreed: “I loved it. Both the playing and the vocals were top-tier. He’s 21, yet there was a depth and maturity to it.”
Before the full tally, a preview of votes from eight representatives of the “Top Ears” jury showed an even 4-4 split, keeping the result up in the air.
In the end, Cheon Beom-seok advanced to the next round by a margin of 27 votes, while Hong Seung-min’s journey ended in Round 2, drawing sighs from the crowd.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)