The Nov. 4 episode of SBS’ music audition series posted 1.3% and 1.6% in Parts 1 and 2, respectively, in the Seoul capital area’s 20-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Korea. It ranked No. 1 and No. 2 among all programs airing Tuesday across variety, drama, factual and news ― and extended its streak as Tuesday’s top variety show to seven straight weeks.
Kicking off Round 3, built around the show’s “Koreans’ Most-Loved Ballads Top 100,” Choi Eun-bin and Kim Yoon-i advanced as the first semifinalists with a fresh, reimagined take on Deulgukhwa’s ‘That’s My Only World’.
Earlier in Round 2, Lee Jun-seok and Kim Su-min faced off under the theme “Newly in Love,” while Lee Seo-young and Lee Min-ji battled with a “Cyworld” throwback concept. Lee Jun-seok prevailed with a textbook ballad delivery of Weather Forecast’s ‘If I have you only,’ and Lee Min-ji earned high praise from judge Jung Seung-hwan for making Lee Seung-chul’s ‘Fate’ entirely her own ― and took the win.
To balance the bracket, the show held an additional vote among the Top 100 panel, sending Lee Ye-ji and Jeong Ji-ung through first, followed by a tie at 87 votes between Hong Seung-min and Jeremy ― all four kept their runs alive. They join Park Seo-jung, Cheon Beom-seok, Min Su-hyun, Kang Ji-yeon, Lim Ji-sung, Choi Eun-bin, Song Ji-woo, Lee Ji-hoon, Kim Yoon-i, Lee Jun-seok, Lee Min-ji, Choi Hye-na and Kwon Mi-na to make 17 competitors moving into Round 3.
The Round 3 reveal of the show’s proprietary Top 100 ― curated from the 1980s through the 2020s to reflect ballads embraced across generations ― underscored the producers’ deep affection for the genre and aimed to capture the nation’s collective soundtrack.
In the duet-format Round 3, the Top 100 panel reps set matchups knowing only the original artist behind each team’s song choice. That led to a marquee showdown right out of the gate: Choi Eun-bin and Kim Yoon-i chose a classic from 1980s rock legends Deulgukhwa, while 18-year-olds Lee Ji-hoon and Kang Ji-yeon opted for Shin Sung-woo, a defining voice of 1990s rock ballads.
Peers in age at 18, Lee Ji-hoon and Kang Ji-yeon delivered a fresh male-female duet on Shin Sung-woo’s ‘Seosi,’ which sits at No. 97 on the Top 100. Park Kyung-lim likened the performance to scenes from the films "Begin Again" and "Once," while Jung Seung-hwan praised Lee’s transportive tone and Kang’s vocals, perfectly tuned to folk and folk-rock colors.
Meanwhile, 22-year-olds Choi Eun-bin and Kim Yoon-i turned out to share a history: both were scouted by the same agency in high school and have spent five years grinding toward a dream they refused to abandon. With Deulgukhwa’s ‘That’s My Only World,’ they channeled that journey ― swapping the original’s raw power for a softer, finely drawn delivery that resonated deeply.
Host Jeon Hyun-moo told the pair their stage “could be a turning point” in their careers, while judge Cha Tae-hyun called it “best in class for an audition stage ― a perfect 100.” The duo clinched a direct ticket to the semifinals with 99 votes.
With heartfelt performances and real-time growth arcs, ‘The Ballad of Us’ is striking a chord ― rallying support for its contestants and reigniting interest in the ballad form along the way.
‘The Ballad of Us,’ SBS’ Tuesday-night music audition series, airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
