Our Ballad 2 maintains three-week winning streak as Park Jin-seo ranks second

The SBS audition program Our Ballad 2 reached a peak rating of 6.5% during its third episode on Monday the 19th, as 13-year-old Park Jin-seo secured 2nd place overall with 148 votes.

The SBS mega audition project 'Our Ballad 2' has maintained its position as the number one Monday variety program and the top show in its time slot for three consecutive weeks, reaching a peak rating of 6.5%.

In the third episode broadcast on Monday the 19th, the program saw a rise in viewership compared to the previous week. According to Nielsen Korea, the peak rating hit 6.5%, with the metropolitan area household rating reaching 5.8% (4.9% for part 1 and 5.8% for part 2). The 2049 rating also held the top spot with 1.5% for both part 1 and part 2. The project is planned by Jeong Ik-seung, directed by An Jeong-hyeon, and written by Mo Eun-seol.

During the final day of the first round of the main competition, 13-year-old Park Jin-seo, the youngest contestant of season 2 from Dangjin, rose to 2nd place overall with 148 votes. Other contestants including Kim Ha-yul, Kim Hun-o, Shin Chae-won, Kim Hae-rim, Jo Seung-beom, and Yoo Hye-ri also advanced to the second round after being selected by the "Top 100 Ears" for their improved skills and emotion.

Park Jin-seo, the youngest among contestants with an average age of 17.9, has been traveling five hours round-trip three times a week with her mother to study music. Expressing her gratitude to her mother, who she said had cried seeing her struggle, Park performed Yoon Mi-rae's "Good Bye Sadness, Hello Happiness." Her deep voice drew gasps from the audience; Park Kyung-lim and the "Top 100 Ears" were moved to tears, while Joo Woo-jae remarked, "I thought an R&B master had arrived." Cha Tae-hyun cheered for her, stating, "A star has finally emerged from Dangjin."

Contestant Kim Hae-rim, who caught attention with her curly hair, reinterpreted Noel's "Marriage Proposal" with an acoustic sensibility. Despite having to cover the parts of four vocalists alone, her confident performance led Cha Tae-hyun to praise her, saying, "It was a 'Marriage Proposal' that didn't make me think of Noel at all." Kim Hae-rim was the fastest to pass among the third episode contestants.

Yoo Hye-ri also delighted listeners by performing Car, the Garden's "Become My Little World," showcasing a unique charm reminiscent of AKMU and advancing to the second round with 130 votes. Observing the increasing skill levels of the participants, Roy Kim expressed surprise, asking, "Are there too many talented people appearing?"

Jo Seung-beom, who is attending the same applied music department as 'The Ballad of Us' winner Lee Ye-ji and runner-up Lee Ji-hun, successfully passed his re-challenge. After overcoming a competition ratio of 182 to 1, he performed Lee Juck's "I Didn't Know It Then," showcasing explosive high notes.

Kim Ha-yul, whose cover video has reached 1.1 million views on social media, advanced to the second round by performing Kim Ji-yeon's "When the Cold Wind Blows" with impressive guitar skills. Shin Chae-won, noted for having a charming voice similar to BLACKPINK's Rosé, secured 117 votes with a city pop style performance of "The Meaning of You."

Kim Hun-o, the only son of world-class soprano Kara Son, also drew interest by challenging with The Classic's "Magic Castle." As a classical music major, he demonstrated a vocal style that harmoniously blended ballad and classical elements, passing just before the ending. Meanwhile, Kim Tae-ho, who shifted his career path from hip-hop to ballad, performed Kim Dong-ryul's "Even If I Say I Love You," but unfortunately failed to exceed 100 votes.

The program continues to deliver emotion and catharsis through the diverse performances of contestants with an average age of 17.9. In the upcoming fourth episode, those who passed the first round will enter 1-on-1 death matches. The preview ended with a silent tear from Kim So-yeon, a "philosophy girl" whose stage video has accumulated over 4 million views, sparking curiosity.

'Our Ballad 2' airs every Monday at 10 PM on SBS.

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