Kim So-yeon and Park Jin-seo advance to Round 3 as SBS 'Our Ballad 2' maintains top ratings
The SBS audition project 'Our Ballad 2' has secured the number one spot in its time slot and among all Monday variety shows for six consecutive weeks, reaching a peak household rating of 6%.
The massive SBS audition project 'Our Ballad 2' has maintained its position as the number one program in its time slot and among all Monday variety shows for six consecutive weeks. During the broadcast on the 9th, the show reached a peak minute rating of 6.3%, with household ratings hitting 6% (5.4% for Part 1 and 6% for Part 2 in the Seoul metropolitan area). According to Nielsen Korea, the 2049 ratings reached 1.5% for Part 1 and 1.6% for Part 2, continuing its upward trend as the top program in its time slot and among Monday variety shows for six straight weeks.
In the episode aired this past Monday, contestants Kim So-yeon, Park Jin-seo, Min Ji-yu, and Cha Min-ju performed a variety of songs—ranging from emotional ballads to tracks that defeated mainstream artists—to advance to Round 3. The program, planned by Jeong Ik-seung and directed by An Jeong-hyeon with writer Mo Eun-seol, delivered both excitement and emotion to viewers.
The broadcast opened with performances by vocal student Kim Hun-o and philosophy student Kim So-yeon. Choosing the theme "Opening a diary from 10 years ago" to symbolize their past selves, Kim Hun-o performed Kim Bum-soo's "Last Love," alternating between classical and ballad styles to master the high notes, though Jung Jae-hyung noted the interpretation was lacking. In response, Kim So-yeon sang "A Love Too Painful Was Not Love" by the late Kim Kwang-seok, a favorite song of her late father. Her performance moved Moon Geun-young to tears, and BIBI, who wept throughout the stage, praised her, stating, "I feel like this song is the OST of my life." Kim So-yeon was selected by the 101 Top 100 listeners to advance to Round 3.
The battle between Ra Yu-jeong and Park Jin-seo, themed "This song is truly my tear button," also stirred emotions. Ra Yu-jeong performed Page's "So That Farewell Cannot Come," expressing her deep affection for her mother who struggled to raise her at a young age. Jung Jae-hyung offered support, noting that Ra's emotions felt more impactful than a drama.
Park Jin-seo, the 13-year-old youngest contestant this season, delivered a moving reinterpretation of Cho Yong-pil's "Song of the Wind." The grand performance, comparable to a world competition finale, prompted Moon Geun-young to jokingly insist, "I am Jin-seo's number one fan. Please remember that." Supported by Moon's enthusiastic fandom, Park Jin-seo secured victory with 114 votes.
The match between Min Ji-yu and Cha Min-ju, both triple winners at an arts high school, marked a milestone in the history of 'Our Ballad' 1-on-1 deathmatches. Min Ji-yu drew attention with her clean vocalization and soulful rendition of Yoon Jong Shin's "Like It," a national breakup anthem. Cha Min-ju's performance of Toy's "Rockin' on Heaven's Door," reimagined with a bright and bouncy energy, prompted the Top 100 listeners to sing along in unison.
As the two performances were so evenly matched, the Top 100 listeners' votes were split perfectly in half, resulting in the first tie in a 1-on-1 deathmatch in the history of all seasons of 'Our Ballad.' Due to this unprecedented occurrence, production staff held an emergency meeting to decide their fate, ultimately allowing both Min Ji-yu and Cha Min-ju to advance to Round 3. After the tension broke, the two contestants shared their joy and comforted one another, appearing as friends sharing the same dream rather than rivals.
As Round 2 nears its conclusion with this new record, the upcoming Round 3 duet mission promises to be even more intense. The preview at the end of the broadcast heightened curiosity by hinting at the identity of the additional qualifiers among the strongest contestants who were eliminated due to unlucky matchups, as well as the reason behind Cha Tae-hyun's tears.
The SBS massive audition project 'Our Ballad 2' will continue with the Round 3 duet mission on Monday the 16th at 10 PM.
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Covers K-pop for SPECIALTIMES GLOBAL, and also writes Culture and K-Variety stories.
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