The elimination of many skilled contestants in ‘Undercover’ caused a series of shocks from the very first broadcast.
On the 12th, the first episode of ENA's survival entertainment show ‘Undercover’ featured high-quality live performances from cover scene power influencers with over 1 million basic followers, as well as undiscovered hidden gems, providing viewers with a delightful auditory experience.
That day, the vocal battle of cover influencers chosen by a total of 74 million followers officially began. They showcased their skills on stage, not only singing but also performing dazzling performances and displaying their unique charms. The ranks divided into black, silver, and gold based on the number of social media followers were enough to stimulate their competitive spirit.
The ‘TOP Listeners’ who would evaluate the cover influencers' singing coldly included Jung Jae-hyung, Park Jung-hyun, Lee Seok-hoon, and Kwon Eun-bi, and from the first round, a ‘1:1 booth audition’ was held where one ‘TOP Listener’ faced off against one cover influencer. The ‘TOP Listener’ listened to the song and decided whether to ‘save’ or ‘delete’ it; the deleted cover influencer would not advance to the next round.
The audition began under a strange pressure. Additionally, the appearance of ‘first-generation soul king’ Greg heightened the tension among the cover influencers. Greg chose Park Jin-young's ‘I Have a Woman’ and finished the stage with his unique soulful singing style and dazzling ad-libs. However, Lee Seok-hoon left a harsh critique, saying, “There are too many ad-libs, making it hard to focus on the music.” After much thought, Lee Seok-hoon chose to ‘save’ him, advising, “Next time, I hope you present the essence of the music more cleanly.” Greg, who faced elimination from the first round, sighed, saying, “It’s really difficult.”
Jin-won, who rose to the ‘Top 10’ on the music charts in 2008 with the song ‘I’ll Fix It’, also caught attention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he took a break due to vocal cord nodules and laryngitis, and now, due to financial issues, he has been working in delivery for four years. Jin-won expressed his longing for singing and the stage. Choosing the late Kim Kwang-seok's ‘On the Street’, he delivered a performance that resonated deeply. Lee Seok-hoon praised him, saying, “It was so good even without a high note. I didn’t feel like I wanted to skip the song,” and Jin-won promised, “I will show a stage that is a bit more confident and not embarrassing.”
Graeth, a ‘Gold Group’ with ‘1.09 million followers’, was given the opportunity to choose a ‘TOP Listener’ to be judged by and selected Jung Jae-hyung. From the moment he appeared on stage, he displayed an unusual level of composure and treated the ‘TOP Listeners’ like friends, maintaining the same attitude until the end of his song. After the performance, Jung Jae-hyung commented, “The attitude score is almost 0 points. There is no sincerity,” and chose ‘delete’, shocking the cover influencers as Graeth was eliminated in the first round.
Despite being eliminated, there was a stage that brought great laughter. Lee Ra-kyung, who has ‘4.9 million followers’, boasted of having won the popularity award five times on ‘National Singing Contest’. Choosing Jo Hye-ryun's ‘Anakanna’, Lee Ra-kyung made everyone burst into laughter with a shocking dance from the start of the stage. The ‘TOP Listeners’ even gave her a standing ovation. Jung Jae-hyung humorously commented, “The ‘Undercover’ stage is too small to contain Ra-kyung,” and chose ‘delete’, but the applause erupted for Lee Ra-kyung, who left everyone laughing until the end.
In addition, ‘Singing Jang Chan’ Jang Seong-kyu, ‘Super Rookie’ Lee Da-hee and Seo-hee, who are attending Seoul Performing Arts High School, ‘Singing Shaman’ Choi Hee-jae, who almost debuted but chose the path of a shaman, and ‘Singing YSHS’ Kang Min-seok, who has never learned to sing separately, received positive reviews from the ‘TOP Listeners’ and earned the opportunity to advance to the next round.
Also, the pre-released video of Vincent Blue's Um Jung-hwa’s ‘Invitation’ and Cha Da-bin’s Yoon-ha’s ‘Oort Cloud’ cover, which had already garnered attention before the broadcast, successfully advanced to the next round by receiving rave reviews from the ‘TOP Listeners’ as expected.
On the other hand, Ban Ha-na, a 10-year veteran singer who debuted in 2014 with ‘If You See Me’, was recognized for her singing skills by the cover influencers but received criticism for her disappointing song choice that revealed weaknesses and lacked special charm, leading to her elimination. Kim Ha-na, who failed to convey the lyrics at all, also tasted the bitterness of elimination.
At the end of the broadcast, Do Dae-yoon, who appeared on stage to meet the public for the first time in 15 years since ‘Superstar K3’, caught attention. The expressions of the cover influencers, who could not hide their surprise at Jung Jae-hyung's evaluation, heightened curiosity about what result Do Dae-yoon would receive. Furthermore, the second episode promises to feature eye-catching thumbnails and visual cover influencers that target the hearts of viewers, as well as explosive high-note performers, stimulating anticipation for the main broadcast.
Meanwhile, the fierce competition among cover influencers to turn ‘someone else's song’ into ‘my song’ unfolds every Sunday at 7:40 PM on ENA’s ‘Undercover’.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
