Kang Moon-kyung, Shin Seung-tae, Hwanhee, Jin Hae-sung, Kim Jun-soo, Shin Yu, Kim Soo-chan, Park Seo-jin, Choi Soo-ho, and Enok have been selected as the TOP 10 finalists for the final round.
The 11th episode of MBN's 30th anniversary special ‘Current King of Singers 2’, aired on the night of the 11th at 9:40 PM, recorded a peak rating of 14.1% and a nationwide rating of 13.1% (according to Nielsen Korea).
This broadcast featured the last solo battle, the second round ‘Final Showdown’, showcasing the ultimate performances of the 14 active contestants before heading to the finals.
Following the first round ‘1-on-1 Genre Battle’ worth 400 points aired last week, the second round ‘Final Showdown’ had a significantly higher stake of 860 points, promising an even more thrilling competition. The second round ‘Final Showdown’ was scored with 605 points from the celebrity judging panel (55 points each) and 255 points from the public judging panel (1 point each), with the final rankings revealed at the end, including the public voting scores.
The first performer, Jae-ha, shone with his unique strength of soaring high notes during the performance of ‘The Endpoint of Parting’, and for the first time in ‘Current King of Singers 2’, he did not close his eyes while engaging with the audience, receiving positive reviews. However, he also received feedback that “if his usual singing ability is 10, he only delivered 8 or 9.” Kim Kyung-min, who finished last in the first round after a crushing defeat to Hwanhee, tried to express the deep emotions of ‘Lost Love’ in an effort to turn things around in the ‘Final Showdown’, but was evaluated as lacking in persuasion and emotional depth.
Na Tae-joo filled the stage with a performance that transformed using fabric and a gayageum conducting performance during ‘Sangpalja’, but due to numerous injuries during practice, he was unable to showcase his original spirit, leaving a sense of regret.
No Ji-hoon moved the audience by singing ‘Time That Cannot Be Turned Back’ as a tribute to his sister, who dedicated herself to him since his 20s instead of their deceased parents. No Ji-hoon, who delivered a heartfelt and sincere performance, turned away after finishing the song, trying hard to hold back tears, which touched the viewers.
Choi Soo-ho expressed, “I think it’s important to show something new rather than just doing well,” and chose the 1928 song ‘Hwangseong Old Land’, attempting to convey the emotions within the lyrics, but received feedback that he fell short of expressing the ‘sense of loss from losing the country’ contained in the song.
Kim Jun-soo, who had been contemplating how to incorporate various sounds of traditional music into the stage as mentioned by Yoon Myung-sun, took a bold step with ‘I Can’t Find the Cuckoo’. Kim Jun-soo showcased a perfect traditional music mashup with addictive twists using “Cuckoo~” and a rapid-fire rap incorporating the Ganggangsullae dance and the Katuri song, making everyone dance along. His performance received high praise from Daesung, who exclaimed, “You don’t need a cuckoo anymore” and “Kick off kick,” and he scored a significantly higher score of 539, rising to first place.
‘Trot Goddess’ Kang Moon-kyung heightened the immersion by embodying the character of ‘woman’ in her performance of ‘Because I’m a Woman’. Kang Moon-kyung perfectly expressed a shy girl in love with her charming singing, shy smile, and edgy hand gestures, receiving high praise from Yoon Myung-sun, who said, “When you dance with emotion, the sound dances, and the tension dances.” Kang Moon-kyung scored 555 points from the celebrity judging panel, rising to first place, surpassing Kim Jun-soo.
Enok heated up the atmosphere with a creative performance that matched his determined will to “give it my all.” Enok’s reinterpretation of ‘Ok-gyeong-i’ with his unique delicate acting, captivating chair dance, and intense solo drew admiration, but he received a warning from Seol Woon-do that “if you keep doing it in a musical form, it might become boring,” amplifying his anxiety.
Jin Hae-sung challenged himself with ‘A Piece of Picture Lying Long with Time’, a song he had cherished but was afraid to sing after his vocal cord nodules. However, Jin Hae-sung delivered the high notes he was worried about with ease, creating a twist, and proved his worth as a ‘true trot contender’ with his flavorful twists, scoring 568 points from the celebrity judging panel and rising to first place, surpassing Kang Moon-kyung.
Kim Soo-chan demonstrated a wide musical spectrum capable of handling emotional yet challenging songs through ‘Yoon Jong-ro’s Love Song’, which even the original artist Joo Hyun-mi found difficult. The original artist Joo Hyun-mi praised, “The introduction of this song is the most important, and you expressed it really well.”
Park Seo-jin, who expressed that “the obsession with being stigmatized is becoming too intense,” shared his rising pressure, stating, “My longing for the stage seems to be growing.” Park Seo-jin sang ‘Lost Love’ and poured out his poignant emotions, receiving high praise from Nam Jin, who said, “This was the song where your singing ability stood out the most among all the songs you’ve sung so far,” leaving a strong impact. He scored 568 points from the celebrity judging panel, tying for first place with Jin Hae-sung.
Hwanhee, who took first place in the first round with ‘With You’, continued to ponder his song choice for the second round and eventually called for SOS from his mother. He presented a compelling performance with the song ‘Your Name’, recommended by his mother. In particular, Hwanhee used a trot technique of bending the note only once at the end of the repeated “disappear,” and felt proud when Lee Ji-hye praised that part.
Shin Yu showcased his seasoned experience of 17 years from the very first note of ‘Gong’, impressing the audience with his twists and received high praise, stating, “The eye acting was the best I’ve seen so far.” He scored 581 points from the celebrity judging panel, surpassing Jin Hae-sung and Park Seo-jin to take first place.
Shin Seung-tae added his weapon, the gong, to the late Song Dae-kwan’s ‘Four Beats’, creating an explosive and lively performance. Announcing himself as the original gong player, Shin Seung-tae equipped himself with the ‘madman’s gaze’ on stage, captivating the celebrity judging panel with his passionate gong performance, powerful traditional singing, and a touch of pansori.
After all the performances in the second round, the interim scores for the semifinals were revealed, combining the total from the first round, the celebrity judging panel scores from the second round, and the public voting. The rankings were: 1st Kang Moon-kyung, 2nd Shin Seung-tae, 3rd Hwanhee, 4th Kim Soo-chan, 5th Jin Hae-sung, 6th Kim Jun-soo, 7th Shin Yu, 8th Choi Soo-ho, and 9th Park Seo-jin. As the public judging panel scores from the second round were added, the rankings began to fluctuate again.
In particular, Park Seo-jin surprised everyone by making a comeback from the 13th place elimination crisis in the first round to tie for 7th place, creating a reversal myth. Kang Moon-kyung, who became the MVP in the semifinals, smiled brightly and said, “Please look at me nicely,” showcasing her charming reversal.
