[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Hyesoo] On the afternoon of the 7th, Jinju ascended to the throne as the 129th Mask King on MBC's 'King of Mask Singer.'
On this day, 'King of Mask Singer' featured the second-round performances of masked singers aiming to stop the two-time consecutive wins of the new Mask King, Bangpae, who was crowned last week. The first match of the second round was between Jinju and SES.
SES chose Jeong Hoon-hee's 'Uninhabited Island' and delivered the song with seasoned sensibility. Jinju selected So Chan-whee's 'Wise Choice,' showcasing her irreplaceable vocal prowess to the fullest.
In this stage, Jinju defeated SES 19 to 2 and advanced to the third round. The identity of the defeated SES was revealed to be trot sexy queen Jo Jung-min. Jo Jung-min stated that she appeared to show that she is not just remembered for her performances but also sings adult contemporary songs well.
The second match of the second round was between Jjajeungjidaero-da and Maesil. Jjajeungjidaero-da chose Lim Jeong-hee's 'Tears Didn't Fall,' and Yoon Sang and Yoo Young-seok guessed the singer to be an idol or a female vocalist.
Maesil selected Byun Jin-sub's 'Being Alone.' With a deeply emotional husky voice, the judging panel was deeply captivated. Yoon Sang pointed out Maesil's unique pronunciation and confidently declared, "The one and only in Korea," affirming, "That's the person." Maesil won this stage 19 to 2 and advanced to the third round.
The identity of Jjajeungjidaero-da, who took off the mask, was weathercaster Kim Ga-young. Kim Ga-young shared an anecdote, saying she auditioned with Jo Kwon and thought she should avoid him after seeing Jo Kwon's mesmerizing stage.
The third round was a showdown between Jinju and Maesil. Jinju chose Park Jung-hyun's 'In a Dream,' and Maesil selected Wax's 'Fixing Makeup.' After hearing Maesil's song, Lee Yoon-seok wiped away tears and commented, "I felt a profound emotion."
In the third round, Jinju defeated Maesil 14 to 7 and advanced to the Mask King final. The identity of the defeated Maesil was Kim Beom-ryong of 'Baram Baram Baram,' as everyone had guessed. Yoo Young-seok expressed gratitude, saying, "It was enchanting to see this stage with this voice. You don't necessarily have to fix your makeup."
Kim Beom-ryong said he appeared on the advice of Kwon In-ha, stating, "It's doable. I heard it's fun. It was a good experience," sharing his calm thoughts. He then performed 'Baram Baram Baram' live, showing that the legend remains strong.
In the Mask King final stage, the reigning Mask King Bangpae chose Na Hoon-a's 'Galmuri.' So Chan-whee commented, "It was a style of 'Galmuri' I had never heard before." Both Jinju and Bangpae mentioned that they are "vocalists who know how to exercise restraint." Jinju won this stage 15 to 6, dethroning Bangpae to become the 129th new Mask King.
The identity of the 128th Mask King Bangpae, who stepped down after one win, was revealed to be musical actor Choi Jae-rim. Choi Jae-rim shared his thoughts, saying, "Rather than regretting not choosing a different song, I have no regrets as a performer because I tried many things." He also revealed his concerns, saying, "I hadn't sung pop songs for a long time, so I even thought about canceling my appearance, but since singing is my main activity as an actor, I got mad at myself. So I practiced again."
Especially known as a favorite disciple of director Park Kal-lin, Choi Jae-rim shared an anecdote, "My teacher said, 'Finally, you will taste the frustration of an artist,' and was pleased. I went through emotional hardship." In an interview, he also expressed his aspiration, saying, "I want to be an actor who makes the musical genre feel more familiar and comfortable."
MBC's music entertainment program 'King of Mask Singer' airs every Sunday at 6:20 PM.
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