Actor Cha Tae-hyun shed tears while listening to contestant Lee Ye-ji's song.
The first round of the finals was depicted in the SBS show 'Our Ballad' aired on the 23rd.
On that day, Jeon Hyun-moo explained, "The theme of the first round is 'The First Ballad of My Life.' You need to receive the choice of more than 100 out of 150 'Top Back Gwi' to advance to the next round." The first round of the finals then officially began.
The first contestant was Lee Jun-seok, who entered KAIST early. He passionately sang 015B's 'In the Empty Street' and received 102 votes, opening the door to his first success. Jung Jae-hyung advised, "The vocal range was precarious enough to show diversity. This success was achieved through the power of his voice, and he needs to show if he has that ability in the next round."
Song Ji-woo, who had only sung on YouTube, overcame her nervousness and took the stage. She chose Lee Eun-ha's 'Like the Way You Sent Me Off with a Smile' and showcased her unique vocal color from the first line, easily surpassing 100 votes before the first verse ended.
Song Ji-woo received a total of 143 votes out of 150. Choo Sung-hoon praised her, saying, "I don't really know the original song, but it felt like her own song." Danny Koo added, "I could feel the narrative within the song. And for the first time, I could hear the lyrics. The lyrics resonated so much that I pressed the button as soon as I heard the first line."
Subsequently, various contestants showcased their own colored ballads, including Jo Eun-se, who gained attention on social media with a duet video with her guitarist father, Hong Seung-min, the youngest in a family of vocalists, and Cheon Beom-seok, who dreamed of becoming a singer through 'K-Pop Star.'
Among them, 'Jeju Girl' Lee Ye-ji appeared. Lee Ye-ji mentioned that she came to Seoul because she wanted to study music more.
Lee Ye-ji chose Lim Jae-bum's 'For You.' She explained her choice, saying, "When I was in elementary school, my father worked in delivery. My school time coincided with my father's work time, so I always rode in my father's truck. But since it was an old car, the radio played four songs on repeat. One of those songs was 'For You.' When I hear 'For You,' I remember the scenery of Jeju Island on my way to school and the side profile of my father driving."
Lee Ye-ji passionately sang 'For You' with her husky voice. Cha Tae-hyun, who was listening, caught attention by shedding tears.
Cha Tae-hyun said, "Ye-ji, you are amazing. I thought of my father going to the beach. That image of my father is me. I wondered if my daughter is thinking the same way."
He continued, "The reason I cried was that at the beginning, there was something raw about it. It was so carelessly sung as 'Oh, how we are,' but I felt like my daughter was singing next to me while I was driving," explaining the reason for his tears.
[Lee Se-bin, Star Today Guest Reporter]
