In the chaotic impeachment crisis, coupled with the severe cold, December can easily freeze our hearts. Viewers are sharing their experiences of soothing their gloomy hearts through trot entertainment programs.
MBN's 'Current King of Masked Singers 2' and TV Chosun's 'Mr. Trot 3' are engaging in a trot battle in living rooms this winter. While 'Current King of Masked Singers' is known for its 'War of the Stars', 'Mr. Trot' focuses on the emergence of new faces searching for the 'second Lim Young-woong'.
Trot music has always been a source of comfort and solace for the sorrows and pains of the common people more than any other genre. Since a few years ago, the trot craze and generational shift have allowed it to resonate with viewers in their teens and twenties.
As it continues to evolve, trot auditions remain beloved as an 'unfailing box office icon', and this year-end, amid the state of emergency and the impeachment crisis, they are expected to showcase their true value as music that soothes the anxious hearts of the public.
In fact, online communities and portal site boards are filled with enthusiastic responses such as, "I momentarily forgot my anger while watching Na Tae-joo's performance," "I watch news specials during the day and heal with trot entertainment at night," "Recharging with trot during a gloomy year-end," "A richer and higher-quality stage than a concert costing tens of thousands of won," and "I even changed the TV for my parents to enjoy watching."
The male edition of MBN's 'Current King of Masked Singers 2', which premiered on the 26th of last month, swept the ratings with unprecedented performances. The first episode recorded a viewership rating of 8.018% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide paid households), starting off higher than Season 1's 6.8%. It topped the non-drama search response category in the fourth week of November, as announced by Good Data Corporation, dominating the top three non-drama search issue keywords.
As a national representative selection survival show to choose the TOP 7 for the upcoming 'Korea-Japan King of Singers Competition', it featured a series of unprecedented performances that cannot be seen anywhere else.
The second episode of 'Current King of Masked Singers 2', aired on the 3rd, was abruptly interrupted due to President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of a state of emergency. The anticipated performances by Jin Hae-sung and Enok were postponed to the following week, raising concerns about viewer drop-off. However, the third episode aired on the 10th recorded a peak rating of 9.0% and a nationwide rating of 8.1% (Nielsen Korea), showing an upward trend.
On that day, Hwanhee from Fly to the Sky was confirmed as the MVP of the preliminary round, while in the first round death match 'On-site Selection Match', Enok, Kim Jun-soo, Hwang Min-ho, Park Seo-jin, Takuya, Kim Soo-chan, and Jeon Jong-hyuk won, advancing directly to the second round of the finals.
Starting with the fresh idea of gathering current trot singers on one stage to determine the 'King of Kings', 'Current King of Masked Singers' played a significant role as a cultural bridge between Korea and Japan, recording a peak rating of 18.4%. The male edition in Season 2 is expected to achieve even higher ratings. There is interest in whether it will break MBN's all-time highest ratings.
Starting from the 19th, TV CHOSUN's 'Mr. Trot 3' will air. As the original trot audition, this season promises dramatic changes such as the abolition of age restrictions, a new judging method, and special benefits for advancing to Japan. This will be the first time that the stars who rose to fame as the final TOP 7 in the first season of 'Mr. Trot'—Jang Min-ho, Young-tak, Kim Hee-jae, Lee Chan-won, and Jeong Dong-won—will judge together since 'Miss Trot 2'.
The first season of 'Mr. Trot' in 2020 recorded a peak rating of 35.7% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide paid households), while Season 2 in 2022 recorded a peak rating of 24.0%. Season 3 is also expected to continue the successful box office alongside 'Current King of Masked Singers 2' in a friendly competition.
The production team has identified 'the divided master group' and 'Current Department X' as strong viewing points. 'Current Department X' is the first blind audition of the season, where active singers are assigned based on their own choices. It is rumored that they applied to 'Current Department X' to break away from their existing images or to challenge themselves with completely different styles of songs, receiving evaluations solely based on their singing without any prejudice.
