According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating research agency, the 604th episode of 'Immortal Songs' ranked first in viewership ratings for its time with 7.5% nationwide and 7.1% in the metropolitan area. It ranked first for 19 consecutive weeks in the same time slot, showing off its status as the best Saturday entertainment show.
The 604th episode of KBS2's 'Immortal Songs', which aired on the 29th, featured the 'Artist Song Chang-sik' episode, and Yang Dong-geun, Hwanhee, Myung-seop Cho, Xdinary Heroes, and Lee Moo-jin took the stage and breathed new life into Song Chang-sik's famous songs and the world of music.
Song Chang-sik, the host of this special episode, went on stage before the actual competition and entertained the audience with a powerful 'Once Upon a Time' stage. Song Chang-sik played the guitar himself and impressed us with the energy of a virtuoso, free-spirited yet deeply emotional. The famous song judges responded to Song Chang-sik's stage with bright smiles and strong applause.
Yang Dong-geun, who was called the main character of the first stage, appeared as a 'cigarette shop girl'. Yang Dong-geun started the stage with his signature languid rapping, drawing attention. In particular, it attracted attention with the appearance of a female rapper and stage production using bikes. Yang Dong-geun showed off his own musical style by cleverly inserting his song 'Alleyway' in the middle of the song, and with the support of dancers, he created an even newer stage. Lee Moo-jin said, “I was surprised that they showed an unexpected performance,” and Jeong Seung-hwan admired, “This is a song that has been remade so many times, but you showed it in a completely different way.” Hwanhee also added, “You did an exquisite job of arranging the ‘alleyway.’” Song Chang-sik said, “He’s so good. “Why do you dance so well?” he praised.
Hwanhee, who took over the baton for the second stage, selected ‘It’s Love’. Hwanhee went on stage and overwhelmed the stage with his earnest voice and emotion, saying, “I want to express well in this song that my loving heart is so big.” The reinterpretation of Hwanhee, with its earnest yet deep feelings of love, stood out. Hwanhee received support from about 20 choir members, creating a grand feeling. Regarding this stage, Lee Moo-jin said, “It was a heartbreaking and sweet stage,” and Glass Box commented, “The joy itself is an offense.” Park Jung-hyun said, “It really felt like I was letting go of everything and confessing my love.” Song Chang-sik was satisfied with the joyous performance and smiled on his face. Hwanhee won 1st place by being chosen by more famous song judges.
Cho Myung-seop appeared on stage for the third time with ‘The Pied Piper’. Cho Myung-seop captured attention with a stage with a classic retro sensibility. Cho Myung-seop, who announced, “I will sing quietly at first and later sing with teacher Song Chang-sik,” revealed Song Chang-sik singing this song in the background of the stage after the middle of the song, giving the strange feeling of singing along with Song Chang-sik. The famous song judges also shook their shoulders at Cho Myung-seop's compositional sensibility. In response, Park Seung-hwa of Glass Box said, “It is a composed sound that seems to come from a gramophone. “There is comfort,” he commented. Song Chang-sik pointed out Cho Myung-seop’s old sensibility, saying, “He called me a teacher, but he sang more teacher songs.” Hwanhee defeated Jo Myung-seop and won his second victory.
On the fourth stage, Xdinary Heroes sang ‘Why Are You Calling Me’ in a band sound. Xdinary Heroes, who promised to showcase a sound that only a band can do, presented a new version of 'Why Are You Calling Me' with a unique arrangement and performance. The guitar playing, drums, and keyboard were harmonized, and the two vocalists' voices had different charms, providing a pleasure to listen to. Regarding this, Yang Dong-geun said, “You are good. He said, “It’s cool because they pull out all the rock,” and Park Chang-geun drew attention by saying, “We need to protect this team like a real treasure.” Song Chang-sik said, “These guys’ ‘Why are you calling me?’ is much more sophisticated. “I hope Korean rock continues like this in the future,” he praised. Xdinary Heroes defeated Hwanhee's 3 wins and won 1.
Lee Moo-jin was named as the main character of the last stage. Lee Moo-jin, who selected 'First Confession', expressed confidence that she would show her own color. At the beginning of the stage, Moojin Lee arranged ‘First Confession’ in a jazz style, showing off her voice and emotions to the fullest. The mood changed through variations in the middle of the stage, showing off a different charm from the first verse. It expressed fresh feelings of love with a sensuous and modern feel, arousing admiration. Park Jeong-hyun said, “You look pretty because you’re good at it. He said, “The song selection was good,” and Yang Dong-geun replaced his appreciation with a short shout, “Lee Moo-jin won.” Song Chang-sik said, “It’s a song I studied a lot. “He sang it differently from me,” he said, praising his youthful sense.
The final winner of this contest was Moojin Lee. Lee Moo-jin broke the sorrow of not having a win and enjoyed the joy of glory by winning one victory and even the championship trophy.
This episode of 'Artist Song Chang-sik' captured attention with an unexpected stage, with new interpretations of the featured artists added to Song Chang-sik's famous songs. In addition, Song Chang-sik's vivid commentary on the selected famous songs increased the intellectual satisfaction of viewers. It was a broadcast that allowed us to experience Song Chang-sik's broad understanding and depth of emotion in the world of music.
'Immortal Songs', which is generating a lot of interest by creating a legendary stage every time, is broadcast every Saturday at 6:10 pm on KBS 2TV.
Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr