Unveiled on the 15th, Mnet's 'Show Me the Money 12' has been making waves since its first broadcast. On January 20th, the show topped the TV popularity rankings for the third week of January, as announced by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex, marking a promising start. Not only did it achieve the highest real-time viewership on TVING, but it also surpassed 230 million cumulative views across social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, proving its immense popularity.
The second episode, airing today (22nd), is expected to further ignite this momentum. The episode will feature the global auditions and the much-anticipated '60-Second Fire Pit' audition, a hallmark of 'Show Me the Money.' With the first audition round already capturing attention, the global auditions promise unexpected star appearances, heightening anticipation.
Rappers representing 32 regions worldwide, including dancer Minami from the winning crew of 'World of Street Woman Fighter,' Hong Kong hip-hop legend JB, rising Japanese hip-hop star Red Eye, and renowned rapper Flowsik, will participate in the first a cappella rap audition. The results of the Thai superstar Milli's audition, which drew attention just by her appearance, also add to the intrigue. The global audition scene is reportedly more intense than ever, with comments suggesting that "Korean rappers should be nervous."
The '60-Second Fire Pit' audition is another highlight not to be missed. This second-round audition, where rappers' fates are decided in just 60 seconds, is a signature mission of 'Show Me the Money.' For the first time, all four producer teams will judge together, raising expectations. Reports suggest that there will be both all-pass performances and shocking eliminations, adding to the suspense.
Ahead of the second episode, 'Show Me the Money 12' has pre-released some 60-second performances from domestic contestants who passed the first audition, building anticipation. Among the surviving contestants are skilled rappers who were not featured in the first episode, drawing attention. Notably, snippets of raps from contestants like OxyNova, Vice Versa, Nohsun, Lee Rohan, Chaboom, and the well-known BLASTA have been released, stimulating excitement.
The stages of contestants who garnered significant attention after the first broadcast also heighten expectations. The pre-released video for the second episode features snippets of rap performances from 'High School Rapper 2' winner Kim Haon, talented Kwon Oh-sun, Raf Sandu, Microdot, and the uniquely rapping newcomer Now I'm Young, Royal44, further boosting anticipation for the main broadcast.
Having kicked off an unprecedented season, 'Show Me the Money 12' airs every Thursday at 9:20 PM on Mnet and TVING. The TVING original 'World of Yaksha' is exclusively available on TVING every Saturday at noon, two days after the main broadcast.
Ryu Yeji, TenAsia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr