The TOP5 contestants for 'Miss Trot 4' have been confirmed. In a surprising twist, Heo Chan-mi claimed the top spot, overtaking Gil Ryeo-won, who was initially leading based on master scores and online votes, after the real-time text voting results were tallied.
The episode aired on the 26th of this month on TV CHOSUN, achieving a nationwide viewership rating of 16.4%, a 1.7% increase from the previous week, setting a new record for the show. The peak viewership soared to an impressive 17.7%, surpassing the semifinals rating of last year's 'Mr. Trot 3'.
The episode featured the much-anticipated semifinals, the final hurdle before the grand finale. Out of 88 teams, only 10 trot queens remained. This season, the competition was even fiercer with a TOP5 format instead of TOP7. Real-time text voting, previously reserved for the finals, was introduced in the semifinals, heightening anticipation. Additionally, the new song 'Holyeora', written and composed by Jang Yoon-jung, was revealed as a special prize for the TOP5, with the semifinalists performing a group stage of the song.
The semifinal mission was a traditional trot showdown, a true test of the contestants' love and understanding of trot music, the original Korean music genre. The semifinals had a total score of 2500 points, with 1600 points from the masters and the remaining 900 points determined by public choice.
The public's choice was crucial, with 200 points from the on-site national representative group, 200 points from the national support vote (200 points for 1st place, with a 10-point difference for each subsequent rank), and 500 points from real-time text voting (500 points for 1st place, with points distributed proportionally for subsequent ranks). The real-time national vote began with MC Kim Sung-joo's announcement.
Contestant 0, Yumi, expressed her deep affection for trot, stating, "Participating in 'Miss Trot 4' is something I would praise myself for the most in my life." Her semifinal song was Seol Woon-do's 'Lost 30 Years', a song that became a national favorite through 'Finding Dispersed Families'. Yumi, with her ambitious goal of becoming a legendary singer, impressed Kim Yeon-ja with her heartfelt performance and unique vocal techniques.
Contestant 1, Lee Elijah, received praise for her emotional acting and restrained expression in her performance of Lee Mi-ja's 'Twilight Blues'. She shared her heartfelt thoughts, saying, "I'm glad I had the courage to pursue my dream of music, which I never forgot and kept in my heart."
Contestant 2, Yeom Yuri, chose the challenging song 'Night of the Front Line' by Shin Se-young, delivering a deeply moving performance. Lee Kyung-kyu praised her, saying, "Yeom Yuri has a voice that captures the 1950s-60s," while Park Sun-joo commended her for completing her unique trot style, calling it her best performance yet.
Contestant 3, Yoon Tae-hwa, selected Na Hoon-a's 'Mangmo'. A trot singer for 18 years, Yoon Tae-hwa, who debuted at 19, sang with memories of her late grandmother, moving both the masters and viewers to tears. Jang Yoon-jung praised her, saying, "She's experienced and sang as if she was the narrator, allowing us to listen calmly."
Contestant 4, Heo Chan-mi, chose Kim Sang-bae's 'No, No'. Despite concerns from the masters about the difficulty of the song for a female vocalist, Heo Chan-mi prepared with determination, saying, "I prepared as if I was dead." Her powerful high notes and controlled expression captivated the audience. Joo Young-hoon praised her for her perfect pitch and rhythm, while Jang Yoon-jung expressed amazement at her transformation, noting her dedication to studying.
Contestant 5, Lee Sona, performed Joo Byung-sun's 'Chilgapsan'. Known as 'Jin Sona', she had been on a rising trend but shocked everyone with an 8th place finish in the 4th round of the main competition. She shared the emotional significance of the song, thinking of her mother battling Parkinson's disease. Her heartfelt performance brought her to tears.
Contestant 6, Yoon Yoon-seo, the youngest trot queen in the TOP10, flawlessly performed Ahn Jung-ae's 'Daejeon Blues', showcasing her mastery of blues techniques. Kim Yeon-ja praised her for her volume control and blues style, while Park Se-ri called her a genius, predicting a bright future for trot thanks to her.
Contestant 7, Hong Sung-yoon, delivered a flawless performance of Jo Hang-jo's 'Jeongnyeong'. Joo Young-hoon gave her high praise, comparing her to a second Lee Sun-hee. Contestant 8, Gil Ryeo-won, performed Jin Sung's 'I'm a Fool', conveying deep emotions and understanding of traditional trot. Park Ji-hyun highlighted her impressive debut performance.
Contestant 9, Kim San-ha, completed her performance of Kim Jung-ho's 'Unknown Girl' with her distinctive husky voice. Jang Yoon-jung encouraged her, saying, "The public's love is essential for this profession. You're doing well, and you will continue to do well, so believe in and love yourself more."
After all the TOP10 performances, the rankings were revealed, heightening the tension. The master score rankings were: 1st Heo Chan-mi (1,585 points), 2nd Gil Ryeo-won (1,576 points), 3rd Yoon Yoon-seo (1,561 points), 4th Lee Sona (1,558 points), 5th Yoon Tae-hwa (1,547 points), 6th Hong Sung-yoon (1,544 points), 7th Yeom Yuri (1,542 points), 8th Kim San-ha (1,515 points), 9th Yumi (1,503 points), 10th Lee Elijah (1,468 points).
The combined scores of online votes and national representative scores placed Gil Ryeo-won in 1st (1,907 points), Heo Chan-mi in 2nd (1,906 points), Hong Sung-yoon in 3rd (1,896 points), Lee Sona in 4th (1,891 points), and Yoon Tae-hwa in 5th (1,872 points), with a razor-thin margin between them.
The final rankings, including real-time text votes, were revealed. The total number of text votes was 1,029,169, with 858,328 valid votes. The final rankings were: 1st Heo Chan-mi (2,406 points), 2nd Lee Sona (2,365.92 points), 3rd Hong Sung-yoon (2,326 points), 4th Yoon Tae-hwa (2,231.69 points), and 5th Gil Ryeo-won (2,208.10 points). Heo Chan-mi rose from 2nd to 1st, Lee Sona from 4th to 2nd, and Yoon Tae-hwa from 5th to 4th, demonstrating the power of real-time voting.
Hong Sung-yoon, who was 6th in master scores, climbed to 3rd in the final rankings through the combined scores of online votes, national representative scores, and real-time text votes. Unfortunately, Yoon Yoon-seo (2,103.72 points), Yeom Yuri (2,037.83 points), Lee Elijah (2,016.40 points), Kim San-ha (1,957.49 points), and Yumi (1,864.72 points) were eliminated at the threshold of the finals.
By Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr