‘Jay Park’s Drive’ takes the brunt of Yoo Hee-yeol’s plagiarism controversy

7 months after ‘Sketchbook’ was abolished, KBS’ music talk show was launched. Will Jay Park be able to recover his reputation tarnished by the Yoo Hee-yeol plagiarism controversy? In response, PD Lee Chang-soo said, "I have a goal. I want Lim Young-woong to appear even without 'Mr. Trot', I want Lee Young-ji to appear even without 'Show Me the Money', and I want AKMU to appear even without 'K-Pop Star'. I will try to make it like Dori. New, “Be cheeky,” he confidently said.

On the 17th, a production presentation for 'The Seasons - Jay Park's Drive' was held at the public hall of KBS' new building. Producers Jay Park, Dong-Hwan Jeong, Seok-Hyung Park, and Chang-Soo Lee attended the event.

'Jay Park's Drive' is a talk show containing music and stories that will 'take away all your troubles and worries' on Sunday nights when the week begins and ends. For the first time in KBS's late-night music program, an 'annual project' method has been introduced, with four MCs each taking charge of a season under their own name throughout 2023.

Producer Park Seok-hyung introduced, “This is a project that completes the main story by tying together four seasons with each musician’s personality and color.”

Jay Park, who served as MC for the first season, is an artist in his 15th year of debut. He established entertainment companies AOMG, Higher Music, and More Vision, and served as producer of Mnet's 'Show Me the Money' series and 'High School Rapper' series, and has been exposed to a variety of music as a musician and entertainment representative. This is the first time Jay Park has served as the sole MC for a terrestrial music broadcast since his debut in 2008.

Jay Park said, "I always think carefully about anything I do with my name on it. It's an honor to be the MC for a concert with 30 years of tradition. I'm doing my best to play my role well."

Regarding the title 'Drive', he explained, "I wanted people to feel like they could listen to music and chat comfortably while driving in a car."

Producer Lee Chang-soo said, "I prepared for a long time, but during the first recording, my eyes went blank. Jay Park didn't proceed according to the script. After it was over, I thought it was a good idea to invite him. I wanted to break the preconceptions of small concerts, but Jay Park himself was prejudiced. “It was something that broke the rules. I think it showed a slightly newer, more appropriate way of proceeding for today’s times,” he said.

He continued, "This time we replaced it with a band. We are judging that it will be a broadcast that will be enjoyable to listen to."

Jay Park explained, "There were times when people would stop me if I followed the script. I spontaneously asked questions that arose during the conversation."

Melomance member Jeong Dong-hwan, who joined as a band master, will form the house band ‘Jeong Mae and Kung Chi-achi’ with Lee Tae-wook (Soran), Park Jong-woo, Jang Won-young, and Shin Hye-chan, and will deliver vivid sound to the living room.

Previously, 'Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook' was hastily ended due to controversy over MC Yoo Hee-yeol's plagiarism. When asked if the season system was decided because of the long-term MC risk, PD Park said, "We did not do an annual project because of the risk. There was a desire to introduce more diverse music, and since the MC is the one who shows the color of the program best," he said, "I decided to do it quickly." "I wanted to capture the changing market. I thought it was a new program, so I didn't feel pressured about the previous program. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do," he said.

PD Lee added, “While existing MCs such as Lee So-ra, Yoon Do-hyun, and Yoo Hee-yeol focused on universality, this time we prepared in an original, omakase style.”

Jay Park said, "I feel a lot of pressure if I do it for a long time, but since I only did it for one season, I was able to do it more comfortably. I think I'll do it until I get too busy."

Changes to the set, logo, etc. were also explained. PD Lee said, "We changed the design to a structure suitable for the MC and guests to have a private conversation. Also, to provide uniformity in terms of image, the logo was also created under the influence of Jay Park's handwriting."

He added, "When I think of the image of KBS, I don't think they think of it as being ahead of the curve. I wanted to show that our program is a little different, and I tried to show that KBS is trying to become younger."

When asked which artists he would like to invite, Jay Park chose New Jeans and IU and said, "I think it will be a hot topic if they come." PD Lee mentioned Tanaka.

'The Seasons - Jay Park's Drive' will premiere on February 5th at 10:55 PM.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr