Isuna's Triumphant Win on 'Miss Trot 4': A Journey from Obscurity to Stardom

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Isuna has claimed victory on TV Chosun's 'Miss Trot 4,' ending her five-year stint in obscurity. Overcoming the pain of being eliminated in the preliminary rounds for two consecutive seasons, she has finally seized the throne. While her strong fan base overturned the disadvantage in the judges' scores, critics argue that her personal story overshadowed her talent, posing a challenge for her as the new 'Trot Queen.'

The final episode of 'Miss Trot 4,' aired on the 5th, featured the competition to select the fourth 'Jin' (the winner). Isuna chose Patti Kim's 'Love is the Flower of Life' for her life song mission, delivering a memorable performance. Master judge Jang Yoon-jung praised her, saying, "It was wonderful. I've been waiting for a performance like this. Her past struggles were evident, and she seemed the most honest and happy today."

In the combined master scores, Isuna ranked third with 1572 points, following Heo Chan-mi (1583 points) and Gil Ryeo-won (1579 points). The final result hinged on real-time text voting. Isuna surged to second place with online support votes, trailing Heo Chan-mi by just one point. She ultimately secured victory by receiving approximately 28% of the total valid votes, amounting to 256,310 votes, in the real-time text voting. Heo Chan-mi took second place, and Hong Sung-yoon came in third.

Isuna's victory is the culmination of persistent audition attempts. After being eliminated in the preliminaries of 'Miss Trot 2' in 2020, she gained recognition as a representative of the Gangwon region on KBS2's 'Trot National Contest' the same year. She proved her vocal prowess by finishing ninth on MBN's 'Hello Trot' in 2021, but failed to pass the preliminaries again in 'Miss Trot 3' in 2023.

Finally appearing in 'Miss Trot' for the first time in season 4, her journey to victory was not smooth. During the first round of the finals, her team faced elimination due to consecutive mistakes, but they narrowly survived through additional qualification. In the third round 'Medley Team Mission,' she flawlessly performed Ha Chun-hwa's 'Yeongam Arirang,' ensuring her team's survival and emerging as a strong contender for the win. In the semifinals, she overcame a cold and flu to deliver a determined performance.

Isuna's victory speech highlighted her human side. With her mother, who is battling Parkinson's disease, watching, she tearfully expressed her desire to use the 300 million won prize money for her parents. Her supportive husband, actor Kang Sang-jun, who comforted her mother-in-law during the announcement, also drew attention. The couple, who married in 2021 after seven years of dating, has been in the spotlight, with Kang appearing in dramas like 'Chaebol X Detective' and 'Marry My Husband.'

However, reactions to her win are mixed. While her solid foundation in traditional Korean music and relentless spirit are praised, some argue that her victory relied more on her personal story and fan base than her talent, as she overtook Heo Chan-mi, who led in the judges' scores, through voting. Critics also note that her strong folk music style may not fully capture the essence of trot.

Compared to previous 'Miss Trot' winners, Isuna's text voting power is unmatched. Her 256,310 votes surpass the approximately 240,000 votes received by season 3 winner Jung Seo-joo, indicating a stronger fan base. With the narrow point differences among the top scorers, public voting became the decisive factor, reminiscent of season 2's Yang Ji-eun.

Isuna's strong fan base is expected to be her greatest asset in her future endeavors. Having proven her popularity, she is anticipated to demonstrate significant ticket power in her solo album release and nationwide tour concerts, which are part of her winner's privileges. However, to avoid being pigeonholed by her 'traditional music base,' how she incorporates her unique style into the trot genre will be crucial for her future success. All eyes are on whether she can bear the weight of the crown created by her 'story' and prove herself with her 'talent' infused with her own color.

Taeyuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr