TV
Kim Yong-bin Overcomes Trauma with First Victory in 'Golden Friday' Singing Show
The 11th episode, aired on October 6, featured a 'Miss & Mister Legend Special,' where iconic songs from past competitions were performed by 10 top trot stars. The episode garnered a nationwide rating of 4.9% according to Nielsen Korea, with peak ratings reaching 5.3%, making it the top entertainment show across terrestrial, general programming, and cable channels during its time slot. The legendary performances ignited a hot response from viewers on Friday night.
In the first round, Son Bin-ah and Choon-gil faced off. Son Bin-ah chose Yoon Si-nae's 'Love Affair,' a song that had previously led to a painful defeat against Choon-gil in 'Mr. Trot 3.' With powerful vocals and heartfelt emotion, Son Bin-ah's performance prompted reactions of "She won" from the audience.
Choon-gil responded with Kang Jin's 'A Glass of Makgeolli,' a song that Young Tak performed to great acclaim in 'Mr. Trot 1.' His stable singing, hitting precise notes and rhythm, drew admiration likening him to "AI." Choon-gil won by a narrow margin of 97 to 99 points, earning his sixth golden star, leaving just one star away from the Golden Cup.
In the second round, Jeong Seo-joo and Kim Yong-bin competed with legendary songs from 'Mr. Trot 1' by Lim Young-woong. Jeong Seo-joo scored 96 points with a clear rendition of Seol Woon-do's 'Purple Postcard.' Kim Yong-bin followed with a warm and emotional performance of No Sa-yeon's 'Wish,' earning 97 points from the judges.
However, Kim Yong-bin faced the 'Catfish Singer' challenge, with Yoo Ji-woo, who finished 8th in 'Mr. Trot 3,' performing Patti Kim's 'You Are My Friend,' a song that gained attention in 'Mr. Trot 2' finals. Despite Yoo Ji-woo's improved singing, the karaoke master score was 92 points. Kim Yong-bin finally secured his first win in the Catfish Singer round, overcoming his 'catfish trauma' and joining the 5-star lineup.
In the third round, Bae Ah-hyun and Cheon Rok-dam battled it out. Bae Ah-hyun chose Yoo Ji-na's 'Moran,' a song that led to her defeat against Oh Yoo-jin in 'Miss Trot 2.' Her deep emotional delivery and lyrics reminiscent of her mother moved the audience to tears, earning a perfect 100 from the karaoke master.
Cheon Rok-dam, a devoted fan of Jeong Seo-joo, chose Jeong Seo-joo's 'Wind, Wind' and filled the stage with a warm sentiment. The karaoke master score was 98, just shy of a perfect score. Bae Ah-hyun secured victory and her fifth golden star.
Choo Hyuk-jin reinterpreted Han Seung-gi's 'Lover,' previously sung by Kim Yong-bin in 'Mr. Trot 3.' Kim Yong-bin praised, "Today's Hyuk-jin's stage is beyond words, it's 100 points," but the karaoke master score was 96. Nam Seung-min added another golden star after a fierce battle.
In the final fifth round, Choi Jae-myung and Oh Yoo-jin took the stage. Choi Jae-myung chose Lee Seong-woo's 'Jin Ttobagi,' a song that earned Lee Chan-won the nickname 'Chanto Baegi' in 'Mr. Trot 1.' His lively performance with a unique singing style prompted cheers of "Myeong Ttobagi" from the audience. Oh Yoo-jin followed with No Ji-hoon's 'Finger Heart,' exuding fresh energy, but scored 96 points. Choi Jae-myung became the last golden star winner of the special episode.
Choon-gil solidified his lead with six golden stars, while Kim Yong-bin, Jeong Seo-joo, and Bae Ah-hyun closely followed with five stars, intensifying the competition for the top spot. The fierce golden deathmatch among trot top stars continues next week.
Meanwhile, TV CHOSUN's 'Golden Friday' airs every Friday at 10 PM.
Reporter: Im Chae-ryeong, Ten Asia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr
