Hwang Chi-yeul Stuns with Emotional Performance on 'Immortal Songs'

Hwang Chi-yeul (43) delivered a captivating performance of 'Rumor Production Stage'.

KBS2's 'Immortal Songs', a premier music variety show with over 700 episodes, aired its 751st episode on the 11th. This episode, titled 'Immortal Songs - Composer Yoon Il-sang Part 1', celebrated the musical legacy of Yoon Il-sang, a giant in Korean pop music. The show featured 10 popular artists from various generations and nationalities, including TWS, KISS OF LIFE, La Poem, Mighty Mouth X Minyoung (BBGIRLS), Hwang Chi-yeul, Lim Han-byul, Min Woo-hyuk, Dayoung, Daybreak, and Takenaka Yudai.

Previously, Hwang Chi-yeul, known as 'Hwang Chu-ping', gained online attention for his reinterpretation of Lovelyz's 'Ah-Choo' during the 'Artist Kim Hyun-chul X Yoon Sang X Lee Hyun-woo' episode. In the 'Composer Yoon Il-sang' episode, he returned to his roots as a ballad prince, delivering a memorable performance. Choosing Lee Eun-mi's 'I Have a Lover', Hwang stated, "I prepared straightforwardly. Please immerse yourself in the emotion," and captivated both the waiting room and the judging panel with his husky voice and heartfelt emotion.

In the waiting room, unexpected rumors about Hwang Chi-yeul emerged. Mighty Mouth's Choo Plex humorously suggested, "Is Hwang Chi-yeul a dual personality? He's so playful and witty in the waiting room, but on stage, he shows such a sincere and powerful voice that it seems like two different people." Lim Han-byul added fuel to the fire, joking, "At this level, doesn't he have a lover?" sparking laughter among those present.

Hwang Chi-yeul's ballad prince charm even captivated international artists. Takenaka Yudai praised, "Hwang Chi-yeul's voice is so sexy. If I were a woman, I'd want to be embraced by him," raising anticipation for Hwang's return as an emotional balladeer.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr