Kim Yong-bin delivered a performance that truly lived up to his name on “Friday Gold.”
The 21st episode of TV CHOSUN’s “Friday Gold,” aired on May 15, featured the genius composer Lee Ho-seop. With a hit-maker who has registered over 1,000 songs with the copyright association, the Golden Star Deathmatch among 10 trot top stars was more lavish than ever. The episode recorded a 3.9% nationwide rating according to Nielsen Korea, peaking at 4.3% and ranking first among daily general and cable programs.
In the first match, Choong-gil and Jin Jung Seo-ju had an unexpected dance battle. Choong-gil chose Park Nam-jung’s “Emergency Landing of Love” and even attempted breakdancing for a bold transformation. While his unstable steps contrasted with his determined expression and caused some laughter, he scored 99 points. He then challenged Jung Seo-ju, saying, “Let’s see who dances better among those who can’t dance.”
Jung Seo-ju, challenging herself with a dance performance for the first time on “Friday Gold,” perfectly pulled off Lee Ja-yeon’s “Chalrang Chalrang,” bringing out a bright, gummy smile. Although she was caught looking flustered after missing a move due to nerves, she completed the stage with her signature lovely charm. Her colleagues praised her, saying, “I’ve fallen for Seo-ju once again. I hope she dances more in the future.” Jung Seo-ju also scored 99 points, resulting in a draw.
In the second round, “No-Star” Nam Seung-min’s rise was impressive. Nam Seung-min, a grand prize winner of the 4th Lee Ho-seop Song Festival, performed Kang Jin’s “Wailing” in front of his mentor. Pouring out deep emotions despite the tension, Nam Seung-min scored 100 points, earning his first emotional Golden Star in five weeks. Mi Oh Yu-jin chased hard with a soulful rendition of Ha Chun-hwa’s “Rain Falls at Masan Port,” but it wasn’t enough to beat Nam Seung-min’s perfect score. With this, Nam Seung-min secured his first win against Oh Yu-jin, whom he had previously lost to three times.
In the third match, Kim Yong-bin’s “Catfish Radar” hit the mark again. Predicting the appearance of a “Catfish Singer” before the match by saying “I smell fish,” Kim Yong-bin performed Joo Hyun-mi’s “You Who Go to Memories” with his own emotional touch, scoring 97 points. Lee Ho-seop was amazed, saying, “My mouth won’t close. Kim Yong-bin really lives up to his name.”
The identity of the Catfish Singer who challenged Kim Yong-bin was Gil Ryeo-won, who finished 4th in “Miss Trot 4” and is also a grand prize winner of the Lee Ho-seop Song Festival. Although she had previously expressed her fandom for Kim Yong-bin, she declared, “I will take him down,” determined to win. Kim Yong-bin fired back, calling her a “traitor,” raising the tension. Gil Ryeo-won performed Joo Hyun-mi’s “Just a Moment,” stunning the crowd with her excellent vibrato technique, but scored 96 points, losing by a single point. Consequently, Kim Yong-bin added two Golden Stars, instantly becoming a 4-star performer.
The next match featured a high-class traditional trot battle between Jin Yang Ji-eun and Sun Son Bin-ah. Appearing in a yellow dress reminiscent of ginkgo leaves, Yang Ji-eun gave a soulful performance of Kim Yong-im’s “Naejangsan,” exciting the audience.
Son Bin-ah took on Lee Ho-seop’s “Mujeong.” It was revealed that “Mujeong” was originally composed for Cho Yong-pil, but due to its high difficulty, no singer was found for 20 years until Lee Ho-seop sang it himself. Son Bin-ah perfectly handled the song with explosive volume and a deep voice, winning by 2 points against Yang Ji-eun amidst high praise from the original composer.
In the final match, Mi Chun Rok-dam and Choi Jae-myung faced off. Chun Rok-dam dominated the scene with his masculine voice and performance of Pyun Seung-yeop’s “Chan Chan Chan,” while Choi Jae-myung received praise for challenging a difficult traditional trot song, Min Su-hyun’s “Hongrang.” Lee Ho-seop praised him, saying, “I was amazed by the tone from the first syllable.” The final score was 96 to 98, with Choi Jae-myung winning and successfully escaping the “last place club.”
Meanwhile, at the end of the broadcast, Yang Ji-eun’s new song “Now a Stranger Who Has Become Someone Else” was premiered, leaving a deep impression. TV CHOSUN’s “Friday Gold,” which captivates viewers with the ear-candy deathmatches of trot top stars, airs every Friday at 10 PM.
