KBS1 ‘Gayo Stage’ capture

‘Trot Empress’ Song Ga-in delivered an assorted gift set to holiday living rooms with performances that moved between aching poignancy and exuberant fun.

Appearing on the KBS1 Lunar New Year special ‘Gayo Stage’ aired on the 16th, Song Ga-in closed the program with a profound, concert-caliber set.

Through composer Baek Young-ho's previously unreleased song ‘Rain Falling on Geumgangsan,’ she offered poignant emotion. In keeping with the ‘Gayo Stage’ theme ‘The Road Home,’ she expressed the joys and sorrows of displaced people spending the holiday and their longing for family with her uniquely han-tinged voice and delicate emotional delivery, conveying deep comfort and resonance at once.

She then flipped the mood by presenting her hit ‘Gain-ieora.’ Every glance and gesture felt alive, blending perfectly with the festive spirit of the holiday special, and even over a brisk rhythm her unwavering live vocals and commanding stage presence once again affirmed the stature of the ‘Trot Empress.’

She also made her musical identity clear through the classic ‘Mama Arirang,’ a modern fusion of gugak and trot unique to Song Ga-in, delivering empathy and emotion across generations. Long loved and sung by many artists, the song, interwoven with the sentiments of the Lunar New Year, left viewers with a lingering afterglow as one of her signature numbers.

Having left a meaningful mark on the history of Korean trot last year, Song Ga-in recently announced her participation in the first lineup for the OST of the new KBS2 weekend drama ‘Prescribing Love for You,’ kicking off full-fledged steps toward 2026.