MBN ‘The Legend of the Unknowns’

Seong-ri of ‘The Legend of the Unknowns’ advanced to the third main round, igniting a barefoot display of fighting spirit.

On the MBN ‘The Legend of the Unknowns’ broadcast on the 8th, the main-round second match, the ‘1-on-1 Death Match’, continued. In particular, this day’s broadcast finally revealed the result of the big match between Seong-ri, the No. 1 in the ‘Famous Selection’ whose pre-released video drew buzz, and Lee Chang-min, the main vocalist of 2AM, drawing the attention of viewers.

In the third-week results of the national choice vote released before the broadcast, Seong-ri also placed first, topping the public vote for three consecutive weeks and continuing a commanding rise. He singled out Lee Chang-min as his opponent, saying, “There is a saying that life is a series of challenges. I want to learn from my senior,” and Lee responded, “I will properly show you what 19 years of experience looks like,” stoking the flames of competition.

For the 1-on-1 Death Match, Seong-ri chose the original song ‘Casablanca’ by Choi Heon. Appearing on stage in a crisp white shirt and barefoot, he sat on a chair and began to sing in a hushed, relaxed tone, commanding the atmosphere from the very start.

The highlight of the stage was the performance that unfolded from the middle of the song. Working in harmony with a female dancer, Seong-ri presented choreography imbued with a poignant narrative that made it feel as if one were watching a musical. In particular, his signature expressiveness, which contained explosive energy while keeping emotion restrained, maximized the immersion of the stage.

As the song charged into its latter half, Seong-ri wrapped up the stage with a deepened voice and atmosphere, eliciting a heated response from the audience and viewers. Jo Hang-jo offered high praise: “The experiences Mr. Seong-ri has had participating in many audition programs now seem to have turned into maturity. It felt like a drama.”

Although Seong-ri did not take the win, he shared a response without regret, saying, “I have no regrets about choosing my opponent. I wanted to learn a lot from my senior,” and, “Just by listening, there is something you learn at the side. It was an unforgettable match for me, and I thank my senior for doing it together.”

After the 1-on-1 Death Match ended, an additional pass was carried out. With one member of the Top Pro group able to stake their name to grant an extra pass to one contestant, Seong-ri was chosen by Namjin and became the first additional pass recipient, proving he had more than enough ability to advance to Round 3.

In the third main round, the ‘National Song Battle’, with semi-final tickets at stake, contestants will face off using hit songs by leading figures of national songs, from Choi Baek-ho and Jeon Young-rok to Kim Jin-ryong and Jang Yoon-jeong. Whether Seong-ri will once again win the hearts of women with his stage can be confirmed next week on ‘The Legend of the Unknowns’.