JTBC <Hidden Singer 8>

The fourth original singer, Lee Hae-ri, could not hold back the vocal impersonators and regrettably finished as runner-up.

On episode 4 of JTBC ‘Hidden Singer 8’ (planned by Hong Sang-Hoon, directed by Shin Young-Kwang), which aired on the 21st (Tue), Davichi's Lee Hae-ri appeared as the fourth original singer and settled for runner-up, but created a unifying stage together with the vocal impersonators through sing-along-inducing hit songs.

That day, Lee Hae-ri took the stage as the original singer, while her groupmate Kang Min-kyung sat in the audience as part of the Hidden judging panel. As Davichi has been active as Korea's longest-running female duo, attention focused on Kang Min-kyung's accuracy rate. When it was said that Lee Hae-ri had warned Kang Min-kyung to approach this with the mindset of filming a documentary, not a variety show, Kang Min-kyung showed firm resolve from the start by saying, “If I do not guess the voice right, Davichi should fold.”

Round 1 began with Davichi's legendary debut song ‘Because Even If I Hate You, I Love You’. Although Lee Hae-ri said she was worried because her vocal style had changed from the past, the moment the intro played, the mood shifted. She produced a voice identical to her past recording. However, the vocal impersonators were formidable as well, and Lee Hae-ri barely advanced to Round 2. Kang Min-kyung advised, “You need to sing while making it obvious that it is Lee Hae-ri,” raising expectations for Lee Hae-ri's next stage.

Round 2 proceeded with the sing-along-inducing hit ‘8282’, turning into a round where everyone forgot the competition and enjoyed it together. Then, when the first-verse stage ended faster than usual, everyone was flustered, and Soyou lamented, “That is too much.” MC Jun Hyun-moo playfully quelled the complaints, saying, “What can we do, this is how the song is!” While most of the Hidden judging panel confessed the difficulty of voting, Kang Min-kyung precisely pinpointed Lee Hae-ri's location, to everyone's amazement. Teetering on the brink of elimination, Lee Hae-ri narrowly survived.

Round 3, which started with ‘Do You Not Know?’, the OST for the drama ‘Iris 2’, heightened the tension with its high difficulty. In particular, when Lee Hae-ri appeared from a spot the Hidden judging panel did not expect, everyone was stunned. Song Eun-i marveled at the vocal impersonators' skills to a jaw-dropping degree, and Kim Jun-ho confessed he shouted in such surprise upon realizing Lee Hae-ri's location that his voice nearly gave out.

Having overcome another crisis, Lee Hae-ri opened Round 4 with ‘Do Not Say Goodbye’. Kang Min-kyung, who had answered correctly every round, again found Lee Hae-ri in Round 4, boasting a 100% accuracy rate. Next, Song Eun-i, who said, “I cheated for the first time,” revealed she knew Lee Hae-ri's position from Kang Min-kyung's expression, and Park Tae-hwan, who showed confidence by saying, “You touched my eardrum,” also answered correctly, making Lee Hae-ri's victory seem imminent. But, surprisingly, the ‘Hwacheon-gun Lee Hae-ri’ vocal impersonator took the win in a twist.

The ‘Hwacheon-gun Lee Hae-ri’ vocal impersonator shed tears, saying, “This moment feels like a gift,” and shared the joy of victory with Lee Hae-ri. Kang Min-kyung said, “While I did hope Hae-ri would win, seeing so many people offering congratulations makes me think it was just as well she was eliminated,” prompting laughter. The Lee Hae-ri episode, which presented a stage where the original singer and the vocal impersonators became one, concluded beautifully as a grand parade of beloved hits that even captured the hearts of the Hidden judging panel.

That day's broadcast recorded ratings of 3.0% in the Seoul Capital Area and 2.9% nationwide, a slight rise from last week. In addition, among the 20 to 49 target demographic, it scored 1.2% in the Seoul Capital Area, achieving the feat of ranking No. 1 among Tuesday variety shows. (based on Nielsen Korea paid household ratings)

Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-jung, dubbed the Y2K queen, will visit ‘Hidden Singer 8’. Having established the ‘Kim Hyun-jung genre’ with her refreshingly cathartic vocals, she will meet the vocal impersonators to deliver not only a powerful high-note showdown but also a perfect recreation of 90s sensibilities, opening a ‘Hidden Night’.

The Kim Hyun-jung episode will air at 8:50 p.m. on the 28th (Tue).