The so-called Top Ears―split loosely between a music-minded crew and a variety-savvy crew―have been boosting the show’s watchability with relatable critiques, good-natured squabbles and easy chemistry. Now, producers who see the panel up close are sharing the nine distinct personalities that didn’t make the final cut.
According to the team, the Top Ears are the secret sauce behind the show’s much-praised format. They don’t just judge; they mentor. With contestants averaging just 18.2 years old, the panel offers grounded, grown-up guidance that can actually shape where these young artists go next.
First up, Jung Jae-hyung, the panel’s de facto eldest brother. “The Class of a Big Brother,” the producers say. He’s a 31-year titan in music, but on set he lets the younger panelists tease him and happily plays along. That effortless, big-brother grace moves the room―edit bay included.
Cha Tae-hyun? “He’s basically the personification of what our 150 in-studio ‘Top Ears’ are thinking,” they note. With years of audition shows under his belt as a viewer, he channels the audience’s instincts. His warm heart, curiosity about people and unvarnished delivery routinely wow the crew.
When it comes to grabbing the mic and changing the air in the room, that’s Choo Sung-hoon. The team likens his no-frills one-liners to a fight-ending counterpunch. For a former athlete, his variety reflexes are razor sharp.
Then there’s Jun Hyun-moo, the producers’ steadiest anchor during marathon shoots. “He hosts, critiques as a Top Ears rep, keeps the energy up and somehow still checks on the condition of all 150 in-studio voters. It’s like watching a one-man powerhouse at work.”
Park Kyung-lim is dubbed the “third producer.” Just when the team wishes for one more line to tie nine big personalities together, she delivers it―like she read their minds. Through long tapings, she watches contestants with the warmest gaze and slips in life advice that goes beyond stage and song.
Mood-maker status belongs to Danny Koo. He keeps the energy high to the very last take. A former audition contestant himself, he’s constantly cheering―“Let’s go! You’ve got this!”―and it means the world to the young performers. He even stays in touch after shoots, sending encouragement on social media.
Crush may be a proven hitmaker, but he treats contestants with disarming humility―musician to musician. Alongside Jung Seung-hwan, he often leads the most in-depth post-performance music debriefs.
As for Jung Seung-hwan, his arc with producer Jung Ik-seung―11 years after meeting as contestant and director on "K-Pop Star"―feels, the team says, like “one of the great storylines in audition history.” Now in the mentor’s chair, Jung Seung-hwan is brimming with care and responsibility, gently sharing hard-won lessons so the kids can avoid the pitfalls he faced.
And MIMI? “The truest reaction to a stage comes from her face,” the producers say. Sometimes a single line from her cuts right through the noise. When they’re on the fence, they look to MIMI’s expression. Her impact, they add, grows with every round.
Blending a distinctive group-audition format with candid, heart-on-sleeve critiques from its Top Ears, SBS’ "The Ballad of Us" returns Oct. 21 at 9 p.m. KST.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)