On the Oct. 28 episode of SBS' "The Ballad of Us", Kim Ji-won went head-to-head with Song Ji-woo.
Kim Ji-won chose Park Hyo-shin's "Breath," explaining, "With the theme of comfort, I kept wondering which song would be right―and I picked the one that comforted me most."
Even after struggling with her voice leading up to show day, Kim delivered the track in her own style. Judge Jung Jae-hyung praised her, saying she shattered his doubts about the song choice and calling her vibrato and tone unique―adding that her natural sound is exceptional―though he noted the performance felt a bit rushed overall.
Danny Koo countered, "I don’t think this song fit you that well. Since the last round, I’ve been imagining you in a Britpop lane. With that tremble and timbre, you can make something really bright and open―I wish you’d tried a song like that."
Song Ji-woo picked "Dear Moon" from the "My Mister" soundtrack, sharing, "I listen to a lot of comforting songs on my way home from academy classes, and this was one I played often."
When her dreamy performance ended, the room fell silent.
Host Jun Hyun-moo marveled, "They say even a little moonlight can be comforting; your tone alone brought that kind of comfort."
Danny Koo added, "You sang the opening so plainly, yet the sound gave off light―and I loved that."
Jung Jae-hyung said it felt like film music, evoking Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep and the intimacy of a small European film. "Your voice sparked my imagination and made me want to write a song," he said, praising her storytelling that builds a personal fantasy.
Park Kyung-lim raved, "It felt like being carried to the moon on a magic carpet―dreamy, mysterious, and mesmerizing."
With the Top 100 panel voting 86?62, Song Ji-woo won and moved on to Round 3.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)