The premiere of SBS's "The Ballad of Us 2," which aired on October 5, effortlessly surpassed the previous season's records, with Part 2 achieving a 6.2% rating and peaking at 7.1% per minute among households in the Seoul metropolitan area, according to Nielsen Korea. In the key 20–49 demographic, Part 2 also scored 1.7%, ranking No. 1 in its time slot and across all Monday variety programs to mark a strong start.
Featuring contestants with an average age of 17.9 who reinterpreted classic ballads released between 1989 and 2002, the broadcast saw an impressive three contestants earn 147 votes, breaking last season's winner Lee Ye-ji's first-round record of 146 votes.
Australian-born Im Ba-da delivered Kim Sungho's "Reminiscence" with an exotic vocal tone, earning 147 votes alongside high praise from Jung Jae-hyung, who exclaimed, "This is the exact person we've been looking for." Next, 15-year-old Heo Chae-min solidified their position as a top contender by securing 147 votes with a pure, crystal-clear rendition of the late Wheesung's "Can't you," moving Park Kyung-rim to tears as she shared, "It feels like the longing for Wheesung has been fulfilled."
Furthermore, 16-year-old Yeoju teen Kim So-yeon touched viewers' hearts with a moving performance of "About the Loneliness of Love," channeling her longing for her recently deceased father. Moon Geun-young shed tears and remarked, "I just wanted to give her a big hug." On the other hand, Moon sparked bursts of laughter by showing her fangirl side during the stage of Jeju youth Lee Min-woo, who performed Harim's "Incurable Disease," confessing, "From the very first note, I just completely lost my mind."
Capturing both deep emotion and entertainment through the harmony of the contestants' musical sincerity and the diverse evaluations of the 150 "Top 100 Ears," "The Ballad of Us 2" airs every Monday at 10:00 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)