On the October 26 broadcast of SBS' "The Ballad of Us Season 2", the Round 2 one-on-one battles took place.
During this episode, Danish girl Yoo Hye-ri and Kim Soo-ah, who is nurturing her dreams at a youth shelter, faced off against each other.
The two went head-to-head with hidden masterpieces by monster rookies. Yoo Hye-ri selected Jeon Won-seok's "Don't Leave." When her performance concluded, cheers and applause erupted.
Jung Jae-hyung praised Yoo Hye-ri's vocals, saying, "An overwhelming voice breaking through the rich accompaniment—it's a new discovery."
BIBI also applauded her, remarking, "I really love the Nordic singer AURORA, and she has that raw, forest-like voice just like hers."
Regarding Kim Soo-ah, who selected Yoon Sang's "Love Is," Joo Woo-jae explained, "It was even voted the number one favorite song among fans."
Roy Kim shared the risks that come with picking a song by an artist like Yoon Sang, saying, "I love this song by senior artist Yoon Sang so much, which is why it was such a difficult song to sing. After hesitating so much, I sang this song once a few years ago. But when senior Jung Jae-hyung saw that performance, he told me, 'Roy, don't ever sing it again. Never sing Yoon Sang's songs again.'"
Contrary to those worries, however, tears broke out everywhere during Kim Soo-ah's performance. In particular, 'Top 100 Ears' representatives Joo Woo-jae, BIBI, and Jung Jae-hyung drew attention by shedding tears.
When asked what she was thinking about while singing, Kim Soo-ah evoked heartache by replying, "I sang while thinking of everything in this world that might be living the way I used to."
To this, Jung Jae-hyung said, "That emotion reached me 2,000 times over. Thank you for expressing your heart through song, Soo-ah, and I heard that heart so well."
BIBI added, "The lyrics that come at the very end—everything is in that single sentence: 'The freedom to breathe freely with you is love.' A hand pierced right through my chest and touched my heart."
Cha Tae-hyun applauded and shared, "Viewers watching the broadcast might think, 'Why are they acting like that?' The emotional impact probably won't reach viewers 100%. But hearing it right here, the emotional resonance makes this single song feel like a story. That's why I felt so many emotions."
Joo Woo-jae drew attention by stating, "It made me wonder, 'Have I been living too pessimistically? There are so many precious things in the world, and I should live while appreciating that.'" He added, "It is simply astonishing, and I truly want to cheer her on and feel so proud of her." Kim Soo-ah then advanced to the next round with a score of 64 to 86.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.