SBS 'Our Ballad 2' confirmed for second half of the year programming

The Audition That Created Jeju Girl Lee Ye-ji Returns in the Second Half of the Year

SBS's major audition project 'Our Ballad,' which swept South Korea with a ballad craze last year, is returning for Season 2. SBS announced that it has confirmed the programming for 'Our Ballad 2' for the second half of the year and has entered full-scale production. In Season 1, young participants with an average age of 18.2 reinterpreted classic ballads from various eras with their own unique sensibilities, earning empathy from all generations.

In particular, Season 1 went beyond simple viewership ratings to capture global buzz. It not only made it into the Netflix Korean Series Top 10 but also achieved the feat of surpassing 100 million cumulative views for its online clips. The fact that it built a solid fandom by ranking first in the 2049 viewership rating for all episodes according to Nielsen Korea also increases the possibility of success for this Season 2.

The main stars of Season 1 maintained a strong presence even after the broadcast ended. Led by winner Lee Ye-ji, the selected TOP 12 members—including Lee Ji-hoon, Chun Beom-seok, Choi Eun-bin, Hong Seung-min, Song Ji-woo, Kim Yun-i, Min Su-hyeon, Lee Jun-seok, Lim Ji-seong, Jeong Ji-ung, and Jeremy—conducted a nationwide tour concert, solidifying their positions as next-generation ballad stars by recording sell-out performances at every show.

150 Eyes to Decide the 'Public Pick,' Recruitment for 'Top 100 Ears' Begins

The core driving force of Season 2 is a unique system where viewers directly become judges. Ahead of the first recording in August, SBS is openly recruiting the 'Top 100 Ears,' a viewer evaluation group that will determine the success or failure of the program. 'Top 100 Ears' is a key mechanism of this collective intelligence audition, designed to identify the 'guaranteed public pick' from the perspective of the general public rather than through the eyes of music experts.

The recruitment begins on the 7th and will continue until the 26th. Anyone, regardless of age or gender, can apply if they love emotional songs and have the ability to read the public's heart. Applications can be made through the official 'Our Ballad 2' website. Those selected through a drawing from the applicants will be deployed to the first-round recording site on the 8th and 9th of next month to participate directly in the evaluation.

In Season 1, a 'Top 100 Ears Delegation' consisting of 150 people, ranging from music experts to the general public, participated. They exercised their voting rights under the same conditions as the 9-member delegation to discover raw talents. In particular, their relatable reviews added fun to the program and created heartwarming scenes where they offered sincere advice to the participants, completing the program's unique color.

First Recording Starts in August, Searching for the New Protagonist of Life's Ballads

Through Season 2, SBS plans to once again find the protagonist who will sing a new "life ballad" for South Korea. The production team stated, "Thanks to much interest and love last year, 'Our Ballad' seeks to find a new protagonist once again," adding, "We look forward to the participation of aspiring ballad singers who possess their own unique sensibility."

Season 2 is also signaling an expanded scale while inheriting the success formula of Season 1. The first-round recording, held over two days on August 8 and 9, is expected to be a stage that announces the beginning of full-scale competition. Viewers are once again waiting for the new star that will be born through the choice of the 'Top 100 Ears.'

Meanwhile, the specific broadcast schedule for this Season 2 is expected to be confirmed during the second half of the year. The industry's attention is focused on what kind of emotion the era-defining masterpieces, reborn through the voices of the participants, will deliver to living rooms once again, and which new faces will be chosen by the 'Top 100 Ears' to become the protagonists of the nationwide tour concert.

“Searching for a New Protagonist,” the Production Team's Ambition

SBS expressed its determination toward finding a new ballad star while announcing the confirmation of Season 2 production. SBS stated, “Thanks to much interest and love last year, ‘Our Ballad’ seeks to find a new protagonist once again.”

They added, “Anyone can sing South Korea's new life ballad. We look forward to the participation of aspiring ballad singers who possess their own unique sensibility.”

The Footsteps of a Successful Season 1

Season 1 recorded a peak viewership rating of 6.0% according to Nielsen Korea. It proved its buzz by entering the Netflix Korean Series Top 10 rankings.

It features a collective intelligence system where a 'Top 100 Ears Delegation' consisting of 150 people, from music experts to the general public, participated as 'public pick' evaluators. They participated in voting under the same conditions as the 9-member delegation to discover raw talents.