#rkmga5callback

There is color again when a new building is revealed. It is, actually, the old building home of the preview auditions, the CJ&M Building. The difference is that it is empty now with the lack of hopefuls standing right outside the door. Next is the image of an empty meeting room, and the public could already make their correct assumptions of who would be walking inside.

One by one, the CEOs of the Big 5 entertainment companies make their way inside the room. The image freezes when they walk inside so that they can be properly introduced with their name written below them in a pretty font. They’re Hyun Bin, who is in charge of Nova, So Jisub, who is in charge of Royal, Katie Lee, who is in charge of KT, Tiger JK, who is in charge of TRC, and Baek Jiyoung, who is in charge of Sphere. Each of them has their own seat at the table, and once the exciting song playing in the background fades away, the people are able to listen to the silence in the room.

“It’s a new season already.” Tiger JK comments, rotating his chair so he can look at all of the other CEOs. “That’s right.” Katie Lee replies with one of her sly smiles. “How many auditions will we have to watch today?” It’s Baek Jiyoung who asks, but all five of them are paying attention. One of the staff members notifies them there will be 100 contestants for them to get to know, and while some of them aren’t too obvious, the CEOs don’t appear too happy with this information. “Let’s get it over with then.” Hyun Bin hits the end of his pen against the table so that its end will pop off and then opens the file they were given.

Just as quickly, the scenes from the auditions return until they’re back to the schools, observing who will be the first one to appear. “Yo!” An excited man exclaims. It’s LEE HOHYEON giving the camera a grin. “My name is Lee Hohyeon,” as he spoke, he tapped the tag with his name on it. “It’s right here in case you forget it.” So Jisub slight shakes his head. “Did he just say ‘Yo’? Is this really how we’ll start this?” Followed by him, it’s KIM SEUNGMIN, who appears imitating different animals, including a pig, a cow, and a horse. “Oh my god, sorry, that was so embarrassing. I’ll just move onto the yo-yo.” While the boy prepares for his yo-yo tricks, Hyun Bin laughs a bit. “Does that mean the yo-yo isn’t supposed to be embarrassing?”

This is followed by a brief cut of their main skill performances, the first a rapper, and the second a singer. The CEOs who had commented before simply nod their head. They show a dancer next, LEE CHAERYEONG, who dances fiercely to her chosen song. After she’s done, the girl opens a smile. “She’s good,” Jiyoung says and the others nod in agreement. “Hello, I’m CHOI YOONA. I’m going to be performing a song I wrote.” So Jisub settles back on his chair. “She does look like a singer, doesn’t she?” Except, the girl starts to rap. Tiger JK chuckles in his seat. “I like her.” Hyun Bin looks at him for confirmation. “Do you?” And the other nods while his eyes keep focused on the screen.

“Hello, my name is JEON HEEJIN. Thank you for seeing me today.” She’s a singer, and her tone is clear. Katie Lee can’t hold herself but to exclaim. “The girls really are better this season, aren’t they?” A few other short clips are shown of HWANG YEJI, JO YURI, and ZHOU JIEQIONG. It’s the time to show a few of the more impressive boys. KIM HYOJIN is the selected singer between them, filling the small meeting room with his voice and the emotional song. PARK WOOJIN goes strong with his dance routine, showing a bit of a flip in the mood of the room. When his performance is cut, they show SEO CHANGBIN who raps along to his chosen song. “He modified the lyrics.” Hyun Bin points out, which then cuts to So Jisub saying something to Katie Lee. “Don’t you think the boys are doing pretty well, too?” The woman shakes her head slightly. “No.” And so the man nods without wanting to push on. “Okay.”

Some other shorter clips are aired as well of CHWE HANSOL, TAKADA KENTA, and YOON JEONGHAN. They let go of the interesting performances back to the parts that could make people question their decisions. “Why would he do that?” Baek Jiyoung asks while KANG HYUNGGU is showing putting a piece of lemon inside his mouth. The boy chews it apparently without a bother, but anyone who attempted such thing before would remember their regret. A cute girl appears on the screen saying something in japanese as her special skill. “Isn’t she japanese?” Tiger JK questions it, looking down at the file with KATO KOKORO’s name on it. “Why would speaking in your mother language be a special skill?”

There are a few more cuts of people’s chosen skills. KIM SEUNGHUN says he can kick the jegi 30 times without dropping it as it shows on his form, but after two kicks the object falls on the floor followed by the boy, who falls along with an accidental leg split. “Tada!” YANG JEONGIN exclaims as he reveals his hands had tiny clothes in them and then proceeds to dance but only with his fingers. KIM YEWON pulls a pack of tarot cards from inside her sleeve and then takes out the first card. “The Hanged Man.” She says and when they show the CEOs once again, they appear to be at a loss.

What follows is RYU HWAYOUNG and LEE NAKYUNG, both playing the piano. KIM WOOJIN, LEE JENO, and HUANG GUANHENG decide to go with a guitar. When SHIN YUNA appears, Hyun Bin widens his eyes slightly with the change of pace. “It’s not just a guitar now. It’s also electric.”

“Is this the last one?” Baek Jiyoung asks and one of the staff members confirms it. All of the CEOs exclaim at the same time. After 99 hopefuls, it was finally time to bring this meeting to an end. “Please show us a good one.” Katie Lee requests and so a boy appears on the screen. “Good morning!” He says with a peppy voice. When the song starts playing, he looks up with a grin. During the choreography, the boy shoots a heart at the camera. The lyrics are fitting for a show like this, and when he sings ‘hey you, hey you, hey pick me’, Katie Lee turns to Jiyoung to ask for his name. “It’s LEE SUWOONG.” When the song ends, he kisses his fingers and throws out a final heart.

The staff members are the one who starts clapping in commemoration of the end of this recording. Slowly, the CEOs get the energy to clap as well. “But they don’t even know what’ll happen, right?” Jisub asks and Tiger JK nods in return before speaking. “We don’t even know what’ll happen.” And the start of his laughter is cut because while this is done, the episode still has a lot to show.

So the screen shows something else now. It’s a brand new set, prepared for this special season. Words announce that from all the people who signed up, only 100 will be able to take on this stage today, but not all of them will leave as MGA contestants. The seating is divided with 50 on each side of the stage, and as the hopefuls arrive, they start to choose where to seat. Some come and sit together, while others are taking on this new adventure by themselves.

One of the contestants is shown in his interview, one of the new features of the show. He tilts his head, mouthing a big and silent ‘woah’. “Am I really here?” It’s KIM SEUNGHUN who speaks, and they split the screen into two to compare his true expression when walking inside and his attempt at imitating it. “That’s what I asked myself.” It’s a girl next, MIYAWAKI SAKURA. “I just remember this feeling of delirium. It’s definitely exciting to be here.” The editing team makes sure to show her entering in the set as well to show off how people were impressed by it. Except for one person, it seems. “Ah, isn’t it a bit much?” JO YURI asks, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.

Two boys are shown walking in together, KIM YUGYEOM and KANG HYUNGGU. They part ways when they get to the stage, though, one heading to the right side and the other to the left. “We agreed to sit on the right side of the stage.” Hyunggu, the one who went to the right, says during his interview. “When I sat down he was nowhere to be found?” When Yugyeom realizes his mistakes, the boy runs over to the place he had agreed to go. “It was so dumb.”

The camera then shows more people arriving. This time, those who had watched the show before may recognize some of them. JANG MOONBOK, SOHN YOUNGJAE, and WANG JACKSON are shown as examples of previews contestants who were the show another shot. “I don’t really understand what all these previous contestants are doing here.” It’s only a voice-over for the time being before they show you a girl you’ve probably never seen before. “I think… there are other people who could be using this opportunity, you know?” LEE NAKYUNG shares her piece of mind before the scene shakes and changes.

It shows KANG DANIEL walking inside, this time together with four other men. When the scene changes again, it’s to a previous setting. “I’m Kang Daniel. SNU student, former MGA contestant, and much more.” He smiles to the camera back on the first round of auditions. “What brought you back to the MGAs?” They ask him. “Can I say unfinished business?” The boy laughs. “Last time, it was just me and Sungwoon, but this year we’re bringing along some friends: the rest of our band, Empty Enigma.” The editing team shows scenes of the boy in the previews season, followed by the intense sound of what people usually associate with a metal band.

“We all performed under stage names and didn’t tell a soul who the people behind the band were. We still haven’t, really, until now. This is our grand reveal. This is our grand reveal. Surprise!” He throws his hands up for a moment. The one who appears next is the one in the same situation as him. “My major is crop science and biotechnology.” HA SUNGWOON says the words with easy and it doesn’t take too long for it to be compared to his speech from the previous season which was weirdly close to what the said. “What bring you back to the show?” They ask him as well. “I was eliminated?” He replies and tries to hold back a laugh. The screen continues split, and when the past shows his height being crossed out from 170cm to 167, this year he decided to go with 167.5cm instead.

The five men are sat down now all next to each other on their chairs. TAKADA KENTA, the one sitting in the middle, is the one to speak. “Oh my god, it’s Joohyun!” The camera zooms in on another previews contestant, BAE JOOHYUN. Kenta places a hand over his chest. “Ah, I’m starstruck!” And the editing team makes sure to place two arrows over the heads of the people sitting beside him, the two previous MGA contestants just like the girl herself. Unlike the other two, it’s already her third time on the show. She takes a seat close to them.

While the people keep arriving, Joohyun leans forward to talk to Daniel. “It’s going to be MGA8 by the time this is over.” He laughs. “MGA10. You gonna be on that one too?” And she pushes him. As it seems, previous contestants are not where the line stops. The next person to arrive is none other than CHOI MINHO, previously known as ROMEO, the ex-member of Sphere’s latest boy group, CONVEX. Scenes of their debut music video appear on the screen, followed by the news of the member’s departure. While rumors said it was because of a dating scandal, the official news only said it was due to personal reasons.

The camera shows some of the other people’s surprised expressions as he walks in, but, during his interview, the man doesn’t appear to be too worried or too serious. “I gotta say it feels a lot different from the last time I was doing this.” For those who forgot, and for those who didn’t watch, they show a few scenes of the man on the second season. “I gotta ask though… with all these chairs… any chance of playing musical chairs later?” 

Finally, all of the hopefuls have arrived, and it’s time for the only 5 remaining seats to be taken. Instead, we return to the initial room, the small one with five people in it. “But they don’t even know what’ll happen, right?” So Jisub asks, except now Katie Lee who speaks right after. “So they don’t know we’ll be the judges?”

There’s an exciting song playing and, slowly, one by one the CEOs make their way onto their seats, the 100 hopefuls cheering for their entrance. The camera zooms in on KIM MYUNGSOO who has his jaw dropped, followed by NAM JOOHYUK who sports a similar expression. “I thought I was nervous before they walked in?” CHONG TINGYAN comments during her interview. “It got so much more intense! I noticed Hyun Bin-ssi looked really handsome.”

It’s CHOI YEWON who’s on the screen now. “Can I say my heart stopped? They were all so impressive, especially Hyun Bin oppa. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.” Suddenly, it’s a relay of compliments. “Hyun Bin is as handsome as ever? How is that even possible?” HWANG YEJI says before it changes to someone else. “Hyun Bin is so handsome!” It’s KIM SEUNGHUN, the male representative in this Hyun Bin fan club. “This is not nice to say, but I hope they never film me next to him.” The popular CEO is shown seated, hearts floating around his head after all this show of affection.

The crowd is calmed again, and the camera focuses on Katie Lee this time, the one sitting in the center of the five. “Welcome, all, to the first episode of the Mnet Global Audition Season 5.” She pauses briefly for applause before continuing. “You’ll each have the chance to perform once on the stage in order to impress us, the judges, and secure your spot on the show. I wish you the best of luck and let us start.”

A girl makes her way to the center of the stage. She’s about to become the first performance to be aired on this season. “Hello, lovely CEOs,” she greets. “I’m JO YURI, and I’m… very excited to get to perform in front of all of you today. I hope you enjoy.” Heavy drums and brass come through the sound system, starting off the season with a big impact. It’s a song straight from a musical, declaring that anything the people were going to show after her, she could do better. She holds a long note and the CEOs look content. As one of the examples shown before between the talented girls of the season, Yuri puts what she’s worth to be judged.

“Hello, I’m SHIN RYUJIN. I will dance and rap for you today.” It’s another girl next, and if the song she’s chosen isn’t known to most, it is most certainly known by one of the judges. Choosing one of Tiger JK’s songs to perform in front of him is risky, but it’s not like she could have known. She’s followed by LEE JAEYOON, who shows off his vocals, followed by KIM WOOJIN, who sings and plays his electric guitar at the same time. MYOUI MINA also chooses to sing, as well as CHOU TZUYU.

JUNG EUNJI makes her way to the stage. “I did debut, but it didn’t go well.” She says during her first interview and lets out a laugh. “You probably haven’t even heard of the group’s name, it was so bad. We never made it to music shows. I thought it was over after that, but a friend convinced me to give it another shot. So here I am.” She shrugs, and suddenly we’ve returned to the stage. Now, she only keeps her head down for a moment before her chin raises high, a powerful walk to kickstart her powerful performance.

It’s a tough act to follow, and the next performances pass by quickly. There’s HUANG GUANHENG, KIM SEOKJIN, and the tarot card reader, KIM YEWON. Soon, comes LEE CHAERYEONG, one of the people the CEOs had their eye on previously. She dances excitedly to one of the more complex girl group songs. There isn’t too much time for the performance to get boring because, out of nowhere, the song changes into a new one by a boy group, giving her a new and intense concept.

“Hello!” A new hopeful wiggles her fingers in a greeting smile youthful and bright. “My name is HEO YOORIM.” Baek Jiyoung turns to the man beside her, Tiger JK, to comment something while the girl gets ready. “She’s tall, isn’t she?” And the other can’t help but agree. Written on her profile is 174cm, the tallest girl in the competition. She performs a mashup of two powerful songs, showing what she got. YOON JEONGHAN takes on the stage next. He chose a powerful ballad, and while it contrasts with the other performances so far, it’s a good change of pace between some of the kids who tried to appear cool.

Next is a man who introduces himself as KANG YEOSANG. “I prepared a song written about a good friend of mine. Thank you.” He starts by singing the emotional song done by himself, but, once the first few verses are over, he shows that he can rap as well. There’s a serious expression on his face when he’s done which quickly shifts into a grin a few seconds later. The rest of the contestants clap, and the camera zooms on KIM SIHYEON while she wipes her eyes and cheers for the boy she had been sitting beside.

A few other performances go by. “Why does it feel like the last five people couldn’t do anything right?” Hyun Bin asks while there’s a collage of dancers tripping and singer forgetting their lyrics or missing a note. There’s a tired look on the CEO faces, as anyone should be feeling having to sit there for so long. “Please, send us some help.” Baek Jiyoung exclaims just in time for the next performance.

“Hello! I’m SONG YUQI,” she says with a smile. “I hope I can make you smile today!” And she does so. Her song choice is an old american hip hop hit but it’s exactly what was needed to bring the mood back up. If that wasn’t enough, the one who comes next will certainly cheer you up. CHOI YEWON decided to prepare a cheer routine for her performance. While she does her neat gestures and tricks, the lyrics are dedicated to her dream company, Nova. “Who’s gonna make Yewon a star? Nova!” It’s enough to make the CEO of the company grin. A small flashback reminds the public of Yewon being one of the people who complimented Hyun Bin at the start of the show, so she should be happy with such achievement.

It’s a boy’s turn now, his name announced once, but after no response, they say it again. “WATANABE HARUTO.” Someone raises a hand from the seats, exclaiming “Ah, over here.” The screen takes you back in time to when people are still arriving at their seats and the camera pays attention to the boy when he says “I can do it” in japanese. He leans forward, doing something to his feet, but the camera isn’t able to capture it until it’s his time to perform. The boy struggles to get down the stairs because he’s wearing skates on his feet. “This is one of my old routines.” When the song starts to play, he shows impressive skills as he controls the skates almost perfectly. It’s truly not until he’s done that things go downhill.

Haruto kept bowing and waving while he returned to his seat, but the boy wasn’t nearly paying enough attention to where he was going. So, the boy falls off the stage, and all the eyes on the move in his direction to see what’s going on. “Is he ok?!” JANG MOONBOK asks from his seat before the screen shows some other people laughing at the situation, such as KIM SEOKJIN and LEE HOHYEON. “Didn’t he fall on his first audition, too?” So Jisub points out and it was true. The editing team makes sure to show the public as the boy trips simply by walking before. “I’m okay!” He says in the present, and successfully makes his way to his seat.

This leads to a new montage, highlighting some of the trips and other situations of the day. They show IM YOONA as she falls on her way to the stage instead of after she was done. HA SUNGWOON appears to struggle as he takes a keyboard he brought from home all the way to his chosen seat. It’s CHOI YENA who wins the prize, however. She does trip, but once her arms are moving forward to catch herself, the girl turns it into a somersault and lands safely on the stage. “Good day, y’all! My name is Choi Yena and I’m here to entertain!” The girl came prepared with a dance routine, all while she sang along to the English lyrics. It’s a toll on her voice at some points, but her role there was to entertain.

KIM HYOJIN walks over to the center of the stage, this time without anyone falling. “Ah, hello, I’m 21 years old Kim Hyojin,” and he holds up two fingers on one hand and one finger on the other with a soft smile. He appears next seated so he can play more properly play the guitar and his girl group song mixed with the american song lives up to the expectations. Who comes next is JEON HEEJIN who, just like Hyojin, had been used as an example before. “I’ll be singing for you today. I hope you enjoy.” She chooses to play the guitar as well, singing along to a sweet song.

A few more performances pass by briefly, including the ones by LEE KIKWANG, KIM SEUNGMIN, LEE JENO, and LEE COCO. One of the people who were already shown comes next, KIM SIHYEON. “Hi, do you see me? I’m Sia Kim!” She tries to make a play in words. “Hopefully today, I’ll be able to show you something different than what you’ve seen of me.” The chosen song is strong and energetic, and the girl sings in confidently. “I wanted to show a different part of myself,” Sihyeon says during her interview. “I hope the CEOs can see that.” LEE SEOYEON appears after, singing a song herself. She puts a lot of effort in her singing, and overall delivers a solid performance.

Coming next, it’s a foreigner with a cute appearance. “MIYAWAKI SAKURA. From Australia!” She says excitedly. While she starts her song by singing, the girl surprising delivers the rap portion which is most of it. She takes a bow when she’s down and waves at the CEOs and other contestants before leaving. It’s a good wake-up call not to judge a book by its cover, something they had already done before. “Hello, I’m CHOI YOONA.” Says the, now, known rapper. “The piece I’m going to perform for you today is a little something I wrote and produced. I hope you enjoy.” The lyrics are what is expected for a show like this, and the beat keeps you moving while you listen to it. “Thank you, again.” The girl says before leaving, her role there asserted.

The one who stands on stage now is another rapper, this time one you’ve actually seen before. “Hello, I am JANG MOONBOK! I hope I’ll leave a better impression on everyone this year.” The scene changes back to the first round of auditions during the boy’s interview. “It was very embarrassing to be eliminated when I was. I want to showcase how much I have improved since then.” He performs a song made by himself, moving across the stage as he does so. SOHN YOUNGJAE goes next, nodding to each CEO before introducing himself. He shows off a dance performance, trying to renew the image of him

“Hi, I’m KANG DANIEL.” Says the next contestant with a smile. “You may remember me. If not, hopefully, you will from now on,” and he leans away from the mic to adjust it, quickly returning once he realizes something. “For good reasons, I hope.” He laughs before introducing his original song. Daniel plays his guitar while he sings meaningful lyrics. The performance order goes on with the rest of the band, this time showing the other famous member. “Hello, my name is HA SUNGWOON. I didn’t think we would meet again so soon.” The same keyboard he had struggled to bring is assembled in front of him, and the boy uses it to assist his performance.

There are three others to still truly reveal themselves. They show TAKADA KENTA first, and as most aspiring dancers think like, he chooses to perform a Jun song. HWANG MINHYUN is the fourth, singing and dancing to a popular song, and even sparing some time to shoot a heart at the female judges. It’s the fifth one that may ring a new bell from the showcased hopefuls at the start. “Hello, I’m PARK WOOJIN,” he bows. “Please enjoy my performance.” He gets to not only show off his dancing skills but that he can sing as well. They clap as he leaves, completing the band pack.

Some more hopefuls get their brief spotlight such as RYU HWAYOUNG, KATO KOKORO, and CHONG TINGYAN, followed by KIM HYUNJUNG, YANG JEONGIN, and MOON TAEIL. A girl takes the center stage, a coat covering the outfit she’s wearing below it. “Hello! My name is LEE NAKYUNG! Thank you for having me here.” She bows down to the judges and before she signalizes that she’s ready, she takes off her coat, throwing it to the side. Beneath it is a red sequin dress, one that matches the theme of her song. She dances energetically throughout the song, sings along to the lyrics and only stopping for the dance break. The ending pose is the same as the start and the girl needs to shamely walk over to pick up her coat before returning to her seat.

“Hello, I’m KIM YUGYEOM.” The next performer introduces himself. He’s a dancer and shows an exciting and upbeat routine. His friend goes next, KANG HYUNGGU, and he’s a dancer as well. It’s a different vibe, but still exciting and upbeat following his chosen popular song. After him comes SHIN YUNA, this time with something rather unique. “I’ll be performing ‘Baby Shark’. Are you ready to be dazzled?” And that is exactly what she does, albeit a trap remix of the original children song. She’s a dancer like the two before her, and, after she’s done, Hyunggu appears again during his interview. “Can I be frank?” He starts. “I wouldn’t say it was terrible, but I hated it. And… it was terrible.” It’s the girl’s turn now, about to receive the news of the comment. “So we got a quote from your cousin, Kang Hyunggu, and he said that he hated your performance.” Yuna automatically looks annoyed. “Hyunggu oppa said that? He says that I was terrible. He should recheck his prescription because his performance wasn’t all that either.”

DO KYUNGSOO takes over the stage now, violin in hand. “I hope you enjoy the song.” The first portion of the song is played on the instrument, and then, for the rest, he settles his violin aside and sings to the lyrics of the song. “Thank you,” he said after his performance was finished. “For being my audience.” Then, with another bow, he leaves the stage. Another few performances pass by starring BANG CHAN, LEE JINKYUNG, and HAN JISUNG. The next one up is a girl, the one most commonly known on the show.

It’s BAE JOOHYUN, who uses her bass like she did the previous season to perform her song of choice. If she’s the one known, then the one who comes next could be considered a celebrity and, well, once he was. “I’m gonna bring you with me on a journey I took a few years ago. Since we’re gonna dive right into my personal life, I’m gonna make myself at home.” CHOI MINHO opens an antique chest, clothes spilling off of it. He moves along to the song, simple things that go along with the song. After he’s done, the man sits in front of the camera for his interview. “I just wanna let the people know it’s a song about my past. I promise I’m not lonely anymore.” He laughs.

“I’m LEE SUWOONG.” The boy greets, both of his hands clasping at the microphone. “It’s the ‘ei ei’ kid.” Tiger JK makes sure to comment while the boy bows to the judges. At first, his performance appears normal, but in only a few second his chosen song turns into a trot version of itself, gaining a few surprised looks from the audience as well as some more grins from the CEOs. “Hope everyone enjoyed it!” He says excitedly before leaving the stage. “He’s something else.” Baek Jiyoung comments as he leaves.

PARK JINYOUNG goes next. He chooses to perform a song originally performed by a girl, but he still makes it work. He’s not the only one to do so. JUNG HOSEOK decides to go with the debut song Royal’s latest girl group instead of a soloist. On the opposite side of the same coin, YU SUA decides to perform a song by a boy group. NA JAEMIN introduces himself before his performance, a cover of one of the many hit songs by Brave Girls, but rearrange on his own style.

Next, YOO TAEYANG appears, introducing himself briefly. “Hello, my name is Yoo Taeyang and I’ll dance for you today.” It’s about the third Bruno Mars song so far, but it never seems to be enough. “Hi I’m KIM SEUNGHUN and I’ll be singing a song I rearranged for you today, so please watch me well.” It’s one of the songs originally sung by Raehwan, and since the boy decided to only sing for his performance, he managed to show his skills well.

A man takes on the stage, KIM MYUNGSOO, and he chooses to use his guitar for the performance, tapping the instrument on the off-beats to create a steady rhythm. “Hello, I’m SEO CHANGBIN from Seoul. Usually… hm… I seem like a quiet person,” he pauses for a moment. “But if you open your ears wide I think you’ll be able to see past that.” Unlike the image he described, the boy puts on a good performance with an exciting song as his choice to rap.

PARK JUNHEE chooses a recent american song, charming people with his voice. “It’s true. I’m a sucker for you.” He ends his performance with a wink at the judges and a grunt can be captured from Katie Lee’s microphone. SON HYEJOO chooses to introduce herself in korean before doing it again in japanese, explaining that she was born in the foreign country. It doesn’t take too long for her bubbly personality to disappear and a new, stronger image taking over her as the young girl shows that her strongest skill is rapping. KIM MINKYUNG goes next, and this time the girl keeps up with the image. She puts on a tiara with little LED lights spelling ‘princess’ on her head. 

“I’m NAM JOOHYUK, born in London and raised from around this neighborhood.” The man introduces himself with charm, and his song choice is a nice one to listen after all the ups and downs from the day. I'm CHWE HANSOL’s turn next. “The song I’ve prepared is a song that I wrote and composed. Please listen to it kindly.” It goes along well with the previous song, and people at home can enjoy it as it deserves. The next person to be called receives a couple of widened eyes. The boy, WONG YUKHEI, had decided to attend his audition with a crop top and fishnets that could be seen up to his waist above the ripped pants he was wearing.

The starting position is laying down on the floor. “Is this supposed to be a sexy performance?” Hyun Bin asks and the man beside him, So Jisub, replies to him as soon as the song starts. “Ah, I think it is.” The original song performed by the famous now-soloist makes everyone look at the boy performing, sirens playing across the set. Next up is a girl, KIM JUNGEUN, who dances with an attitude to the american song. At some point in the choreography, she lets her hair out of its bun which adds some next-level effect.

Leaning closer to the end of the episode, one of the last girls is ZHOU JIEQIONG. “I prepared something today that’s hopefully a little different, so hopefully you’ll like.” She had chosen to show a ballet performance, and most probably believe that would be the sole idea of her performance, but before long the girl starts to change into different styles, kicking her pointe shoes out of the way. By the time she’s done, more than one person was impressed. “Hey man, I’m Jooyong,” KIM JOOYONG starts casually, hand raising up to match his greeting. “I… want to take you on this musical journey.” It’s a smooth smashup that allows the man to keep up with his image as well as show off his skills.

WANG JACKSON decides to use his guitar for his performance, playing along to a pop song except with an acoustic version. LEE HOHYEON decides to go with the original song as it is, dancing to one of the more recent songs of the year. To finish it all off, there’s HWANG YEJI, one of the dancers mentioned previously. “Thank you for your time,” she says kindly before the start of her performance. It’s a song you wouldn’t normally expect from such a cute girl like her, but she has a charisma to herself that leaves some impressed.

There is text on the screen that notifies the public that, indeed, that was the last of them. The camera pans over some of the hopefuls faces to show the sight of nervousness before Tiger JK takes the microphone for the next announcement and exactly the one they were all dreading. “This may be only the first episode of the show, but we notified all of you that after the performances were done, there would be an elimination.” Some decide to shift in their seat, but the CEO doesn’t change much his expression.

“There are 100 total people here who performed today in hopes of continuing their journey on this season of the Mnet Global Auditions. Right now, it’ll be the first time we’ll reveal exactly how many of you will move on.” The man takes another break so that the heavy air may become even heavier, and whoever was nervous could possibly start feeling dizzy by now. “From the 100 constants here, only 50 of you will move on to the rest of the competition.”

There’s a loud reaction from the people in front of him and Tiger JK settles down his microphone so that So Jisub may proceed. “We’ll reveal who will be continuing on the show right now.”

To see all the of this season’s contestants, click here!

The man announces each name in alphabetical order, so if your letter had already passed, you’d know you didn’t make it. Instead of having to hear the CEO say each of the names one by one, the show was edited so that an edit of all the confirmed contestant appeared on the screen while So Jisub’s voice was used as a voice-over, explaining what would be the first real challenge of the season. 

And now, let’s see what’s in store for our second episode!

After the tiring first episode, the first challenge in store for the contestants will be one that’ll be sure to only leave those worthy of their spots in the competition. All 50 of them will be divided into three groups and fight in a battle of skill between singers, dancers, and rappers. They’ll each have a limit of 2 minutes to display a performance of their choice involving only their main skill. The groups were divided by what contestants wrote in their form, but this is the time to change if they’d like to.

Eliminations will be made appropriately. There are more singers than dancers, and more dancers than rappers, meaning eliminations will be balanced to fit this ratio. If a contestant believes they may have a better chance at a skill differently to the one they listed, they may ask to change categories. IC, they would have needed to make their decision until before they left the set for the recording of the first episode, but OOC you may have until midnight of tomorrow, June 30th, to submit your change request to rkevent. In case you’d like to stay in the same category, you do not need to notify us.

All contestants are supposed to make their own way to the recording studio prepared specially for this episode. The set will be the same as before and will look something close to this. On each side, 25 chairs will be prepared for the contestants to sit on and watch each other’s performances. Just because most eyes will be on the performance doesn’t mean no one will be paying attention to you. A set of cameras will have their lenses ready to capture any sort of interesting reaction from those watching (beware of the evil editing) while a couple more will allow different angles of the main performance to be captured.

Sitting on the higher ground, much more comfortable chairs are lined in front of the stage — five in total. This is where the CEOs of each big company will be sitting to make sure only the most captivating contestants will continue their journey to make this the best season yet.

The start couldn’t have been more exciting. Welcome, everyone, to the MGA Season 5!

                          Tune in next Saturday, the 6th, for our second episode!

MGA Season 5 episode two preview: From 100 to 50, the contestants must now prove they have the skill to make it to the end. They’ll be judged based solely on their main skill, and those who do not make it to the CEOs expectations will be eliminated from the show! Did your favorite make it through the first episode? Who will make it until the end? Keep watching to find out!

[ None of the performances were aired in their entirety. Cuts from the show itself were uploaded to Mnet's Official Youtube Channel, but the full performances cannot be found else. ]

If you made it this far, either if you were eliminated on this episode or you’re continuing on this journey, you may add +3 POINTS IN A PERFORMANCE SKILL to your points tally. Make sure to link back to this post for verification.

Contestants have until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 5th, to post their 200+ words solos about the skills challenge in front of the CEOs. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5skill. They’ll have two minutes to perform their chosen skill to capture the attention of the CEOs (as long as it doesn’t break any laws). Good luck!

After the last performance is done, the CEOs will leave to discuss their thoughts privately. While this happens, the contestants will be taken one by one into a small room to be interviewed on their thoughts of the current state of things. They will be asked a variety of questions and some may be included in the list found below! Feel free to come up with your own questions if you think they can be fitting.

What did you think of the results last week?

Who do you think is the best under each skill?

How do you think you did?

Were there any performances you liked?

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

What did you think of ___’s performance?

Is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the MGAs?

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

Once they’re done, they’ll be taken back to their seat to wait, or may go to the bathroom if needed.

                       𝗤   ⟨  A CALLBACK, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN EXCITING.                                   HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GOT THE EMAIL  ⟩  !

she comes off more casual than she was -- a little more cool, dusting off the bright smile from earlier with one of ease and nonchalance. even though just days before she had been panicked and manic over not seeing the email ( because it had been slotted in her dark social folder rather than her primary folder -- stupid gmail ), she wasn’t going to come off eager. no, she wanted to come off cool and collected. a level-headed girl who just wanted fame, fortune, and lots and lots of fans. that was level-headed, right? “it was to be expected. i had a really good feeling about my audition up until the end so i wasn’t really afraid i wasn’t going to make it. being in front of the judges, today, though, did get me a little ...” she pauses, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she reveals a little too much, the confidence withering away as the excitement of being on stage in front of all those famous ceos became more than apparent on her young face. “speechless? it was really cool to be in front of someone as amazing as baek jiyoung.”

             𝗤   ⟨  SO, WE GOT A QUOTE FROM YOUR COUSIN, @rkkhg,                            AND HE SAID THAT HE HATED YOUR PERFORMANCE.                                    DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT?                                        DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR PERFORMANCE BAD  ⟩  !

that motherfucker. yuna immediately feels her muscles tighten as she tries to calm the twitch she feels starts to tremble along her eyebrow. “hyunggu oppa said that?” she says through a tensed grin, all the while keeping her smile intact despite the fact that she can immediately feel her blood boil. “oh, my cousin -- he’s so, so, so funny.” and yuna laughs for good measure ; trying not to grit her teeth as she passes off a roll of her eyes with a blink, instead. “such a comedian. but no --” her grin relaxes, rolling her shoulders back as she looks dead on to the camera. “ i don’t believe my performance was bad. sure, it could have been better but can’t you say that for a majority of the other performances here?” yuna shrugs, “i believe i gave them something original. and that alone makes it better than that same majority of other performances.”

                                 𝗤   ⟨  I SEE. SO OF THE MAJORITY, WHICH WERE                                                          THE ONES THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE  ⟩  !

“there was one guy -- i forget his name, i think it was h - h- something ... @rkharuto? he was hilarious. when he finished his stage, he fell on the floor. i felt so bad for him -- especially after that performance. man, i thought his performance was really cool but i guess off skates he’s not as smooth. and i mean, he ... skated and this is a competition scouting for idols ... like, how do those two even correlate? if you wanted to skate, you should’ve joined the x games, kiddo.” she shakes her head, fingers tapping along her arms as she keeps them crossed against her chest. 

“as for my cousin -- he says that i was terrible. he should recheck his prescription because his performance wasn’t all that either. oppa has to do so much better if he thinks that was impressive.  he’s a great dancer, i know it and i’m sure he knows it but we all also know that he sucked.” yuna shrugs, as if ready to tick another one off her list as she continues on.

she laughs, a little, at least -- “i also didn’t know they still allowed grandpas into the competition. isn’t @rkmason like prehistoric at this point? sure, he’s also a good dancer but don’t you think you should give it a rest, 할비. sure, i liked his song and sure he’s good looking but -- eh, eh.” she stares, another finger down. 

“and c’mon, the callbacks are supposed to be exciting but some people were just so boring. like that @rkheejin chick, news-flash! that song is so overplayed back in the states, and the acoustic-cute girl singing about unrequited love is really last season.” she sniffs, as if ready to cry for the actual sadness she felt for her. heejin was cute, super cute but if yuna was being honest. she might’ve stifled a yawn here and there. 

there was another girl, the moment she had set eyes on her, yuna had felt ill. her hair, oh lord -- why would anyone do that to themselves. “kim @jungeunxrk?” yuna scoffs, “two words. botched dye-job. i honestly don’t know how anyone could concentrate on her performance when she came in looking like she over-fried her hair. bleached blonde, more like botched blonde.” she says the last sentence in english. “oh, but we’re supposed to talk about their performance ... i guess she was nice.” 

“ @rkjeongin is a friend of mine and i honestly was rooting for him.” honestly meaning slightly and rooting for him aka secretly plotting his demise. ( she’s half-kidding, but still ) “and i mean, props for doing a girl group song but jeongin, please, if you’re going to do a girl group song, don’t butcher the dance moves. i do hope he makes it on, though, even if he did do ... that.” she even has the audacity to spare a embarrassed smile on his behalf.

the interviewer stares at her, as if begging her to be down and yuna just shakes her head; already knocking down another finger. “@rksuwoong, love korean culture and props to you for being ‘edgy’ and ‘lost in the times’ and all but trot is dead. end of story.”

there was one guy, though. that she couldn’t have helped but be jealous over. and who was shin yuna if not for the petty, little brat that she was -- and her jealousy had obviously tided over when she finally came to mention him. unfortunately, it was all because she enjoyed his song too well, that she couldn’t help but criticize it. “@moonbokrk, song choice -- bleh. rapping? eh. i mean, could have done better but did he? you answer that, yourself.”

“ @rksihyeon i was actually expecting better. she has the face that you’d think has it but her performance didn’t do it for me. it ... lacked something? i don’t know. can’t put my finger on it, though. nice try, though, she’s pretty, at least.” she nods. another one bite the dust, she whispers to herself. 

she could have cracked her knuckles and she still wouldn’t be done with her list. “and there’s that @rkchris -- i felt like he was trying to be edgy but also indie and like tough? but vulnerable? and it was just too much, like dude ... be simple ..., you’re doing too much.” 

“when i heard the starting tune, i was so ready to fangirl, i love akmu. unfortunately, can’t say the same about @rkumji who sang the song though.”

“and i guess that was just a few people you could say i don’t think will make it.” she wrinkles her nose. 

                              𝗤   ⟨  AND THE REST? WHICH STOOD OUT TO YOU  ⟩  !

“who i think you should root for are definitely kim @rkyeji and shin @ryujinrk. their performances, by far, were the best of the night.” yes, she’s being biased. no, she did not care one bit. shin yuna was a firm believer that since she was amazing, so were her friends and there was no doubt in her mind that when she had seen, first hand, her friends’ performances, she couldn’t be prouder. if she could, she would’ve thrown her shoes at them as celebratory cheers.

“there was one guy that i think did well too,” oddly enough, yuna did have a few compliments to spare. “i think his name was @ericxrk, the one who did ikon’s killing me. his dance break was pretty nice. i enjoyed it.” 

                                                  𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝘘   ⟨  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME  ⟩ !

        the first few questions are relatively easy to answer:  how did he feel when he got the callback?  ( ecstatic, and even more so when he found out that his best best best friends had also made it. )  what did he think when the judges were revealed?  ( katie lee is a lot taller than she looks on tv, and hyun bin is rather handsome up close! )  all in all, basic information he gives with enthusiasm that doesn't quite reach his eyes.  but when they ask the next question, his expression distorts to show sudden, more genuine interest.

𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥?

        "uptown funk,"  he says without hesitation and without batting an eye, even though this is his number one enemy  ( for yugyeom's attention, of course ).  "it takes talent and a certain personality to pull off that sort of song, because it requires a lot of energy.  can you imagine uptown funk without energy?  it would be offensive to bruno mars-sunbaenim!  but i think HYUNGGU chose the right song.  it suits him.  i especially like when he ran to our side to hype us up."  he smiles for a bit as he fondly recounts jumping to his feet and being among the loudest support.  "i should've done that, right?  audience engagement is important, since it keeps everyone interested.  ahh, he really did well---but i won't lose."  he points at the camera, his eyes narrowing just a bit.  "kang hyunggu, you're now my rival."

        and then he drops his hand and breaks into a smile that makes it seem like he's joking about the rivalry when, in fact, he isn't.

        "i also liked YUGYEOM's performance.  everyone remembers that one, right?"  oh, yugyeom.  it hasn't been that long since suwoong was swinging by the chicken shop, sliding a print-out of a naruto meme across the counter in order to serenade the other.  and let's be honest---who would've thought they'd be here, at the mgas, booking it across the stage pre-recording 'cause yugyeom's friend sat on the other side?  "did you know he choreographed that by himself?  i'm friends with such cool people ~  and his expressions!  he makes really good expressions, doesn't he?  it makes the performance more enjoyable to watch."

        he snaps his fingers.  "there's also . . what's his name---"  not bondage guy not bondage guy not bondage guy  "---eric, no, YOUNGJAE, i think?  yes, youngjae!  he was in the mgas last year, right?"  he considers himself super lucky to have marathoned the previous mga season  ( mostly to gauge what he's getting himself into, of course ),  'cause else he wouldn't have recognized eric, and that would've been surely embarrassing!  "he chose such a good song to show his vocals ~  i mean, his rap wasn't as good as his singing, but it was good enough.  and when he did this---"  suwoong places both hands over his neck to mimic the last dance move eric had done on stage.  "---it made me think 'how cool'!"

        "oh, and RYUJIN."  for a moment, there's a particular glint that strikes his eye, and it is not, by any means, an enthused one.  he's heard a lot of bad things about her from his distant cousin, jimin.  well, not a lot-lot, but enough so that he's wary.  "she almost debuted, so of course, her performance was good.  i mean, her dancing was . . okay at first---"  that's the main thing he can remember, since he watched her with a critical eye from the very beginning.  "---but then she got better."  he stares blankly into the camera for a few seconds before continuing,  "ah, it's a little intimidating, isn't it?  competing against someone who used to be a trainee."

        seeing that the mood's getting a little sullen, he leaves it at that and lets the interviewer ask the next question.

𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡'𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘?

        "MINKYUNG,"  he says a bit too quickly,  "because it was too short."  a grin splits across his face, the sullen mood immediately dissipating.  "i was really fooled by her acting at first!  i was worried, 'cause i thought she had forgotten the lyrics.  that would've been awful."  he remembers, quite fondly, how his cheery demeanor had morphed into a slight panic when she was on stage feigning concern.  "but her performance really stood out to me---not just because of the first part, but also because she's fun to watch on stage!  i think she'll definitely make it to the next round."  he makes a triumphed fist.  "minkyung, fighting!"

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗘𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨'𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗣𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗘?

        again, his answer is immediate:  "TAEYANG, of course."  he leans forward just a bit, almost as if he's about to let the cameraman in on a secret.  "he's really different off-stage.  trust me!  i've known him for a long time.  he's quiet and sometimes shy, doesn't really show off as much.  but ah, on stage, he seemed really confident, right?"  he remembers being on the edge of his seat, his hand gripping yugyeom's arm out of---what, anxiousness?  anticipation?  "he gave off a really cool vibe.  i can only hope to be that cool on stage one day.  and his dancing!  isn't it good?  he practiced really hard on it, so please vote for him ~"

        "EUNJI as well.  i hope she makes it.  we used to dance together---did she tell you that?  if not, we did!  when we were really young.  she was the only one who would talk to me.  such a kind heart ~  it's almost like fate that we reunited here."  honestly, who would've thought?  "i didn't know she could sing so well, so she really surprised me with her performance, especially since she danced and sang at the same time and made it look so effortless.  she must've practiced really hard for this, so i want her to move on as well.  eunji, fighting!"

𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬?

        in truth, there are some people that he wouldn't like to move on, mostly because he doesn't like them all that much.  but it would be rather unfair to mention them under the guise of not liking their performances, since most of them performed well.  hm.

        "AISHA,"  he says after careful consideration.  "i mean---i hope aisha doesn't get eliminated."  in all honesty, he doesn't remember much of her performance other than it sounded like a mashup of two songs.  perhaps he had focused far too much on the dancers.  "there are many people who sang really well today, but she also sang well.  i think everyone was surprised by her vocals during the first part, so everyone please be sure to vote for her!"  he offers a small smile in lieu of commenting further.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡, 𝗞𝗬𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗢𝗢'𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘?

        of course, how can go without mentioning KYUNGSOO?

        "ah, my dear cousin . . this may sound too confident, but i expected him to do well.  we grew up together, so i know what he's fully capable of."  a pause.  "he played really well today, but i know that he can play better.  it's just that he has stage fright---but maybe you didn't notice, 'cause he's reeeally good at hiding it!  i find that very admirable.  he’s good at hiding a lot of things.  just wait ‘til you see his aegyo.  it’s hard to imagine, right?  since he’s so stoic!  but he can be really cute sometimes, you just have to tease it out of him."  the corner of his mouth twitches, and he wills himself to beam a bit brighter.  "my hope . . is that we make it far together.  we promised each other that we would, so we're going to try our best!"  he holds two fists up to his chest in another triumph gesture.  "so please support su-soo---that's su from suwoong and soo from kyungsoo, by the way.  my name comes first, since i was born first."

“ what did you think when the judges were revealed? “

“my first thought…” she looks off, thinking back to what felt like were ages ago but was still vivid in her memories. the girl isn’t sure if she’ll ever be able to forget this day in her life. “the first thought i had was ‘wow, they’re so pretty’.” she chuckles. “people say everyone looks better in real life but it’s a bit unfair just how good looking they all are… especially katie lee. i really want to be like her one day. she’s my role model.”

“ were there any performances you liked? “

“yes, of course!” her mind starts working, trying to separate each of the 99 other performances into their own thing instead of one big ball of confusion. so many sang, so many danced, so many rapped… there was a list of instruments used, too, but that didn’t automatically mean they all did well. “i think it’s important to be creative in shows like these. if you’re going to cover a song you must do better than only a simple cover or else the audience may just overlook you.”

she talks as if she is experienced in the area, and she is but as a spectator. nakyung was a grade a fan, and she knew exactly what other people like her would be looking for. “there was na jaemin who covered a song by brave girls. he used a remixed version which was very interesting to watch. it’s a very popular song that people covered many times before, so the fact he changed it in such a cool way really made him stand out to me.”

“there was eunji, too, who performed ‘woman’ by boa. even if she did just that, it is a very powerful song, and when she was just walking at the start of the song it was very enchanting and she has the talent to back it up, too.” nakyung nods, trying to think of any other performance she enjoyed. “there was also a foreign person, kokoro, who decided to perform ‘into the new world’. whoever likes chichi is someone i should like, and the fact she chose this song out of all the others really made it interesting. she really fits the image, too, i believe.”

getting out of the cover zone, nakyung tries to think of any other thing that caught her eyes. “that other kid, too, naruto? i feel like everybody is going to mention him, but his performance was very interesting. i had never seen anything like that before and i was very impressed. i just wonder if he has any other skills than that. if he passes this round, he won’t be able to survive only on skating all the time.”

“apart from him, there was another boy that was very adorable. i think his name was seungmin? he said he’d like to show a fiery side of him just like his red hair or something like that. his song was very calm, though, but it was a very nice mashup. maybe he should dye his hair blue next time, or another color like that.”

“ were there any performances you didn’t like? “

“well, i think there were performances no one really liked who missed a step or forgot their lyrics.” nakyung shrugs, not wanting to give them any attention. “not that i necessarily dislike their performance, but i really don’t understand what all these previous contestants are doing here. i honestly don’t think i can even name them all… there’s daniel, moonbok, joohyun… and isn’t this her third time already? i think… there are other people out there who could be using this opportunity, you know? they are probably here only for rating and it’s kind of sad to see, really. and if one of them win, wouldn’t that be bad? i think this should be banned for future seasons. if the companies would like to sign them i’m sure they know where to find them.”

“ that will be all for today. you can return to your seat. “

"how was it seeing the set for the first time?"

he's sure they ask everyone these questions, mainly designed for new contestants, and he also can't answer this with it wasn't that different from last time, even though he thinks it, but-- "it's cooler than last time," he says with a grin. "it was a little intimidating-- more the amount of people than the set itself? i don't think there were this many people last year, but it felt..." he hums, trying to think of how to describe it. it didn't feel like coming home, no, that's not it at all, but like coming back to an old stomping ground to reclaim his honor, like walking into his chance for vengeance. "it felt good to be back," he settles on, that grin back on his face.

"what did you think when the judges were revealed?"

"i thought 'isn't this early?'" he admits with a laugh. "but i was still a little shocked by how impressive they are, even after already seeing them before. i guess that isn't what i remember most about the show. you can tell they know what they're doing, and i...want to impress them more than i did last year. i want to earn another compliment from them this time."

"how do you think you did?"

he smiles, not in a self-satisfied way, but more thoughtful. "i don't know," and it's honest. "i was just enjoying myself, really, so i don't know if i did good or bad, but i'm satisfied with it." that answer could be enough, but the thought of his performance makes more emotions surface, and he dwells, for a moment, on whether he should share them or not. he doesn't know if any of this will air, but his motto so far this competition has been i'm not guaranteed anything, so i'll give it everything i have right now. maybe that counts for this, too. "i wanted to prove i'm different now than i was last year-- someone better, in every way. i wrote a lot of songs in the past year, both for empty enigma's album and not, and i think that might be the thing i'm best at, so even if i was nervous to share that, i wanted to show the best side of myself that i could. i know i'm far from the best singer in the competition, and that i can barely dance, and maybe i can rap okay. it might be kind of cool that i can both sing and rap, but i think...my song sets me apart?" but that makes it more personal, too, and will make the criticism sting more. it's not his best song, either, but it's one his heart is in. "i hope everyone liked it." a laugh follows it up, "if they didn't, that's okay too. at least i'd be remembered as the guy with the bad song instead of not remembered at all." he doesn't know which is better, really, but at least that's something.

"were there any performances you liked?"

"oh, there were a lot!" he chimes in happily. "i probably can't just say everyone in empty enigma, right? but i thought they all did well, anyway, so i can't not mention them. i've never seen kenta and woojin dance before, actually, so it was really nice to see them do it on a stage like this. minhyun too! he hasn't in the band for too long, so i think we're still getting to know all of his talents. i'm glad he gets to show them off." but sungwoon? "i think sungwoon did the best, though. don't tell the others," he laughs. "his performance was really..." what can he even say? was his reaction anything indicative of what anyone else thought while watching him, or was it a unique experience, as the one being sung about. "moving? yeah. you could tell he meant what he was singing, and i think that's...a unique quality in a performer, and an important one. sometimes that's more important than talent, but he has both. i'm jealous," he adds it as an after-thought, but breaks into a smile shortly after.

"were there any performances you didn’t like?"

the most useful thing his mother taught him was the old proverb if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all-- probably much of the reasoning why daniel so rarely spoke previously, and he's still outgrowing that phrase, or at least outgrowing the thought that he never has anything nice to say. "my mom always said 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," he says it anyway, eyes downcast, and he scratches at is elbow, wrestling with this question. he'd probably get more screentime if he just dissed someone, right? but he doesn't need it that badly-- not at the cost of his integrity.

"there were some arrangements i didn't like. that's the only thing i feel qualified to have a real opinion about, honestly," he decides. because i'm not good at anything else is what goes unspoken. it's probably inferred. "there was also the trot cover of...ring ding dong?" he laughs at even the mention of it. "i thought it was weird, but it was pretty funny, and definitely not forgettable, so i have to give him credit. i still don't know if i liked it or not, honestly. i'm just confused, still." suwoong is an interesting character, that's for sure.

"i feel like there were a lot of forgettable performances, too, but i think that just...happens, with 100 people. standing out is probably what's most important in this part of the competition." i hope i do.

"what did you think of joohyun’s performance?"

his face lights up at the mention of her, beaming ear to ear. "i was so surprised!" he says. "joohyun and i are good friends," he explains. the backstory seems necessary, and maybe if this doesn't get cut, her choosing to sing one of empty enigma's songs will make more sense. "i grew up with her, and then i moved away, and just kept meeting her again and again, even after that. she played in a band, and she played in a lot of the same places we did, so i still kept running into her, but i didn't keep in touch with her until after last year's mgas. she's gotten to know all of the guys since then, so most of us know her pretty well. i guess she wanted to support us." no, that was definitely too long to make the cut, but maybe dramatic enough to get partially aired. no, probably not. there are some very important facts he hasn't touched on yet, however, and the close-lipped smile on his face is a proud one, if not a little smug. "that was my song! i mean, it's empty enigma's song, but it's one of the ones i wrote and composed, so i felt really honored."

"is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?"

"nothing is certain," he replies easily, gaze growing a little distance, but that much he's sure of. he looks back up, to meet the eyes of the interviewer, and then the camera. "i guess...maybe mason? you could see his experience up on stage. it was really impressive, even to someone like me who hasn't paid much attention to idols. he was in a group before, right?" "convex," one of the producers supplies, and daniel nods knowingly despite still not knowing what the hell that is. it sounds vaguely familiar. maybe they're one of the groups jeongin likes? why is he not in convex anymore, though? maybe baek jiyoung wouldn't be too happy to see him...nothing is guaranteed. "maybe sungwoon too, though. he has the experience, the talent, and the stage presence, and i don't know what else a judge would want. i'm not just saying that because i'm his friend, but because he's genuinely so much better than me. i look up to him, and i think lots of people would, and that seems like something the judges would like, too."

"is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?"

he can't help but laugh, even in the face of a harsh question. "i won't say the same thing again," he assures, even though it applies here, too. he wracks his brain for bad performances, and some stand out. "i don't know their names, but there were a few people with unstable vocals, and a couple that forget their lyrics. i don't know if that will be enough to eliminate them, because i think if they made it here, they have potential," and he nods, eyes drifting down to his lap. "i was almost eliminated at this point last year," and he'll never forget it, and the guilt he felt for outliving hyunjoon even though he didn't want this dream then. there's uncertainty even now. "every week i thought i would be eliminated, but i wasn't. i'm grateful the judges saw enough potential in me to keep me for so long, and to let me learn so much. i think it would be nice if people that are lacking today got the same chance i did, but i know someone needs to be eliminated. i think the judges will make a good decision."

q. “ so let’s begin. how did you feel when you received news of the callback? ”

yeosang blinks slowly, taking a careful breath in and out before he finally answers, honestly, “nervous.” he cracks a smile, eyes looking away from the camera as he rubs the bac of his neck. “excited, grateful, but mostly nervous. i didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself-- after all, i made it past the first round last time as well,” he explains-- his voice quiet but firm, answers clear and enunciated. “i knew i had a lot to do if i wanted to be able to pass this time.”

q. “ i see, then do you think you’ve improved enough to pass this time? ”

that question throws him off slightly-- he wasn’t expecting such a direct question, such a non-general one that he pauses for a beat of a second before he swiftly responds, “i think so,” and hurries to follow it with, “i’d like to think that i’ve improved in the year since i first auditioned-- so i would say yes, i believe i have improved-- and i hope it’s enough to pass.”

q. “ moving on-- what did you think when the judges were revealed? ”

“i wasn’t surprised,” he laughs gently. “since i’ve seen them before. but, it was interesting to see them again now that i have seen them in person a few times, not quite as nerve-wracking. i doubt they remember me-- but i hope i give them reason to this time around. that’s what i’m planning.”

q. “ were there any performances that stood out to you? ”

and yeosang was dreading this question, but it wasn’t unexpected. he did manage to think of a few that he could call to the front of his mind, luckily-- because he didn’t know how else to explain that he just couldn’t focus properly enough to have a concise answer.

“the uh... trap mix of baby shark was interesting,” he muses, “i.. can’t quite remember the name of the person who performed it, though, i’m sorry,” he bows his head in apology-- just in the case that said performer would see this, “it was attention-grabbing to say the least. they did a good job,” he finishes politely. “also... hoseok-- i think? his dance and rap had a great vibe-- it was easy and fun to watch-- he has great stage presence,” he hums quietly, eyebrows furrowed as he tries to give his honest opinions about the other contestants.

“the trot version of ring ding dong--” yeosang huffs out a small laugh at this, “i’m not much of a trot fan? but i think he pulled it off well-- it was creative and memorable at the very least.”

q. “ you’re mainly a rapper, right? did any rap performances stand out to you? ”

“ah... that question pulls out my bias,” yeosang admits with a sheepish laugh, “but also, i think it’s well deserved to say that for rap performances, i most enjoyed changbin’s, chan’s and moonbok’s. changbinnie performs almost effortlessly, and his song was a good, easy-flowing choice that i think a lot of the audience will like. chan-hyung was strong as usual-- that was to be expected. and moonbok-hyung... i like his voice. it’s nice to listen to and easy to follow and get into, even for people who aren’t too fond of rap-- i think that’s what his music sounds like.”

q. “ speaking of performances-- what did you think of kim sihyeon’s performance? ”

“ah--” yeosang smiles at this, wide and easy as he nods his head, “i didn’t want to just announce it and put her on the spot like that-- but i guess since you’re asking me, it’s pretty obvious that sihyeon is the friend i wrote my song for.” he nods again, curt this time. “her performance-- she’s been improving constantly, and i think she showed a great side of her musicality in her performance today. we’ve been friends for a long time, and i’m grateful to have her by my side for this journey this year. i’m cheering her on as well, always.”

q. “ is there anyone you are certain will move on to the next phase of the mgas, and likewise is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today? ”

“to those questions...” yeo deliberates before firmly stating, “i have no comment. thank you for your time,” and the interviewer seems to be dissastisfied with such an answer, but ends up waving a hand and giving him the okay to return to his seat.

and with a soft breath of relief, he stands from his seat and bows to the staff and the camera and straightens up with the brightest smile he’d shown since appearing in the room.

the staff call individuals out one by one while the ceos deliberate. he’s a little confused until someone lets it spill that they’re doing more interviews. frankly, it’s unexpected; sungwoon can only remember doing one interview last year, and it wasn’t until episode seven. this is a holdover from earlier seasons, apparently, so sungwoon is happy to just roll with it. interviews don’t phase him, and he certainly has a lot to say about the performances he’s watched so far. some of his friends are… not as forthcoming, and he is absolutely thinking about woojin here. god, he hopes woojin will be okay during the interview.

“ha sungwoon!” he’s deep in conversation when he hears his name and nearly jumps in surprise. after asking keta to watch over his keyboard, he follows the staff to get his hair and make-up retouched. in spite of his tiredness, he chats amicably, gently prodding them for any idea of what to expect during the interviews. one of the make up artists laughs at his attempts and says, “you’ll do just fine, sungwoon.” he takes her reassuring words to heart and heads into the room ready to get through this. all he has to do is remember to reign in a few of his more passionate opinions, but if there’s one thing sungwoon does feel confident in, it’s his ability to know what is appropriate and what isn’t. 

“welcome back, sungwoon. this isn’t your first time on the mgas, but we’re still curious to hear how you felt when you received news of the callback.” 

after greeting the interviewer and taking a seat, he ponders the first question. “honestly? i didn’t think very much of it when i first got the email. i was busy making kimchi, which is just about the most korean thing i could be doing.” the chuckle comes easily as sungwoon recalls the rest of the band bothering him to abandon his work and check his goddamn email. they’d been so excited to hear they were going through to the next stage of auditions… their reaction to the news sticks with him more than his own. “i think i was happier for my friends than i was for myself.” especially for kenta, minhyun, and woojin. “some of them are getting to experience all this for the first time and it’s fun to see them go through the whole spectrum of emotions, you know?” 

he didn’t get to experience it with the whole band last year, so get the opportunity to now means the world to him. “their enthusiasm is infectious, though, and they ended up getting me excited too.” especially daniel, whose been the whole group’s champion from the start. “i guess aside from that, i was a little relieved as well; i felt like i should be able to do this much.” especially after his showing last year, to not even make it to callbacks would’ve been awkward. not that he’d ever expressed his doubts to his friends—or to himself. “i wasn’t ready for my journey to be cut short, though, so i’m grateful i got a chance to perform today.” 

“were you surprised when the judges were revealed?” 

“yeah,” he says immediately. even amidst everything else going on, the arrival of the five ceos caught sungwoon off guard. he understands the reason behind their presence here; it makes sense that they’d want to be involved in the selection process for the show itself. and to see how potential contestants react to their sudden appearance—whether they can keep their composure or fall apart in a bundle of nerves—is equally important, in his opinion. the live shows aren’t easy; not everyone can handle the kind of pressure that comes with it. “i might’ve blacked out for a few seconds in shock,” sungwoon laughs. “they are a lot more impressive than i remember. i mean, their collective aura is no joke. did you see so jisub? and katie lee… wow.” the ceos radiate power and prestige. it would bowl a lesser person over. 

“i was looking forward to performing for them again,” he continues after a small pause. “but if i’d known they would be here today, i would’ve done something different.” it’s hard to imagine what else he might’ve performed off the top of his head, but sungwoon knows he probably would’ve taken a risk and showcased a skill they wouldn’t expect to see from him. “but hey, that just means i have to live to fight another day.” he scratches his neck. “regrets and i aren’t good friends. i don’t want to go home and think, i should’ve done this or what if i’d done that. hopefully i won’t have to. hopefully the universe will be kind enough to give me one more opportunity to perform for the judges.”

“so how do you think you did with the performance you prepared?”

“there’s always room for improvement.” no matter what he feels about his performance right now, sungwoon knows he’ll discover a million things he could’ve done better once he stops and really thinks things through. it’s not in his nature to be complacent; the nagging voice in the back of his head criticizes more easily than it compliments. “i’m never fully satisfied with anything i do, but i think that’s a good thing. it just means i’ll keep pushing myself and keep try harder next time.” rather than being a burden, he thinks the attitude is a healthy one to carry into a competition like this one. 

“that being said…” the corners of sungwoon’s lips curve up, his previous serious expression fading. “this performance was representative of who i am. i worked on the piano rearrangement myself, and i really wanted to showcase a combination of my vocal and instrument skills. and i sang from the heart—which might not count for much, but that might be the most authentic performance i’ve given in my life, so how can i not be happy with it?” he’d left it all out there, bled himself dry, and he hopes at least a fraction of that came across to the ceos and to his audience. “my answer might be different tomorrow, but for now, i think i did alright.” 

“what did you think of joohyun’s performance? she sang a song by your band, empty enigma.” 

ah. surprise briefly flickers across sungwoon’s face before he can cover it up with a smile. it makes sense for the staff to ask him about her performance out of the other ninety-nine, but he can’t say he’s prepared to answer. “i still can’t believe it,” he chuckles, fingers idly picking at the stray threads sticking out of his pants. “my brain stopped functioning for a while. like, i actually thought i might’ve died and entered nirvana. for someone to perform our song on a stage like this one is… unreal.” his jaw dropped when he recognized the familiar music, the lyrics he’s come to associate with daniel pouring out of joohyun’s mouth. 

sheer shock eventually gave way to gratitude and confusion—why empty enigma? they’re not exactly… mainstream. it has to be a big risk doing one of their songs. sungwoon wonders if she did for daniel’s sake. he’s not sure what to feel about that, but now isn’t the time to unpack it either. instead, he presses both hands to his warm, pink cheeks as he thinks about the viewers hearing empty enigma’s music. joohyun’s done more to promote them than any of the band members have. “i’m thankful joohyun liked our music enough to do our song, and i think she did it beautifully.” he turns to the camera and sinks into a small bow. “thank you, joohyun! i hope someday we’ll be able to perform this song together!” 

“and what were your thoughts on your band members’ performances?” 

his face splits into a wide grin. “i thought you’d never ask.” sungwoon can talk about his friends and their performances for hours, but he tries to keep it brief. “all of them did a great job. i know i sound biased, but i didn’t realize how good most of them are, so actually seeing them up on stage was a shock for me.” he dives into woojin’s performance first since it’d left the strongest impact. “woojin… i didn’t know he could dance like that. i mean, we live together, but he’s a private person—so seeing all that charisma and raw talent come out? i’m proud but also slightly offended he didn’t tell me he could do that.” similarly, he didn’t know the full extent of kenta’s dance skills, though they’d come as less of a surprise than woojin. “kenta was also amazing. doing a jun song isn’t easy, but he pulled it off with elegance and charm. he’s truly a talented performer.” 

talking about minhyun is a lot easier when sungwoon doesn’t have to do so in front of him. “i knew minhyun could sing, but his dancing skills were a bit of a mystery to me.” pausing, sungwoon bursts out laughing as a thought hits him. “i guess that’s how you can tell we’re in a band, huh? none of us knew the others could dance.” he takes a brief moment to collect himself before continuing. “anyway, i really applaud him for showcasing both his singing and dancing today, and i love bruno. minhyun really did him justice.” god, he hopes this doesn’t air; sungwoon isn’t sure how he’d explain gushing about minhyun on camera to the man himself. “i believe minhyun has the confidence and talent to be an idol, so he’s definitely one of my top picks out of today.” 

finally, he comes to daniel and his eyes light up. “daniel… he’s polarizing. i’ve heard a lot of people say he isn’t talented, but he did an original song today. that has to count for something.” he loved daniel’s performance, but he’d probably love anything daniel does. the faint pink from earlier is still in his cheeks, and he hopes it isn’t obvious just how much he cares. just in case, sungwoon cuts it short. “his singing and stage skills have improved immensely, so i hope people recognize that and support him a lot this year. he deserves it.” 

“were there any performances you liked?”

there were a few sungwoon paid attention to aside from empty enigma and joohyun’s. “eunji—she did boa’s woman. i thought her voice and her presence were both commanding. i’m a fan. i enjoyed jeonghan’s song choice and vocal color as well; he’s a potential contestant i would definitely keep an eye out for.” he should probably diversify and mention more than just vocalists, but as one himself, sungwoon tends to focus on the competition more than the rest. “i heard someone sing day6’s shoot me—sihyeon, i think? i thought her song choice was very bold. i liked it.” day6’s music is some of his favorite to listen to, and he almost wishes he’d done of their songs as well. “hyojin’s acoustic cover was really good too. i wasn’t familiar with the song, but i like how he performed it.” 

this is harder than sungwoon anticipated; a lot of the performances that came first have blurred together in his mind. “some of the mash ups were very clever. i can respect the skill that goes into making them.” there were a few others, but he can’t remember them off the top of his head. “oh!” sungwoon says suddenly, smacking his palm with his fist. “the guy who did the trot version of lc9? i kinda enjoyed that. though my grandfather loves trot so i might just have a soft spot for it.” the name of the performer slips his mind, but the song itself is stuck in his head. 

“were there any performances you didn’t like?” 

sungwoon wonders how many people have actually answered this question. nobody wants to be edited as the designated asshole, so he imagines the answers have been safe so far. sungwoon isn’t eager to shoot himself in the foot either, but truthfully, there were a few he didn’t care for. “i think there are some performers who could probably benefit from a few years of experience,” sungwoon says carefully, his expression controlled into one of bland interest. “but shows like this have ways of making you grow up fast, so i don’t know if it’s all that important.” 

he wonders if he should just list the performances he didn’t like—the kid on skates, for one, because this is an idol competition. the one who’d done the baby shark remix didn’t seem all that serious either. “i also hope more contestants take the competition seriously moving forward.” sungwoon could rip into a few vocal performances if he really wanted to, but he eventually shakes his head and flashes the interviewer a smile. “i don’t think my opinion matters much, so i’ll leave it there.” 

“is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?”

“mason,” he says bluntly. “but everyone can probably see that coming.” it’s wild to think a debuted idol is on this show, and such a high profile one. his sheer wealth of experience both terrifies and inflames sungwoon; he doesn’t want to just roll over and lose to someone like that. “he’s a former idol with a fanbase, with the skills and training, and with the prior experience to kill it in this competition. i believe he’ll make it to the finale.” is it unfair? maybe. if sungwoon’s worried about going up against him, he wonders how some of the green newbies feel. “i hear there are a few other debuted idols here too. junhee—he did jonas brothers? i heard he was an idol as well, so he’ll probably have an edge over the rest and make it through easily. you can’t deny that people who’ve experienced this lifestyle, whether as idols or trainees, have a distinct advantage in this competition.” 

other than that… “i think moonbok might move onto the next phase; he was on the mgas last year. i hope joohyun goes through since she deserves it the most, probably.” for fairness’ sake, he should mention people he hasn’t spoken about yet. “i’m confident minkyung will, and likely chan as well. i remember being impressed by him.” and last season didn’t have many rappers, so sungwoon is positive at least a few will go through now. “if any of these predictions come true, maybe i can see the future?” he breaks off and laughs at the thought. him, a psychic? “i hope that’s true! it’d be cool.”   

“some would say you also have an advantage over others as a member of a band.” 

some? sungwoon would like to meet them. “maybe? but performing as part of a band and as an idol are two different things.” he’s not sure how to explain this to someone who hasn’t experienced the energies for themselves, but you can’t compare the two. “the way you play to the crowd—and play off them—differs when you’re in a band. it’s a lot more casual and fun and intimate in some cases.” personally, he thinks it’s freeing; there are less rules and restrictions, no illusion of perfection to maintain. 

“as an idol, you need to be more poised and precise with everything you do. i mean, i can’t say for sure, but from what i experienced during the mgas last year, it was… nothing like i was used to. the expectations for idols are sky high.” sungwoon shrugs and claps his hands together. “i don’t think my band history gives me much of an edge over anyone.” his fellow competitors don’t have to agree, but at least sungwoon made an attempt to clear the air.  

“is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?”

he grins slowly and shakes his head. “that’s not for me to judge, is it?” no way is sungwoon getting caught out on that question. but privately, he thinks skater boy is probably a goner. 

“thank you for your time. you may now return to your seat.” 

he thinks back to the moment he totally freaked out upon hearing the results. part of him is naive and hopeful, but the other also lacks confidence and so he never quite knows if his gut feeling is right or not. he doesn’t trust himself to know for sure if his performance went well or not. “i felt really happy! a little surprised maybe, it’s rare that i win anything! i’m not saying i’ll be the winner of this season, of course!” he waves his hands in front of him frantically, showing off his braces as he laughs. “but it feels nice to be chosen right? it means they didn’t think i was terrible!”

How was it seeing the set for the first time, and the judges once they were reveal?

“the set is huge! i’ve never stood on anything like this. it’s way bigger than school festivals, with all the lights, the seats, and everyone watching... if i’m being honest, it was really intimidating especially the way the judges stare at you... are they supposed to look scary?” he tilts his head cutely. “i was really hoping there would be coaches like in one of the previous seasons... maybe they could have k.arma coach us! i would really love that.”

How do you think you did?

he nods his head with confidence this time. “a lot better than last time! i was just as nervous in the beginning, but having friends here looking out for me really calmed me down. i was alone the first time so it was harder. i mean, i can’t speak for the judges but i feel like i was more stable! and i really put more thought into my outfit!”

Were there any performances you liked?

“all of them?” jeongin declares, and it’s obviously not a lie. it’s not his place to judge others since he’s still lacking, and he’s very easily pleased and impressed. some are more skilled than others, but they all tried their best and that’s what matters. “is it biased if i say my cousin yeji did really well? i hope she moves on to the next round, i’d be happy even if only she does and not me! but the best scenario would be the both of us of course,” he says with a small laugh. “jisungie hyung, chris hyung and changbinnie hyung all rapped, they’re really impressive aren’t they? i could never do that, i don’t have swag.” he pronounces the word with a very strong accent. he could really study english more. “woojin hyung sang really good too, i love his voice, and the song suits him perfectly. and didn’t shin yuna’s song choice make you laugh? the dance and remix were cool though! i liked the girl who sang fly, the girl who danced to kara’s mamma mia - i love kara! - and also kokoro noona who performed a chi chi song! good for her, she has good taste!

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

“not really, no...” he pauses in case he can think of one, but none comes to mind so he just shrugs. “sorry!”

What did you think of kim seungmin’s performance?

he looks around nervously. what kind of magic is this? have they already figured him out? or maybe they just saw them talk before and after the performances, and figured they knew each other well. this seems like the more plausible option, not the conspiration jeongin envisions. “hyung is really talented, his voice gives me goosebumps... he’s a much better singer than me so i’m sure he will move on to the next round, i will root for him until the end~.”