Watch: f(x)'s Luna, iKON's Bobby And Junhoe, Lovelyz's Kei And U-KISS's Jun, MAMAMOO's Solar, And More Perform Amazing Remakes Of '90s Hits

Feb 05, 2019

Songs from the ’90s were brought back to life by talented singers on MBC’s “Show that Rewrites the Charts, What is No. 1 Right Now?” (literal title)

On February 5, MBC aired the Lunar New Year special music variety show where singers who were unable to top the charts in the past teamed up with currently-active singers to remake their songs to see if the song can climb the charts again.

Kim Wan Sun, the singer who had the No. 1 song in 1991, faced off against five teams who took on the challenge of trying to chart their songs from the same year. The first performance was by f(x)’s Luna who sang Won Mi Yeon’s “A Farewell Tour” (literal title). She received loud applause for her rendition of the song and Won Mi Yeon embraced Luna with tears in her eyes. She said, “Thank you for doing a good job. You sang much better than I did. I’m the original singer, but I’m not this good with my natural voice.” They received 10 out of 17 votes from the celebrity panel.

The second performance was a duet by Lovelyz’s Kei and U-KISS’s Jun. They sang Hong Seo Bum and Jo Gap Kyeong’s “Love To You.” Before going on stage, Kei revealed, “I’ve [never been in a romantic relationship before], but I can be in love when I sing.”

Kei and Jun filled the stage with their sweet voices. Hong Seo Bum joked, “I’ll congratulate you guys beforehand” and Jo Gap Kyeong added, “If he had a voice like that, I wouldn’t have dragged it on and would’ve asked [Hong Seo Bum] to marry me first.” Kei and Jun received six votes from the celebrity panelists.

The third performance was by Jang Deok Cheol and they sang their rendition of Shim Shin’s “I Even Love Your Sorrow” (literal title). The singers grabbed everyone’s attention with their calm, gentle voices and Shim Shin hugged the artists after the performance. “The junior artists expressed it in a new way,” said Shim Shin. “It’s amazing how they expressed emotions that are beyond my imagination.” Jang Deok Cheol celebrated after receiving eight votes.

MAMAMOO’s Solar took the stage to perform Lee Jae Young’s “Temptation” (literal title). She began the song on a serious note then mesmerized everyone by putting a sexy twist on the performance. With a standing ovation, Lee Jae Young said, “You’re so amazing!” Solar received a whopping 11 points and took the lead.

The final stage was a performance of Jun Yu Na’s “In Love With You” (literal title) by iKON’s Bobby and Junhoe. Junhoe’s husky singing and Bobby’s emotional rap created amazing chemistry that gave the song a modern feel. Jun Yu Na said, “I’m really satisfied,” and hugged the two iKON members. She added, “I was happy. The rap was really great. It made me think that I made a good decision when choosing to sing.” Like Jang Deok Cheol, iKON also received eight votes.

Solar’s performance of “Temptation” was the current winner with 55 percent of the vote. Kim Wan Sun, who had the No. 1 song in 1991, performed a 2019 rendition of her hit track “Pierrot Smiling at Us.” Dancer couple J.Black and Mary began the performance with powerful choreography before Kim Wan Sun entered the stage.

In the end, Kim Wan Sun was crowned as the final winner of the No. 1 spot in 1991 and as well as 2019. “I’m happy that I got No. 1,” said the singer. “I think I’m way happier now than back then.” She also apologized to Lee Jae Young, the original singer of the song Solar performed, who lost by only two votes. Lee Jae Young stated, “It doesn’t matter who wins. Thank you for a beautiful time.”

The broadcast ended with a commemoration of Shin Hae Chul who passed away in October 2014. Speaking about his music, Yoon Jong Shin said, “He’s an unforgettable person. The song I’ll introduce is Shin Hae Chul’s 1991 hit track ‘You’re Deep Inside My Heart” (literal title).” Oh Yeon Jun, also known as “Jeju Boy” from the show “We Kid,” moved everyone with his performance of the song.