"K-Pop Star 3" 16-Year-Old Kim Eun Joo Wows Judges

Sixteen-year-old Kim Eun Joo wowed judges on the November 24 broadcast of SBS “Survival Audition K-Pop Star Season 3” (K-Pop Star 3) with her perfect pitch and natural singing abilities, making her one to look out for.

Petite-looking Kim Eun Joo was pretty unremarkable when she first appeared on stage. While surprised at first when last season’s winners, Akdong Musician appeared in the waiting room, she professed herself to be “not particularly nervous.” Before greeting the judges on stage, she even showed off her cheerleading abilities with a somersault.

Kim Eun Joo’s audition pick was Beyonce’s “If I Was A Boy,” and she stunned judges when she started on pitch even before the backing track kicked in. With an intense amount of attitude, she navigated through the song without a hitch with her powerful crystal clear voice.

Judges Yang Hyun Suk, Park Jin Young and Yoo Hee Yeol, were, needless to say, rendered speechless from start to end by her perfect pitch and powerful vocals. Akdong Musician, present at the scene, was also clearly impressed.

When the song ended, Yang Hyun Suk was the first to express his suspicions, asking her if she had an in-ear microphone to help her get her pitch right on the first note. Kim Eun Joo didn’t. They then deduced that she must have perfect pitch.

Park Jin Young expressed his shock, stating, “Even without vocal training, you use your chest voice for your low notes and head voice for your high notes. If you don’t learn it properly, it’s not possible so I don’t know how you did it.”

Yoo Hee Yeol, too, expressed his surprise at the unexpectedly big voice coming from her small frame. He commented that she had potential, and this was something that Yang Hyun Suk also brought up, “I can’t ignore your age. 16 years old. With just a bit more polishing, your singing could be so much better.”

The judges overall liked her voice. Park Jin Young advised her to focus on singing from the heart, instead of merely focusing on vocal performance. He also called her scary, before passing her on to the next round, to which Yoo Hee Yeol joked that he sounded like he was scolding her.

Kim Eun Joo’s appearance brings with it the promise of the birth of another female diva such as Park Ji Min and Lee Ha Yi. Both girls shocked the judges right from their first audition, and were Season 1’s top two performers.

To check out Kim Eun Joo’s singing, check out the video of her performance via K-Pop Star’s YouTube channel below: