5 Swoon-Worthy "Mix & Match" Performances

Oct 23, 2014

We are only one week away from the “Mix & Match” finale, where the final four members will be chosen to join B.I., Bobby, and Kim Jin Hwan for the new YG boy group, iKON. For those of you who have fallen in love with Team B from “Who is Next: WIN,” you have probably been waiting for the moment where all members are set and ready to debut into the K-pop scene. There were so many awesome performances on this show all together. As the finale is approaching, here are just some of their most memorable performances on their survival show, “Mix & Match.”

1. “Rolling in the Deep” (Ep. 3 Bobby’s Team)

Their rearrangement of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” was amazing. Not only was it a good performance overall, the way they incorporated a powerful rap into the song was very clever and well put together. Jung Jin Hyeong and Kim Dong Hyuk’s vocals were so smooth and really complimented one another, creating good harmonies. And I think American fans might have appreciated this performance a little more because you could actually understand the English lyrics they were singing, since they enunciated really well. Bobby’s guitar slamming skills were pretty awesome here too! Almost all the judges in the audience really enjoyed the performance overall. This was a memorable performance just because of the overall performance created and the added Korean rap, which definitely gave this popular song a completely different feeling.

2. “I Want You” (Ep. 4 Kim Jin Hwan’s Team)

All the girls were probably swooning during this performance! This song, originally sung by Luke James, not only has romantic and charming lyrics, but the way that these boys sang this song was just so lovable. This team included most of the vocals of the group, so they wanted to do a song that would showcase their vocals. And it definitely did! This performance was memorable because their vocals were totally harmonious and the way they sang in falsetto was just mind-blowing. Plus, the fact that they performed this love song in dress shirts and ties made it just a little bit more romantic…

3.”Rocket & Hot in Herre” (Ep. 4 Team Dance)

SWOON SWOON SWOON. The first half of this performance was a sexy dance to “Rocket” by Travis Garland (original by Beyoncé), then the performance shifted to “Hot in Herre” by Nelly. It went from a sexy, charismatic dance to an upbeat, hip-hop dance. It was a short performance by the team, but within this one performance you could see two different, but appealing sides of this group, especially the couple of members who led parts of the performance. This really showcased their teamwork, movement as a body, and their amazing dance abilities, which they were already well known for.

4. “Let’s Get it Started” (Ep. 5 Bobby’s Team)

This was part of the collaboration match, where the three teams collaborated with a YG female singer. Bobby’s team collaborated with KPOP Star Season 3 TOP 10 contestant Jang Ha Na. They did their own rearrangement of Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get it Started.” Although they didn’t win first place in the vocal round, this was still an overall really fun and exciting rendition. And you could really see the excitement from the team and their enthusiasm as they performed this song. Once again, Bobby’s rap was so impressive, but this time Goo Jun Hoe, Jung Chan Woo, and even Jang Ha Na were able to show off their amazing harmonies and high vocal ranges. It is true when they say that the performers’ attitudes and excitement has a large affect on the viewers’ responses to the performance. When the singers have fun, the audience has fun as well!

5. Let it Go (Ep. 6 B.I.’s Team w/ Lee Hi)

This performance was also part of the collaboration challenge. B.I’s team collaborated with Lee Hi and they did their own hip-hop rendition of “Let it Go” from Frozen. Although some people may argue that the original is better, I think they did an excellent job at rearranging this song in their own style and in the YG style, adding their own flare and swag to it. This performance also got the highest total of points from the judges in the vocal round of the collaboration episode. The charismatic vocals of Lee Hi, Kim Dong Hyuk, and Yang Hong Seok with B.I.’s rap made this the perfect collaboration.

BONUS: Original Team B’s “Wait For Me”

This is special not only for their fans, but probably for the members themselves because it would be the last song that they recorded as the group, Team B. The lyrics were also written by B.I. and Bobby. Although there could be different interpretations for each listener, it could be kind of like a love letter, promise, or even “thanks to” for their fans, who have been supporting them throughout this entire journey. Overall with their smooth vocals and powerful raps, it is a very emotional and passionate song…