'Story Seller' Audition Star Lee Seung-cheol Removes Stories, Eliminations, and Even Female Participants... Will 'The Scout' Succeed? [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Will singer Lee Seung-cheol's audition variety show 'The Scout' succeed again?

On the morning of the 29th, a production press conference for ENA's new variety show 'The Scout: A Star Reborn' (hereinafter 'The Scout') was held at Cube Convention Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The master panel, including Lee Seung-cheol, Kim Jae-joong, Wendy (Red Velvet), Young K (DAY6), and TV personality Choo Sung-hoon, attended.

While 'The Scout' is a competition program, it differentiates itself by positioning itself as a 'growth-oriented' music project focused on 'change and evolution.' Top experts in the music industry will personally discover 'raw gems' who have yet to fully showcase their talents and present them with new directions and possibilities.

In particular, the program has garnered even more attention with Lee Seung-cheol, the 'audition god' and original judge of Mnet's 'Superstar K' series, the pioneer of audition programs, participating in production.

Lee Seung-cheol stated, "While serving as a judge for many audition programs, I always felt something was off, a feeling that wasn't entirely satisfying. What I mean is that when I watched a contestant with flashy vocal skills compete against another with a deep, low-range voice on a single song mission, I felt it was a pity. They could express themselves differently, yet the system decided their fate through a single battle. It was regrettable when eliminated contestants either continued their careers with such limitations or gave up on music. Therefore, I wanted to create a program that applies a system suited to raw gems, discovering jewels that can truly shine, and I have been planning this for two years, leading to today."

He continued, "As I created this program, my feeling was 'it was truly well done.' Watching each raw gem turn into a jewel, I feel confident that it is working well."

Furthermore, Lee Seung-cheol emphasized the absence of 'story selling.' He said, "In 'Superstar K' or other audition shows, many contestants' backstories are revealed, but 'The Scout' has none of that. We do not disclose backgrounds or ages."

In fact, the 16th muses (contestants) were selected through a blind test.

However, 'The Scout' has specified the gender as 'male.' Regarding this, Lee Seung-cheol explained, "I felt that having a competitive structure was better than mixing male and female contestants, so I structured it this way. 'The Scout' is a seasonal program. Seasons 1 and 2 will feature male singers, Season 3 will feature bands, and Season 4 will feature female singers."

The elimination system has also been removed. Lee Seung-cheol highlighted that "the master panel does not participate in judging at all, not even 1%."

So, what is the fun point that will captivate viewers? Lee Seung-cheol answered, "'The Scout' is a program to create solo singers. All 16 contestants will each release one new song, totaling 16 tracks. The muses transformed by the master panel will undergo evaluation by the national audience during a live broadcast. Reflecting 100% of the national audience votes, eight contestants will be selected. Those eight will perform in a concert and have an album produced after the broadcast ends."

Choo Sung-hoon's casting also raised questions. In this regard, the production team assigned him the role of 'physical training.'

Choo Sung-hoon also candidly shared, "When I was first approached for 'The Scout,' I couldn't understand it myself either. 'Why am I here?' I thought. 'As a martial artist, what can I do to help on a music show? What should I do?' I had many thoughts."

He continued, "After starting filming and shooting a few times, I saw the contestants and realized that on a large stage, having a strong 'mental' fortitude is essential. That's when I realized, 'Ah, this is my role.' However, I didn't expect to be included among these five. I thought I would just appear briefly and leave, so I wondered, 'Is it okay for it to turn out like this?'" This remark drew laughter.

Soon after, Choo Sung-hoon said, "I also poured 100% of my effort into mental management for the muse contestants. Some of them have very intense eyes."

The first episode of 'The Scout' will air on May 8.

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*This content was translated by AI.