JYP and PSY come together to create a survival audition program to debut two new boy groups. Two great producers, but one with years and years of experience in idol groups and audition shows, and one who is completely new to this side of the industry. Their contrasting expertise and personalities already assured us that LOUD will be an entertaining program to watch, but when it actually started, it really stood out from the multitude of similar programs. 

An exciting format with contestants full of great potential, these past few weeks have been filled with some impressive moments. And thanks to LOUD, after decades of being colleagues and friends, we finally got to see the two producers creating a song together. Here’s a little recap of SBS’s latest audition show, why we loved it and what we think of the debuting groups’ first original songs.

I discovered Korean variety and survival shows about 10 years ago when I studied broadcasting media, and I consumed an amount of shows that I wouldn’t dare to admit. But I haven’t found one in several years that sucked me in as much as LOUD did—I enjoyed it both from a professional and a fan point of view. Although the format itself definitely wasn’t the most pioneering out there, it mixed well-working and popular elements with its overall concept, different rounds, and two major entertainment companies competing for idols in a way that still felt fresh. But what really made it for me is the group of contestants. Whoever did the precasting did an amazing job. Every single guy who showed up in LOUD had the potential to become big in the industry. The eliminated contestants didn’t lose either—they are just going on a different route and I’ll be keeping my eyes on all of them. 

We all know JYP and JYP Entertainment when it comes to producing idol groups—they have their go-to recipes for success; while PSY and P NATION creating a boy group made me worried at first. I was afraid they might lose their unique traits to give in to the mainstream boy group vibes, but I was also not sure if such young—and let’s be honest, mostly inexperienced—guys can live up to the producer’s and company’s position and style in the industry. But it all turned out great.

Pre-Recorded Episodes

In contrast to many idol survival shows, LOUD wasn’t about finding blank canvases who the company can later paint to their own images. All the contestants that have been shown on the program have proved to be strong individuals with clear (“loud” if you will) personalities from the beginning. In the first round, besides their skills, they also had to win over the producers with their charms—meaning we got to know each boy on a more personal level than just seeing them sing or dance—through poems, magic tricks, self-composed tracks, and even short films—yes, I’m looking at you Daniel Jikal. Already a great move to get the audience attached! After the individual contestants, both agencies introduced some of their trainees in a group performance. Following their covers, they became regular contestants who had to work for the approval of both producers to move forward and get closer to debuting, and only 35 out of 73 contestants made it to the second round where they could prove themselves in group performances.

In the two following rounds, each contestant moved to JYP Entertainment and P NATION for a one-on-one round. This was such a great opportunity for those contestants who had never been in an agency before (most of them), and the fact that they received such professional training instead of only challenges, showed a lot in their improvements throughout the program. These weeks also helped the contestants see how both companies work before they actually had to decide which one they would prefer to join—because yes, if both producers wanted to debut a contestant, they actually got to decide which company they want to go with. Spoiler alert—all previous trainees stayed with their original companies, although I would not have minded seeing at least one of them switch just for dramatic effect. But jokes aside, each remaining with their original companies was probably the most clever and beneficial decision for all of them.

After the fourth round, SBS introduced Lee Seunggi as the “Super Agent” of the boys. He talked to all contestants, giving them advice, listening to their needs, and helping them decide between the companies when it was needed. I don’t think we’ve seen enough of this, or his influence at all. Although his presence definitely felt supportive, he was mostly just there, so the “Super Agent” title felt a bit exaggerated, at least in the parts that made the cut into the episodes. He did OK on hosting the live shows though, so no hard feelings—we stan Lee Seunggi in this house.

In the fifth round, both JYP and PSY received 10-10 casting cards to give to the contestants they want to move forward to the live shows—this time already fixed under one of the agencies. By the end of episode 11, there were nine finalists under JYP Entertainment and 10 under P NATION.

Live Shows—Episodes 12-14

Although every round was exciting for a different reason, the live shows were definitely a highlight of the program. At this point, I really wanted to forget that elimination was a thing. The two teams competed against each other in several challenges and the number of eliminated members depended on both the agency and the fans’ votes. At the end of each episode, the agencies had to send home one contestant, while the group that received less votes for their performances had to send home another member who received the least individual votes by the fans. JYP and PSY both received one wild card which they could use to save a member they didn’t want to eliminate. I mentioned how talented this group of contestants are, so of course they both ended up using their cards; JYP saving Lee Donghyeon in episode 13 and PSY saving Jang Hyunsoo in episode 14, the episode that decided the final lineup of the groups.

In these three episodes we’ve seen several very stable performances worthy of professionals. The challenges included remakes of their label mates’ songs, performing the same song but with a different concept, same concept with different songs, covering girl groups, Billboard hit songs, fan’s choice and retro K-Pop tracks. We also can’t forget about the special collaboration stages where Team P NATION performed “I’m Not Cool” with HyunA, and Team JYP Entertainment performed “Back Door” with Stray Kids’ 3RACHA—Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han. The latter was especially meaningful for Lee Gyehun fans, as he was a trainee alongside the Stray Kids members.

Grand Finale—Original Title Songs and Fan Song

On one hand, I was very excited to see the Grand Finale episode, but on the other hand, I didn’t want it to be over just yet. After deciding the final members for each debut group, LOUD added a last, final episode to the show where each team could perform without the pressure of competition and elimination—once again, setting itself apart from your usual audition programs. All the seven final members of Team P NATION and the five final members of Team JYP Entertainment showed off their shining individualities through free heartedly enjoying these special stages. We were introduced to each boy group’s first original title track, and a fan song performed together by all twelve members. We even got to see a special performance by a fan favorite combination of the two groups: Woo Kyungjun and Cheon Junhyeok of P NATION and Keiju and Lee Gyehun of JYP Entertainment. They burnt the stage together with BTS’s “MIC Drop”—and I’m hoping this wasn’t the last time we’ve seen the quartet performing together.

Team P NATION: “180초”

Team P NATION put on a very fun performance playing a press conference, where a journalist asks the members to capture the heart of the audience in just three minutes, and that is exactly what this song is about. The Korean title “180초” translates to 180 seconds in English, and it’s about enchanting the listeners in just 180 seconds, while they also add that it takes them only 180 seconds to be captivated too—it’s playful like that. But to be honest they only needed three seconds, not three minutes with this song. “180초” showcases the real hip attitude that’s fitting for both the members and P NATION. I’ve been chanting the “one hundred eighty whut” part with them even during the first listen—which means it’s pretty addictive. The song and performance is catchy and powerful, featuring each members’ great vocals, cool rap verses and even a fun dance break. It will definitely lure you in. 

Team JYP Entertainment: “GET LOUD”

“GET LOUD” is a nice play with the show’s title, completed with a bright stage performance. “GET LOUD” is an energetic and vibrant title track that you will definitely find yourself humming during the day. JYP of course produced the song, but he also let the members add their own touch with their own melody and lyrics, making it really their own song. Yoonmin showed a new color of his vocals that just makes you pay attention to him and Amaru’s “외쳐 시끄럽게 세상에” part is still stuck in my head after days. These boys are definitely going to get loud, letting the world hear them singing their hearts out as the next generation of K-Pop idols.

Fan Song: “Walk Your Walk”

Surprisingly, “Walk Your Walk” is the first collaboration song between JYP and PSY even after being close for such a long time. Thinking about the past six months and the journey of the contestants, the producers wrote and composed the fan song of LOUD together. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a fan song that gives back the strength fans gave the members, a song about leaning and relying on each other. It is quite emotional if you’ve been following their story from the beginning. It makes you proud and will leave you longing for more. 

There were so many epic performances during the past few weeks, and they are all available on SBS Entertainment’s official YouTube channel, so make sure to check them out! You can also show your support to both final groups on their social media channels while excitedly waiting to see what the future brings to these upcoming boy groups.

Team P NATION: Woo Kyungjun, Choi Taehun, Jang Hyunsoo, Cheon Junhyeok, Eunhwi, Oh Sungjun, Tanaka Koki

Twitter: @PNATION_LOUD

Instagram: @pnation_loud_

YouTube: P NATION LOUD

Team JYP Entertainment: Yoonmin, Lee Gyehun, Amaru, Keiju, Lee Donghyeon.

Twitter: @JYPELOUD

Instagram: @jyp_loud