After searching for months and casting boys from different nations, JYP and Psy have formed 2 distinct boybands that are going head to head in a battle of the talents.
LOUD kicked off their live shows 2 weeks ago, and has since impressed audiences with their stellar performances.
Moreover the pure talent that this the stage with every performance, LOUD is highlighted by the sarcastic remarks and friendly bickering between the 2 agency heads, Psy and Park Jin Young. The duo also mentors the contestants in between shows and judges them from the comfort of their very stylish chairs.
On August 28, SBS aired the brand new LOUD episode, wherein the contestants were challenged to take on 3 missions: Billboard, concept, and girl group.
Number 1 on the Billboard
While the love of your craft, a fandom, or views usually define the success of an artist, the Billboard charts have somehow also become a standard for solidifying your status as a global superstar.
In line with this, the boys at LOUD had one week to put together a cover of a song that ranked on the number 1 spot of the Billboard charts.
Team JYP took the stage first with a revolutionary remixed and revamped version of Billie Eilish's monster hit, "Bad Guy".
Amaru, Keiju, Youn Dong Yeon, Lee Dong Hyeon, Lee Gye Hun, Zo Doohyun, and Yoon Min took an already well-composed Western pop song and transformed it into something otherworldly. There's no denying that the strong vocal skills of this team added magic to their step.
With their polished dance moves, dark ensembles, distinct charisma, and innovative style, the JYP LOUD boys are a whole new genre.
After Team JYP burned up the stage, the 9-strong of Team P NATION gave an EDM twist to Camila Cabello's hit single, "Havana".
Cheon Jun Hyeok, Oh Sung Jun, Choi Tae Hun, Woo Kyung Jun, Jang Hyun Soo, Eun Hwi, Lee Ye Dam, Tanaka Koki, and Daniel Jikal took a Latina pop hit and kicked it up a notch by speeding it up to high octane levels.
Like host Lee Seung Gi joked, we also expected the P NATION members to hit the stage with Psy's iconic Gangnam Style horse dance, but the worldwide hit was only one rank short of being number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Awww.)
Maybe Psy will consider making them perform the famous horse dance next week, or perhaps he'll even perform it himself? (Pretty please?)
School Life Concept
The second round prompted the candidates to throw on their high school uniforms!
Team JYP unleashed their playful side with intricate school bus and classroom props for their performance of Stray Kids' "School Life".
Afterwards, Team P NATION took a swing at BTS' legendary debut song, "No More Dream".
Bring the Girls (Music) Out
K-Pop girl group music differs greatly when compared to K-Pop boy group songs. That's why this 3rd mission was not to be taken lightly.
The team of JYP deviated from their usual tough and cool selves to showcase their sweet and whimsical sides by performing a restyled version of Red Velvet's "Peek-A-Boo". Our favorite part of the performance?
That huge drawer that they popped out of, of course! #Cute
Rendering the final performance of the ight, Team P NATION opted to give the devil a run for his money with Girls' Generation's massive hit, "Run Devil Run". The big surprise was that the candidates rocked some fiery vampire costumes, instead of devil-themed outfits.
The Elimination
The latest episode of LOUD concluded with P NATION winning all 3 rounds and with 2 candidates being eliminated from the running; namely, Youn Dong Yeon and Lee Ye Dam.
When it came down to vote-based elimination, Lee Dong Hyeon came out with the lowest fan votes. Luckily, Park Jin Young used his one and only wild card to save him.
Watching people get eliminated from reality shows is never easy, but it's important to remember that when you get rejected, you're only being redirected to something that's perfect for you. Your journey is only beginning and there are other roads to explore!
Next week will reveal the finale of LOUD, and we're on the edge of our seats to see whose voice will be heard the LOUDest.
SOURCE: SBS LOUD
IMAGE SOURCE: SBS LOUD