[Holy fuck, Kang Ichae really is a genius.]
[“You might not know the thrill of pushing past your limits since I never faked any line” << insane.]
[That’s a direct diss at the others, no doubt;]
[Basically calling out everyone except Baek Jijun and The Dawn for coasting, right?]
[Doesn’t matter, though. Track F’s hook is straight-up busted-level ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) good lolol.]
“Kang Ichae...! He is a god!”
“Maknae, are you crying?”
With his eyes shimmering, Jung Dajun stood up and clapped like he was at a standing ovation, and Kim Sunghyun teased him with a smirk. As the performance ended, the introduction stage wrapped up and the internal voting among the contestants began. Through it all, Kang Ichae didn’t say a word.
The result: The Dawn received zero votes.
But none of the members watching seemed particularly upset.
【Staff: Which performance left the biggest impression on you?】
The screen cut to post-show interviews with other contestants.
【Baek Jijun: Kang Ichae-ssi. The time limit was brutal, but he brought a beat and melody completely different from everyone else’s. (But you didn’t vote for The Dawn, did you?) Uh... the lyrics overall were a bit lacking... though the latter half was incredible!】
【Jo Youngbi: I laughed at first thinking they were joking, but the rap section at the end was shockingly good. It was so perfect it made me wonder if The Dawn planned that twist from the start.】
Then the camera showed Kang Ichae, eyes blank, staring off into space.
【Staff: You received zero votes....】
【Kang Ichae: Ah... more than that, I feel sorry to the production team. You all must’ve worked hard preparing this, but we ended up making you panic. I really wanted to do well, too....】
[He’s more polite than I expected. Thought he’d be cocky.]
[Yeah, he looks like a punk, but he’s actually soft-spoken.]
[Is he... crying?]
[lol yeah looks like he cried backstage before coming back out.]
He scrubbed his face with both hands and bowed his head slightly.
【Kang Ichae: (Did you delete the lyrics file on purpose?) Do I look like someone relaxed enough to erase my lyrics on purpose?】
【...No....】
[Holy shit, so it was real lololol]
[But still, he fucking killed it hahaha]
The scene cut again—this time to K.Voka, one of the most respected rappers in the industry.
【K.Voka: Kang Ichae—.】
He nodded, raising his right hand in that signature hip-hop gesture.
【K.Voka: —That’s hip-hop.】
[Ahhh lmfaooo K.Voka hahahahahaha]
[This crazy bastard’s hilarious lolololol]
[K.Voka always says he hates scripts—guess he actually liked Ichae’s stuff hahahahahaha]
After scrolling through the comments, I turned off the QBS live chat and stared at the TV. The broadcast was teasing hints for the first competition stage.
Just as I predicted.
There were a few negative takes, sure, but in terms of buzz, it was perfect.
They’d pushed Kang Ichae front and center from the start, and because of that, he’d inevitably become a lightning rod for criticism till the show’s end—but that was all within the plan.
More pressing right now was—
What’s up with him?
Kang Ichae, suddenly bowing his head and rubbing the back of his neck, caught my attention.
“Ichae-hyung, it looked really good on TV!”
“......”
He didn’t respond to Dajun’s attempt to cheer him up. I studied his expression, uneasy, about to grab his shoulder and call his name—
“Kang—”
“Aaachoo~!!”
A loud sneeze exploded out of him, his hand shooting into the air.
“Alright, alright, ahem. Our dear Saebyeok members! Not a bad start! Let’s ride this momentum straight to No. 1~!!”
“Kang Ichae, Kang Ichae, milk-skinned Kang Ichae! Applause for Ichae-hyung, who manages to promote himself even with a sneeze~!”
“Ichae’s amazing~ah~!!”
“Are you all collectively losing it?”
The boisterous Ichae looked like his usual self, yet something still felt off.
Sung Jiwon and Dajun burst into bright laughter, Sunghyun grimaced in disgust, and I hesitated, debating whether to press him further—when my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Seo Hojin.
[Little bro: Fighting.]
I looked at the phone, then back at Kang Ichae.
The uneasy feeling just wouldn’t go away.
***
Just one episode in, Song Camp had blown up everywhere.
[Watched it with my mom and we both lost it laughing hahaha. Dad came in halfway through and asked if this was supposed to be a real broadcast lol.]
[Almost cried watching Sung Jiwon sing while Kang Ichae closed his eyes tight.]
[So this isn’t a competition—it’s a comedy show, holy shit.]
NerdyFreak’s Garage was already charting high on Billboard and doing great domestically, so public interest in Kang Ichae had been rising. The show’s provocative editing only amplified that attention.
[Title: Why Track E and F sounded rougher than the rest.jpg
Because Baek Jijun and The Dawn actually composed theirs on the spot lolol.
└True, people said the others sounded overproduced and these two felt rushed—netizens have sharp ears.
└Even so, Track F’s still the GOAT lol.
└With just a little more time, they could’ve released it as a proper song. Baek Jijun’s Frozen Season lyrics were legendary...
└└But come on, MyMyLyricsAreGone is the real legend.
└└lmaooo yeah, that’s just comedy gold T_T]
[Title: I thought the editing was pushing The Dawn too hard in the opening,
but now I get it.
They deserved the spotlight.
I wondered why the station was hyping that kid so much—turns out he tore it up.
Sure, the first half’s lyrics were a mess, but what do you expect with a one-hour limit? They and Baek Jijun were the only ones actually writing live.
└That hook’s a cheat code.
└└Catchy enough to hum after one listen.
└LOL the rest were all faking it.
└You really believe that? The station always preps scripts. Editing was slick though, and Ichae’s acting’s crazy good.
I’ll bet my wrist he didn’t compose it himself.
└└Wow what’ll it take for you to believe he did? That’s pure malice.
└└Like when a magician shows a trick and some idiot up front tries to expose it.
└└HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA perfect analogy lol
└└That magician line sounds exactly like his fandom hahahahahahaha]
[Title: The Dawn’s introduction stage hit the hardest.
It felt like a completely different song halfway through.
That mood shift... the rap went off.
└Say what you want, but the guy’s a real artist. Even with those dumb lyrics, he made it sound sweet.
└Who was the vocalist? He held his own even next to Baek Jijun.
└└Sung Jiwon!!!]
[Oh, so Song Camp’s actually fun?]
[I watched Seasons 1 and 2 with my family—they were wholesome. Looks like Season 3’s off to a good start too.]
People who caught even a glimpse of the introduction stage on SNS ended up checking out Episode 1 out of curiosity.
And when Episode 2 finally dropped—showing the first competition stage at the riverside park—viewers were completely hooked.
[Wow, Song Camp.]
[So fucking good...]
By the time the broadcast ended, excitement was through the roof.
Every community board was flooded with talk about Song Camp.
[The lineup alone’s insane, every performance’s a treat TT_TT First-round song quality’s unreal.]
[Baek Jijun’s more strategic than I thought lol. I expected him to stick to traditional ballads, but doing a trot-style ballad was genius.]
[Title: The contestants all want to be comedians lmao.
Kang Ichae’s Producer-nim You’re Too Much Song was hilarious,
but K.Voka literally only said “That’s hip-hop” and “That’s not hip-hop” the whole episode hahahaha.
└Are these people here to compose or to audition for a comedy show?
└I thought Song Camp would piss me off but it’s just funny.
└K.Voka: Competition? That’s not hip-hop.
└└HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]
[Title: Is K.Voka out of his damn mind? LOLLLLLL
At the town riverside park, he screamed Suck my X!!!!!! lmaooooo
└Before broadcast: “Voka-hyung, do whatever you want!”
After broadcast: “Voka-hyung, please do only a little of what you want.”
└└HAHAHAHAHAHA I laughed harder than during the show, Jesus, learn what TPO means man
└└For real, K.Voka got a hint during the introduction mission and still didn’t give a single fuck hahahahahahaha
└└Wait, yeah he DID get a hint didn’t he hahahaha what the hell is wrong with him
└Still, K.Voka’s got devil-tier star power lmao. I used to find him annoying ‘cause of his stans, but now I crack up just seeing his face
└└Because... that’s hip-hop]
Even more than during the introduction stage, the show’s popularity skyrocketed — but reactions to The Dawn’s first-round performance were lukewarm.
[Title: Honestly, The Dawn’s stage this time was more average than I expected
But the location saved it.
Seo Hoyun’s tone matched the scenery perfectly.
└Yeah that place was insane...]
Apart from the cinematography, that is.
【—The blazing sun shines on me!】
The scene of Seo Hoyun singing beneath the warm sunlight, framed by gently swaying green leaves of early summer,
【Push away the rising anxiety in your chest and smile,
Like a scene from a youth film】
—really did look exactly like a scene from a youth film, just like the lyrics said.
【Facing the cool breeze of early summer,
I’ll remember this day forever.】
His slightly rough but mellow tone blended with the live session band, spreading a refreshing sound that made older viewers nostalgic for their own younger days.
【Welcoming this dazzling summer,
I’ll treasure this day.】
To some, it evoked homesickness.
To others, memories.
And to others still, love.
That stage soon drew plenty of positive reactions.
[Probably middle-of-the-road in both the live and judges’ scores, but with that filming and editing it looked like a full-blown romance movie.]
[Wow... if I had to describe the entire vibe in one word, it’s just youth T_T Not even a fan but it’s so healing I keep replaying it.]
[Apparently Seo Hoyun just finished shooting Vile Trial right before this,
└How the hell does he go from corrupt prosecutor to bright young man lol]
Of course, not everyone was impressed. Some said it was too safe — that while it stood out among the trot-style and emotional pieces, it lacked distinct personality and didn’t show much of Kang Ichae’s usual edge.
[I don’t think Kang Ichae lacks talent, but he’s inconsistent.]
└Seems like his output swings based on genre preference.
└He is a prodigy though—self-taught composer, hit Billboard.
└└Wait, seriously? Self-taught??
└└Nah, that’s just NerdyFreak’s influence. People keep calling him a genius even after this lol.]
[Seo Hoyun and the scenery carried the stage. Otherwise, 4th or 5th place.]
[Given Kang Ichae’s track record, this reaction makes sense... picking fights with other contestants during the intro was such a misplay. He was lucky to hit Billboard once, but honestly? He’s not that level.]
[lol yeah, he only did well in the intro stage, now he’s clearly out of his depth T_T]
[Well... probably a mix of the other contestants prepping hard and Ichae just running out of god-mode streak.]
[I wanted to see more of their prep for Round 1 T_T They crammed both the intro and first competition into Episodes 1 and 2 so it felt rushed.]
[Title: Setting aside all the Song Camp controversies—
you gotta admit it’s the most entertaining variety show right now.
My family only watches this.
Junhwan PD gave it a survival-show skin and sure, it’s messy, but it’s pure mainstream gold lol.
└True true, everyone at school’s talking about it.
└└They baited people perfectly with the blind sample gimmick. Rules and judging caused drama, but if they keep this up it could be Variety of the Year.
└All the contestants made strong impressions lol. LUMA, Kang Woorin, Jo Youngbi were already well-known, but Baek Jijun had never been on TV, K.Voka’s a hip-hop guy, and The Dawn’s more from the idol scene.
└└Yeah, whether it’s Song Camp hype or NerdyFreak’s ripple effect, it’s crazy The Dawn hit No.1 on the charts. Seo Hoyun was already semi-famous thanks to dramas, but my normie friend literally goes “Sunghyun~ Dajun~” by name now and I was floored.
└└I’m crying, fuck, day-drinking mode ON.
└└Is that you, Noeul lmaooo
└└They’re everywhere infiltrating every thread hahahaha
└The memes definitely helped the popularity too.
└└Which ones?
└└Suck my X!!!!
└└That’s not hip-hop...
└└I love you...
└└Yeah, there are so many memes hahahahahahaha]
While Song Camp chatter kept dominating online spaces, new information dropped about the second competition round.
[D-7
Pick the song that best fits the “idol concept”!
The blind vote for Song Camp Round 2 begins in one week.
These will be the concept evaluation songs for the upcoming girl-group survival show Starlight Season 2, airing soon. From EDM pop dance to hip-hop and R&B, six genres in total will be featured.
After the official release, vote for the song that best captures the idol concept and showcases their charm.
※Blind votes will account for 60% of Round 2’s total score.]
In short: QBS wanted the audience to vote for songs that would later be used in Starlight Season 2.
To keep the voting fair, every track would be sung by the same anonymous female guide vocalist.
[Wait six genres?? Then hip-hop’s obviously K.Voka’s, right?]
[No no, it says “assigned genres,” so maybe production’s picking them.]
[If the staff assign genres, that’s gonna be overkill lmao people’ll riot.]
[What if someone gets a genre that doesn’t suit them T_T My boy Voka only knows hip-hop, man...
└LMAO are you an anti or a fan?]
[Then screw it, let Jo Youngbi do hip-hop instead of trot lol.]
[People with broad range must be chillin’ haha.]
[Heard a rumor that the 1st-place winner from Round 1 gets to assign everyone’s genres.
└No way...
└No way lol...
└└Absolutely no fucking way...]
Not long after that announcement, the comments under Song Camp’s official SNS flooded with pleas to release the Round 2 songs ASAP.
[Anyone with unstable output or narrow genre range is gonna suffer hard.
Oh, not targeting Kang Ichae of course^^]
.
.
.
Meanwhile—
During the mid-evaluation for Round 2, all the contestants gathered in the studio to listen to each other’s new tracks.
When Baek Jijun’s turn came, a few people couldn’t hold back small chuckles.
Because thanks to the rule that the 1st-place contestant got to assign genres, Baek Jijun had been cornered into writing hip-hop for the first time in his life.
The moment the first line came out in an unfamiliar female voice—
【—I’m losing my resistance】
—the room fell silent, tension crackling in the air. You could feel everyone’s nerves standing on edge.
【Moonlight gleams even inside the sun,
A candle that burns without a wick,
Tell me, am I meant for you?】
At the same time, Seo Hoyun pressed a palm to his forehead and thought:
【Come in, let’s dance in the moonlight (Moonlight―)
Like lovers trapped inside a painting,
Let’s hold hands forever.】
Ah, fuck. Round 2 is totally screwed.
