I Am a Singer


I Am a Singer is a South Korean singing competition television program. It is a part of MBC's Sunday Night lineup. Seven talented, veteran Korean singers perform for a selected audience, which votes to eliminate one singer after each week's performance. The following week, another singer joins the competition, and the lineup of artists varies throughout the course of the show. The program ended its first season on February 19, 2012. Its second season ended in May 2012. Its third season ended on April 24, 2015.
I Am a Singer differs from other televised music competitions in that the participants are all veteran musicians who have established music careers varying from mega stardom to relative obscurity. Due to this fact, and because none of the accomplished singers desire to be voted last amongst their peers and eliminated, the level of performance is usually high and acclaimed by critics and viewers alike.

Composition

The show is divided into rounds. Each round consists of two performance episodes, one that is preliminary and the second final performance which determines the lowest ranking contestant to be eliminated. In between performance are also separate intermediate episodes that document the singers' progress and rehearsals.
Contestants are popular and prominent artists from various genres of the Korean music industry. Each contestant is paired with a "manager", seven Korean entertainers and comedians who serve as mentors, accompany their singers throughout the week to provide support during rehearsals and provide comic relief to the show.
The competition is documented by the week. At the beginning of the 1st performance week, each contestant selects a song of their choice. All contestants spend the week practicing and planning, given free rein on the interpretation of their songs and the staging of their performances. After the performance, votes from the 500-member studio audience determine the singers' rankings, although there is no elimination.
For the 2nd performance week, the singers gather and are assigned predetermined songs that fit their vocal range and style, and the rest of the week is spent in rehearsals and consulting with other musicians. These intermediate episodes include sample performances in the middle of the week, allowing the contestants to exhibit their progress in front of fellow competitors. The competitors privately vote for 1st and 7th place, determining the singers' rankings to serve as a checkpoint.
Final performances are given, again, in front of a live audience. At the end of the performances, the audience casts votes for three favorites. The results are revealed sans audience to the contestants and managers, ranking competitors from first to seventh. The competitor with the lowest average ranking is eliminated, and the next week sees a new singer added to the competition.
Starting from Round 1, the average of both performance scores is taken and the contestant with the lowest total of votes is eliminated, as new contestant replace him/her.
Singers who survive 7 times in a row graduate from the program.

Competition Results

  • P = Pass, E = Eliminated, G = Graduated, L = Voluntarily Left, R = Re-challenge

    List of episodes in Season 1

Episodes 1-3: Pilot

Episode 1 – 1st Performance
Order of performanceSingerSong titleComedian managerRanking
1Lee So-ra바람이 분다Lee Byung-jin6
2JungyupNothing BetterKim Shin-young7
3Baek Ji-young총 맞은 것 처럼Park Hwi-soon5
4Kim Bum-soo보고 싶다Park Myung-su2
5Yoon Do-hyun빨간 숲 속Kim Je-dong4
6Park Jung-hyun꿈에Kim Tae-hyun1
7Kim Gun-mo잠 못 드는 밤 비는 내리고Ji Sang-ryul3

Episode 2 - Interim Check
  • Broadcast: March 13, 2011
Interim rankingSingerSong titleComedian manager
1Jungyup짝사랑 Kim Shin-young
2Baek Ji-young무시로 Park Hwi-soon
3Kim Bum-soo그대 모습은 장미 Park Myung-su
4Park Jung-hyun비오는 날의 수채화 Kim Tae-hyun
5Lee So-ra너에게로 또다시 Lee Byung-jin
6Yoon Do-hyun나 항상 그대를 Kim Je-dong
7Kim Gun-mo립스틱 짙게 바르고 Ji Sang-ryul

Episode 3 – 2nd Performance
  • Broadcast: March 20, 2011
Order of performanceSingerSong titleOriginal singerComedian managerRanking
1Yoon Do-hyun나 항상 그대를Lee Sun-heeKim Je-dong1
2Baek Ji-young무시로Na Hoon-ahPark Hwi-soonPrivate
3Park Jung-hyun비오는 날의 수채화Kim Hyun-shik, Kang In-won, Kwon In-haKim Tae-hyunPrivate
4Kim Bum-soo그대 모습은 장미Min Hye-kyungPark Myung-suPrivate
5Kim Gun-mo립스틱 짙게 바르고Im Ju-riJi Sang-ryul7
6Lee So-ra너에게로 또다시Byun Jin-subLee Byung-jinPrivate
7Jungyup짝사랑Ju Hyun-miKim Shin-youngprivate

  • Eliminated: Kim Gun-mo

    Episode 4: Controversy

  • Broadcast: March 27, 2011
Kim Gun-mo was eliminated on Episode 3, but the singers all felt that it was too early to be eliminated so he was brought back to try again. This angered the viewers since there were rules in place prior to broadcasting that a singer with the lowest ranking would be eliminated which would bring new singers into the program.
Interim rankingSingerSong titleOriginal SingerComedian managerRanking
1Lee So-ra나의 하루 Park Jung-hyunLee Byung-jinPrivate
2Baek Ji-young약속 Kim Bum-sooPark Hwi-soonPrivate
3Kim Gun-moYou Are My LadyJung YeobJi Sang-ryulPrivate
4Kim Bum-soo제발 Lee So-raPark Myung-su1
5Yoon Do-hyunDashBaek Ji-youngKim Je-dongPrivate
6Park Jung-hyun첫인상 Kim Gun-moKim Tae-hyunPrivate
7Jungyup잊을게Yoon Do-hyunKim Shin-young7

  • Eliminated: Jung Yeob

    Episode 5: Managers' Special

  • Broadcast: April 24, 2011
Due to the controversy with Kim Gun-mo being eliminated and returning, this episode showed the manager's point of view of the broadcasts and the singers thus far.

Episode 6: Exhibition and New Singers

The program restarted with some changes, taking both Kim Gun-mo and Jung Yeob out of the competition. Baek Ji-young withdrew, citing that she had to prepare for her upcoming album, and three new singers were introduced.
This was an exhibition episode; no one was eliminated.
Order of performanceSingerSong titleComedian managerRanking
1Lee So-ra나를 사랑하지 않는 그대에게Lee Byung-jin5
2Kim Yeon-woo여전히 아름다운지Go Young-wook6
3Yoon Do-hyun나는 나비Kim Je-dong3
4BMK꽃피는 봄이오면Park Hwi-soon4
5Kim Bum-soo그런 이유라는걸Park Myung-su7
6Park Jung-hyun미아Kim Tae-hyun2
7Im Jae-bum너를 위해Ji Sang-ryul1

Episodes 7-9: Round 1

Episode 7 – 1st Performance
The contestants sing a song they want to sing.
Order of performanceSingerSong titleOriginal SingerComedian managerRanking
1Im Jae-bum빈잔Nam JinJi Sang-ryul4
2Kim Yeon-woo미련Kim Gun-moGo Young-wook6
3BMK그대 내게 다시Byun Ji-subPark Hwi-soon7
4Yoon Do-hyun마법의 성The ClassicKim Je-dong5
5Kim Bum-soo그대의 향기Yoo Young-jinPark Myung-su3
6Lee So-raNo.1BoALee Byung-jin2
7Park Jung-hyun이젠 그랬으면 좋겠네Cho Yong-pilKim Tae-hyun1

Episode 8 - Interim Check
Interim rankingSingerSong titleComedian manager
1Kim Yeon-woo나와 같다면Go Young-wook
2BMK아름다운 강산 Park Hwi-soon
3Im Jae-bum여러분 Ji Sang-ryul
4Yoon Do-hyunRun Devil Run Kim Je-dong
5Park Jung-hyun소나기 Kim Tae-hyun
6Lee So-ra사랑이야 Lee Byung-jin
7Kim Bum-soo늪 Park Myung-su

Episode 9 – 2nd Performance
  • Broadcast: May 22, 2011
Order of performanceSingerSong titleOriginal SingerComedian managerRanking
1Lee So-ra사랑이야Song Chang-shikLee Byung-jin6
2BMK아름다운 강산Lee Sun-heePark Hwi-soon2
3Yoon Do-hyunRun Devil RunGirls' GenerationKim Je-dong5
4Kim Yeon-woo나와 같다면Kim Jang-hoonGo Young-wook4
5Kim Bum-soo늪Jo Gwan-wooPark Myung-su3
6Park Jung-hyun소나기BoohwalKim Tae-hyun7
7Im Jae-bum여러분Yoon Book-heeJi Sang-ryul1

  • Eliminated: Kim Yeon-woo