'Sing Again' achieves its highest viewership rating

“Sing Again” is an audition program for “forgotten” singers. / Courtesy of JTBC

By Dong Sun-hwa

“Sing Again,” an audition program for “forgotten” singers, set its highest viewership rating on Monday, according to Nielsen Korea.

The latest episode scored 7.5 percent viewership nationwide, a 0.6 percent rise from the previous episode. This is the highest rating so far for the program that premiered on Nov. 16 with a 3.2 percent rating.

“Sing Again,” hosted by singer/actor Lee Seung-gi, features 71 teams of singers who released music in the past but have been out of the public eye.

Singers Lee Sun-hee and Yoo Hee-yeul, lyricist Kim Ea-na, rocker Jeon In-kwon and Kyuhyun of Super Junior are among the judges. The winner will receive 100 million won ($91,000) and support for releasing a new song and holding a concert.

Many viewers have found “Sing Again” amusing and different from other TV audition shows.

“It is different from other audition programs in terms of the cast and the format,” a viewer commented. “People of all ages can enjoy the program as it brings the spotlight to talented singers of diverse ages and genres.”

“Sing Again” does not reveal the names of participants, only identifying them by a number.

“This is to help the contestants further spread their names,” chief producer Yun Hyeon-jun said during an online press conference, Nov. 16. “If we hide their names, viewers might be more curious and seek out their identity.”

“Sing Again” airs on Mondays at 10:30 p.m. (KST) on JTBC and Discovery Channel Korea.