Top 20 Finalists of tvN K-Pop Star Hunt Revealed

Judges Impressed with Singapore’s tvN K-POP Star Hunt Contestants
Top 20 advance to Round 2 of the audition on 23 October

Singapore, Oct 22 – 100 aspiring K-Pop superstars showcased their vocal
prowess and slickest dance moves in front of the tvN K-POP Star Hunt’s panel
of judges, Mr. Eddy Tan, Vice President, Programming of tvN, [V] and Star
World, Fox International Channels (FIC); Mr. Park Jae-Hyun, General
Department Head of Rookie Development Division, CUBE Entertainment; and
Singapore guest judge, television personality and actress, Ms. Irene Ang.
Based on their personal style, soulful croons, polished choreography and the
‘superstar’ factor, the top 20 contestants will move on to the final round
of competition tomorrow, where the top two will be selected for professional
training with CUBE Entertainment and compete in the finals for K-Pop
superstardom!

The atmosphere at StarHub Green was tense as each contestant took their
spots in the holding area, warming their vocal chords, or further perfecting
their dance moves. There were others who huddled together with their family
members and friends for additional emotional support, as they nervously
awaited their turn to perform.

Ranging from ages as young as 12 to 28-year olds, the superstar hopefuls
shared their dreams and aspirations with organisers, gushing over the
opportunity to train with CUBE Entertainment, the entertainment management
company which has churned out Korean powerhouses such as BEAST, 4 Minute and
G-NA. Many passionate fans even chose to pick up the Korean language to
better articulate their singing and to understand the conversations and
chatter on Korean variety shows as well as in their favourite Korean drama
series.

Said one such fan, Ms. Fu Qiaohan, 16, a student at Zhonghua Secondary
School, “I picked up the Korean language two years ago so that I could
reduce my dependency on subtitles whenever I watch Korean programmes. It has
also helped me to relate to some of the puns and play on words that are
spoken in these programmes. This way, nothing gets lost in translation.”

Eddy Tan, who sat amongst the esteemed panel of judges, was awestruck by the
quality of performances. He remarked, “I’m really amazed by the quality of
the contestants! Some of the performances really blew me away. Not only did
the contestants’ ability to sing and dance impress me but many of them were
also effectively multi-lingual with a handful able to speak Korean
proficiently.”

Singapore guest judge Irene Ang, who is also the CEO and founder of
Singapore’s pioneer artiste management company FLY Entertainment Pte Ltd,
was especially specific in her selection with only the most outstanding and
well-rounded contestants receiving the top marks. She explained, “We are
looking for contestants that we feel best represent Singapore and are able
to perform well even on an international platform. We look beyond the
performance and also take into consideration the potential of each
contestant. Talent is also key.”

“We are looking forward to the finals tomorrow where competition will be
even tighter,” Ang added.

The top 20 contestants will gear themselves up for the final round of
auditions which will be held tomorrow, Sunday, 23 October at Square 2, from
2pm onwards, where the judges will be called on once again to select their
final two. The two contestants will represent Singapore in Seoul, joined by
eight other representatives from Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the
Philippines. In Seoul, the ten finalists will undergo a boot camp mentored
by CUBE Entertainment and star in a reality series which will air on 31st
December, Saturday, 8pm on tvN (StarHub channel 824) where the next K Pop
Star will be crowned.

———-

Here’s the Top 20 Finalists!

Natalie Tan (21)

Kimberly Sng (16)

Christina Cai (12)

Phedra Soh Hui Ru (15)

Haru Jjang (26)

Maressa Zahirah (23)

Amira Nurul (13)

Tara Elliot (21)

Zhang Min Hua (21)

Fu Qiaohan (16)

Cheryl Cheng Xin Yi (21)

Shyahida Bte Ramle (19)

Sofeaadilla Ismail (15)

Wu Meng Yu (21)

Vanessa Lum (16)

Jasmine Tan (16)

Teo Ee Kie (17)

Kelly Wong (18)

Yong U-Lynn (18)

Jayley Woo Jiaqi (19)

———-

For more (x)clusive coverage of tvN K-Pop Star Hunt, do stay tuned as we bring you behind-the-scenes shots.