Is Vocal No Longer Important In K-pop Industry? Vocal Survival Show Struggles With 0% Ratings
As “Build Up” failed to attract viewers despite its high quality, netizens raised discussion over the importance of vocal in the current K-pop scene
Mnet’s “Build Up: Voval Boy group Survival” is a program in which male singers with powerful vocals build up their skills, charms and passion to form a new group. With 10 episodes, the program began airing on January 26th and will end after releasing the final episode next week.
“Build Up” started off with 0.5% in episode 1 and rose slightly to 0.6% in episode 2, which is also the highest rating record among all 8 broadcasts. Although the show’s ratings and popularity were disappointing, the performers confidently captivated viewers with their solid skills and outstanding vocal performances, giving a little hope for a rebound in the last broadcasts.
The “Dangerously” video in episode 3 of “Build Up”, which is considered one of the most excellent stages, has gathered 2.42 million views. With over 890,000 views, “Don’t Go Don’t Go” stage in episode 1 was also highly praised by both the viewers and the judges. Compared to last year’s survival show “Boy’s Planet”, which recorded 880,000 views with “Back Door” performance, the achievements of “Build Up” are not too low. In the case of “Boy’s Planet”, the “Back Door” stage included four members in the debut lineup of ZB1, and the program’s ratings also remained in the 0% range.
However, there is a big difference between “Boy’s Planet” and “Build Up”. “Boy’s Planet” created hot topics and went viral on social media, while “Build Up” is nowhere to be found on the entertainment program rankings.
Even before the official broadcast of “Build Up”, there had been various expectations and concerns. In particular, many were worried whether a vocal competition would appeal to viewers in the current music industry that focuses more on dance performances.
Gathering a total of 40 vocalists, who are former and current idols, musical actors, and trainees who have never stood in public, “Build Up” solved viewers’ concerns by presenting outstanding vocal performances in every episode. Idols who have been less popular in their groups are now receiving recognition. By appearing on “Build Up”, the singers have gradually secured more solid fans by proving their vocal skills and unexpected charms. Many viewers were also able to enjoy high-quality stages that they may not be able to see on music shows. Regardless of their experiences, the singers are capturing viewers’ hearts with their pure talents. Although its format is far from the trends in the music industry, “Build Up” is a good choice for people who prioritize vocals. Despite the poor rating and popularity, the way the singers poured their hearts into the performances impressed many viewers.
Due to the high quality of the program, fans are expressing regrets over the popularity of the show. Some complained that the singers would not feel much rewarded for their hard work even if they won the debut opportunity. The final stage is just around the corner, so fans are hoping that the cast will receive greater attention.
In fact, there’s an opinion pointing out that the production method of “Build Up”, which excludes the cast’s background stories and shows only their performances, might be one of the reasons behind the show’s low recognition. As such, the production team is facing a crisis in which they need to accept the current situation and feedback about “Build Up” lacking unique characteristics compared to other audition programs and find ways to attract attention for the remaining episodes.
