This season, who’s going to own the position battle?
In every season of K-pop survival shows, trainees go through a series of missions and tests to see if they have what it takes—be it visuals or talent—to debut in a K-pop group. One of the most anticipated missions is the position battle, where trainees compete against each other, ultimately showcasing their skills in dance, rap, and vocals.
Compared to last season’s position battle, it’s impossible to forget the iconic stages—from the powerhouse performance of the ‘TOMBOY’ team to the captivating ‘Love Killa’ stage, as well as the heart-touching ‘Man In Love’ performance. Honestly, looking back at season one, we cannot overlook how incredibly talented those boys were. The question, however, is whether this year’s trainees can measure up to last season’s.
The Mission
Among all missions, the position round is the most crucial, as it truly reflects trainees’ genuine talents and determines who is worthy of a spot in the debut group.
For this mission, contestants have to make certain arrangements themselves. There is also a small twist in this year’s position battle: All-Star and Two-Star trainees will choose the position and song they are most confident in and will compete for the top spot. Naturally, All-Star trainees get to choose first and can decide whether or not to accept challenges from Two-Star trainees aiming for their ‘All-Star thrones’.
So, here are the songs for this year’s position battle:
For the Vocal Position:
- LeeHi’s ‘BREATHE’
- SEVENTEEN’s ‘Run To You’
- I-dle’s ‘Queencard’
- H1-KEY’s ‘Rose Blossom’
For the Dance Position:
- Christopher’s ‘Bad’
- YOUNG POSSE’s ‘XXL’
- JENNIE’s ‘like JENNIE’
- Stray Kids’ ‘LALALALA’
- Eve’s ‘Tambourine’
For the Rap Position:
- Dynamicduo and Lee Young-ji’s ‘Smoke’
- ALLDAY PROJECT’s ‘FAMOUS’
- 1TYM’s ‘Hot’
Dance Position: YOUNG POSSE’s ‘XXL’ Stage
In survival shows, the training phase before the final performance is usually messy and a bit chaotic. However, I think this was the very first time that a team’s training phase was so neat and polished. The team, under Arctic and Na Yun Seo’s guidance, pulled it off with such smoothness and efficiency that even Yun Seo was slightly worried. I bet he’s watched lots of Mnet survival shows.
Overall, the performance was by far the most stable and balanced one. While it didn’t have that original swag, it definitely brought out a cute concept with members Sun Jia Yang, Peng Jin Yu, Na Yun Seo, and Arctic, which was beautiful to watch. It’s also crazy how Yun Seo and Arctic were able to pull off rich choreography and coordinate a team at such a young age.
Popularity does play a key role in contestants’ rankings, but I do hope that viewers start noticing all-rounders Yun Seo and Arctic.
Rap Position: 1TYM’s ‘Hot’ Stage
Unlike the team above, which had zero drama, this team’s training phase seemed unstable and chaotic. At one point, He Zhong Xing even went to the production team, asking if he could leave the show. While I don’t understand why he couldn’t leave, staying turned out to be the right decision, as he shone throughout the performance… for the first time!
My favorite in this group was Jun Lee Jeong. He did score the most points, yet I was hugely disappointed, as he seemed to have less impact throughout the performance. On the other hand, Li Zi Hao, He Zhong Xing, and Nian Bo Heng lit up the stage.
I get why this team faced some backlash, much of it stemming from their controversial rap lyrics targeting popular trainees like Yi Chen, Seo Won, and Sang Won. However, I cannot understand why Nian Bo Heng got only 900 points—the lowest score in the group.
Dance Position: JENNIE’s ‘Like JENNIE’ Stage
Who else was as shocked as I was when Mnet aired the full performance of this team?
Having watched my fair share of survival shows, I know that the best performance is usually saved for last, with the full performance shown in the next episode. And didn’t we all expect the ‘Like Jennie’ stage to be the best, especially with impressive dance trainees like Sang Won, Harry June, and Hsu Ching Yu?
So maybe this performance wasn’t the best after all—watching it confirmed that for me.
Choosing Lee Sang Won as the killing part was a wise decision, as his energy ate up the whole stage. His intro was strong, and his stage aura was alluring. When it comes to Kim Jun Min, I think he has the same captivating charm as Sang Won (and we all love his expressions!). Despite not having much screen time, Jung Hyung Jun did a great job.
I’m a fan of Harry June, and he did deserve some recognition for choreographing the performance, yet he seemed like a backup dancer on stage. Additionally, despite being in the center, the cameras barely showed him. I think the same goes for Hsu Ching Yu, as it felt like he just dissolved into the background.
Truth be told, if Sang Won hadn’t been on the team, the stage would have been a huge flop. Maybe because last season had vocals/rap, and dance, or because the song is way too popular, but for me, the performance felt too bland and didn’t meet my expectations.
Next Week’s Showdown
The episode ended with a little sneak peek of the ‘LALALALA’ team performance, and honestly, I’m excited. We all are, right?
From the beginning, it was clear that Xing Long was made for Stray Kids’ songs. But this time, maybe we’ll see another unexpected member shine—Kim Geon Woo? Could the next episode be his redemption era?
I can’t wait! And you?
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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