3 class positions, 12 songs, 48 trainees… and only one winning group!
As soon as the mission’s songs were revealed, viewers’ excitement grew, eager to see their favorite contestants perform popular tracks like Stray Kids’ ‘LALALALA’, i-DLE’s ‘Queencard’, and JENNIE’s ‘like JENNIE’. What I anticipated most was witnessing the trainees’ diversity. Among all the missions, the class position round carries significant weight, as it reveals each contestant’s true abilities. It is the real test, where contestants’ genuine talent emerges, providing insight into their rightful position within a group.
Despite high anticipation for Like JENNIE’s team, the results fell short of expectations. The show wrapped up last week with a cliffhanger, hinting at another group as the potential highlight of the mission.
While this week’s pacing felt a bit rushed, with contestants’ backstories shortened, there were still several performances and trainees that were worth watching. Let’s take a closer look.
Class Mission Performances
Vocal Position: SEVENTEEN’s ‘Run To You’ Stage
This was a stable and enjoyable stage. While the performance didn’t have a ‘wow’ factor, I was impressed by Yoon Min’s steady vocals. After Woo Jin’s audition, everyone expected him to shine. Even though his vocals didn’t crack and he hit the high notes well, he barely got any screen time and therefore didn’t stand out much. The same goes for Sen, who, despite having a backstory, faded into the background. Still, I couldn’t help but feel sad for Heng Yu, since he’s such an incredible singer.
Rap Position: Dynamicduo and Lee Young-ji’s ‘Smoke’ Stage
Honestly, the bickering and disagreements didn’t seem like ‘evil editing’ to me. Rather, I found Yi Chen’s behavior toward Ye Chan unnecessarily rude, especially given that he’s the leader and was managing the tasks quite well. However, I thought the performance was quite good and underrated. While Yi Chen’s voice doesn’t match the song—and his use of abs felt slightly out of place—Ye Chan executed the rap stage with mature confidence. Additionally, their diss part was addictive and satisfying.
Dance Position: Christopher’s ‘Bad’
This is definitely one of my favorite performances of the show so far. Despite being the youngest member of the team, Park Dong Gyu took on most of the responsibilities—choreographing many parts of the song, giving one-on-one lessons, and making sure everyone shined. Jun Seo’s visuals blended well with the stage, but Dong Gyu stole the spotlight with his incredible dancing skills and unmatched charisma. He overshadowed both Masato and center Jun Seo. He knows how to use his expressions, which made the performance even more enjoyable.
Dance Position: Eve’s ‘Tambourine’
Many fans pointed out how unfair the scoring of this performance was. After watching Yumeki’s leadership style and the group’s clean choreography, I felt the same too. Throughout the performance, the team was in sync, and their potential was evident. While they weren’t the best team, they certainly didn’t deserve last place. This is why many claim that voting reflects popularity more than true performance evaluation.
Vocal Position: H1-KEY’s ‘Rose Blossom’
This was another performance where I didn’t agree with the outcome. How did they win best team in the vocal position when they made mistakes? The group’s chemistry fit the song, but the performance was average and lacking in many ways. Even if you ignore the missteps, it still lacked proper impact.
Rap Position: ALLDAY PROJECT’s ‘FAMOUS’
Aside from the killing part confusion, there wasn’t much drama in this team. Yet, their performance wasn’t as strong compared to the original version. Even with the killing expressions, I think Seo Won doesn’t fit this kind of concept. He is one of the most unproblematic trainees, but this song probably wasn’t the best match for him. On the other hand, Tae Jo is a very good rapper and shone throughout the performance. Jae Hyun started strong, but I think his impact faded toward the end.
Vocal Position: LeeHi’s ‘BREATHE’
With All-Stars Anxin and Kang Min on the team, it’s completely natural for the focus to be on them. However, Gyehyeon’s vocals were truly impressive. While Anxin didn’t make any mistakes and Kang Min worked hard, it was clearly Gyehyeon’s stage. He aced the main iconic parts of the song and sang with genuine emotion. You could feel the desperation and sincerity that the song was meant to convey.
Vocal Position: i-dle’s ‘Queencard’
Hold on… was this really a vocal performance?
When you have a lineup with All-Stars like Leo and Sang Hyeon, you’d expect the team to be really strong. But what happens when they fail to meet the audience’s expectations? The letdown is magnified. Also, using a guitar only to smash it… that was beyond my understanding.
However, Lee Leo scoring only 910 points was simply unacceptable. Or maybe the time is coming for him to fully showcase his talent to the world. I agree with Judge Seok Hoon: “If Leo doesn’t debut, that’s a loss to K-pop.”
Dance Position: Stray Kids’ ‘LALALALA’
After watching all the performances, I can confidently say that this one deserves to go on M Countdown. They didn’t just perform—they adapted the song into their own version and absolutely killed the stage. With their werewolf concept, choreography, and intro, they created a new interpretation of the song. It was a full powerhouse performance, and every member did incredibly well.
However, two members in particular stood out: Geon Woo and Xin Long. Words hardly suffice for Xin Long, who’s clearly performing at an idol level. His moves are powerful, his expressions sharp, and on stage, he’s wild. But if there’s one trainee who keeps catching me off guard, it’s Geon Woo. While he didn’t overshadow Xin Long, he still aced every moment of his screen time. He suited the alpha concept perfectly, his dancing was sharp, and his stage presence was on another level. Despite the former controversy surrounding him, I think with this level of talent and visuals, he’s ready to debut.
Next Week’s Showdown
A sneak peek of next week’s survivor announcement has been released, and I’m beyond shocked. Out of the current 48 trainees, 24 will move on to the next round, and 24 will go home. However, the biggest shock from this preview was seeing Park Dong Gyu, along with Fan Zhe Yi and Harry June, competing for the 24th and final spot in the show.
You must have guessed it by now—I’m a big fan of Dong Gyu. Talented and hardworking, he reminds me of many all-rounders in the K-pop industry. But the big question is… will he stay in the show, or will he be eliminated?
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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