On the recent episode of “King of the Mask Singer,” the contestant known as “Catnip” was revealed to be a member of a popular boy group. During the July 14 broadcast, four contestants advanced to the next round, striving to dethrone the current champion. In the first Round 2 match-up, Catnip delivered an emotional performance of Kim Yeon Woo’s classic ballad “Love, that common word.”
The panellists were quick to praise Catnip’s performance. Im Han Byul remarked, “He’s definitely not a rookie. ‘Love, that common word’ is a ballad where it’s very difficult to control your breathing. The range as you go up while heading into the chorus makes you run out of breath, but Catnip didn’t make any mistakes and showed us everything he’d prepared. Seeing that, I thought to myself that he must have performed on some big stages before. He has nerves of steel.”
Episode spoilers
Before the round’s results were revealed, Catnip provided an extra clue to his identity with a special cat-themed performance. He briefly participated in the viral “cat walking on the Han River” challenge and danced to the chorus of SuperM’s “Tiger Inside.”
Although his vocals received high praise, Catnip lost the round to his opponent. When he removed his mask, Catnip was revealed to be Stray Kids’ youngest member, I.N. Following the reveal, host Kim Sung Joo asked I.N to sing a brief snippet of his Round 2 song a cappella. Im Han Byul exclaimed, “He sounds even better without any accompanying instrumentals!”
Kim Sung Joo also requested I.N. to repeat his cat-themed dance performance from earlier. The show later posted clips of both the masked and unmasked versions online. To delight the fans who had hoped to see I.N’s performance in the final round, “King of the Mask Singer” also released footage of his rehearsal for Round 3, where he intended to perform BOL4’s “Mermaid.”
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I.N’s appearance on the show not only impressed fans but also highlighted his versatility and artistic talent. His performance on “King of the Mask Singer” demonstrated his exceptional vocal skills and stage presence.
