"MBC Gayo Daejeon WANNABE" Dominates Lunar New Year Break...K-POP Icons from All Generations Share Dream Stages

The music festival "2024 MBC Gayo Daejeon WANNABE," which heated up the Lunar New Year break, was broadcast on January 29 and 30 and received enthusiastic responses from K-POP fans. Under the theme of "wannabe," all-time legendary K-POP artists and new K-POP artists who grew up idolizing them gathered on one stage to deliver a dream performance that transcended generations and genres. Im Yuna, SHINee’s Minho, and TWS’s Dohoon served as hosts, boosting the festival’s energy. Im Yuna, who has hosted "MBC Gayo Daejeon" for 10 years, expressed her wish that "time would move slowly just for today" since this was her final broadcast. Working alongside Minho, who hosted for the second consecutive year, she said, "I was extremely happy to spend the last day of the year and the first moments of the new year with everyone at 'Gayo Daejeon' over these past 10 years." In Part 1, comedian Lee Eun-ji, OH MY GIRL’s Mimi, Lee Young-ji, and IVE’s Yujin, who showed great chemistry on tvN’s variety show "Ppungppung Earth Arcade," teamed up as "Chemiz" to unleash explosive energy with 2NE1’s "Fire" and "I’m the Best." A special collaboration stage by ITZY’s Yuna, aespa’s Karina, and NMIXX’s Seulyun also attracted attention. Additionally, Lee Young-ji and NCT’s Mark’s wannabe stage caught people’s eyes, with Mark alternating between a powerful hip-hop vibe and emotional performance with tracks like "Fraktsiya (Feat. Lee Young-ji)" and "Small Girl." Other performances included NCT WISH singing Girls' Generation’s "Kissing You," (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon performing G-DRAGON’s "POWER," and BOYNEXTDOOR along with ZEROBASEONE delivering a special collaboration using iconic songs by Girls' Generation and BLACKPINK. Yongtak and Lee Chan-won’s lively trot performances, along with John Park and KISS OF LIFE’s Yuuli’s sweet rendition of "Beauty and the Beast," further diversified the genre lineup. Part 2 opened with RIIZE’s cover of "Growl," followed by STAYC’s Yoon and Jaei, along with IVE’s Ray and Rize, performing "Rock U" as part of the "Danzakz" group. The "Jellyji" group consisting of ITZY’s Yeji, aespa’s Giselle, and KISS OF LIFE’s Julie also delivered a "Toxic" stage, showcasing the dazzling performances of the next-generation rookies. ENHYPEN’s Ni-ki and Taemin, who have long regarded SHINee as their role models, provided an unforgettable special collaboration with their "Guilty" performance, while NCT’s Doyeong and aespa’s Winter showed perfect harmony with Zaurim’s "Twenty-Five, Twenty-One." Furthermore, top-tier K-POP artists such as Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, ATEEZ, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and DAY6 delivered stages that offered irresistible entertainment. The finale was brought to life by NCT DREAM and NCT 127, with NCT DREAM emitting a refreshing charm through "Flying Kiss" and "When I’m With You," while NCT 127 left a strong impression with "No Clue" and "Ppigdeok (Walk)." "2024 MBC Gayo Daejeon WANNABE" created a unifying space where K-POP wannabes from all generations, appealing to people of all ages and genders, gathered to fulfill everyone’s dreams through music. Its unique special stages and long-awaited collaboration combinations, never seen elsewhere, delivered meaningful moments for both the audience and performers.