8 The King of Rock n Roll

Park Soo-Ha who makes his way up to the stage, listens to the male MC.

"Participant Park. Please introduce yourself."

"... My name is Park Soo-ha. Please take good care of me."

He proceeds to bow, as there is a small laugh and snort for the judge's seat.

"Is that all?"

An older male judge, who is holding the microphone asked in a voice mixed with laughter.

Although jokingly, there was a slight negative tone, which made answering tricky.

Soo-Ha knows that it was his attempt to get him to speak more, but decides to just nod his head seriously.

This causes laughter to break out among the judge's seats

"What a unique kid!"

"He's fun-."

A few of them whispered. Of course, the microphone captured their voices well.

"Ah! It says here that you are a former M.S trainee"

"That's right"

This is usually when remarks like, 'why are you participating?' or 'why did you leave' would be asked.

However, the judges all seemed to come to an agreement that it would be more impressive to do it after his performance, whether good or bad.

While the production crew's eyes began to light up, as if to say 'Finally' they found somebody worth capturing.

"Then, let's take a look at your performance."

"Yes"

Despite the ferocious interest of those in attendance, Soo-ha raises the mic to his lips as the interlude began to flow.

While most of the young idols were not aware of the song, the older judges who grew up in the 70's can't help but be bewildered at the choice.

'Huh'

'Elvis Presley?'

Although its undeniably a masterpiece, its position as an audition song is quite vague.

In an idol survival or singer survival show, it was not a song powerful enough to show off his technique, nor was it popular enough to capture the audience.

This song missed the point in both categories.

But so what, Soo-Ha always felt that this song like him is quite the anomaly.

Elvis, the King of Rock n Roll, in the cheesiest portion of his career, writes a sleepy ballad for an unbelievably corny movie that not even a mother could defend.

The result? Quite possibly the most beautiful, effective, simple-yet-profound expression of love in the history of popular music.

PD Bang, who is busy hitting her pen dissatisfiedly cant help but wonder why no-one in the production team checked the submission made in advance.

She knows however with 101 participants, it was easier said than done.

Still she hoped he was able to perform it decently enough but she cant help but feel a headache oncoming.

'Its difficult to compare and edit these vague songs--.'

Even the judges, who were surprised by the selection, were waiting for the prelude to end, when Park Soo-ha opens his mouth.

"Wise men say

only fools rush in.

But I can't help falling in love with you.

Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin?

If I can't help falling in love with you?"

"....!"

It's good!

It was clean from the first verse, which started offbeat and continued as if reciting.

The song was meticulous while at the same time it was simple in its melody.

The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by a German with an Italian name, Jean-Paul Egide-Martini.

Elvis's Presley's version, which topped the charts in 1962, was both a tender ballad about being unable to resist falling in love, and at the same time considered a song of defeat, and grieving, which is seen from the very first line of the song, where there is a warning from wise people not to fall in love impulsively. On the contrary, to the warning, the signer cannot help becoming infatuated, seemingly against his own wishes.

It is for this reason, that biggest difficulty in performing this song was emotion, while easy to sing it was also easy to sound amateurish if one didn't project the right emotion.

Bang Geul-yi's first thought was that; 'The vocalisation … is good?'

The vocalisation was remarkably good.

It's not just sonorous, but it also had a good and solid tone.

Turning to her assistant Sujin, she can't help but wonder how she managed to find such a talent at a Karaoke room.

While Bang is having her own internal monologue, the junior PD Sujin seems to be asking herself the same question.

Regardless of how perplexed the two producers were, the song went on through the verse and into the chorus.

"Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand, take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

For I can't help ....falling in love .....with you"

At this point, Bang PD turns her face to the rest of the judges, as she notices something on their faces surprise.

He sang it like he was talking instead of shouting, which was a perfect technique for the song that needed to be expressed beautifully.

Park Soo-Ha bowed his head as soon the music ended.

Then he added his words, a little blandly

"...Thank you for listening."

The was a brief silence.

Bang Geul-yi PD, grips her pen tightly as her dark eyes sparkle

'Yeah, Park Soo-Ha. I'm going to make you a star.'