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This article, Battleground K: Music Dojang!, is created, written, and owned by JayStev85. Please do not edit this page without his permission. Thank you, and enjoy reading. |
Battleground K: Music Dojang! is the Special Feature of January 2025
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Battleground K: Music Dojang! (Korean: Battleground K: 음악 도장!), also known as Battleground K!, is a South Korean music program. It is broadcast live every Tuesday at 19:00 on VESK TV in South Korea and is available to stream on VEXcess internationally. The program, known for its martial-arts concept, features a selection of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. The program is broadcast from Studio K, part of VEX's Mantra Studios in Seoul. Choi Jinsang, the program's creator, serves as showrunner.
Battleground K! premiered on July 23, 2024 and became a ratings success upon release. It has proved popular with critics and fans alike, who have praised the series’ concept, production, writing, and comedy. Currently, the program is hosted by Snowbaby (INTERSTELLAR), Bailey (XOLAS), and Stephany (SOMANY).
History[]
2024-present: Conception and premiere[]
VEX had first begun exploring music programs in 2022, with the creation of Chart Rulers, a Japanese chart program created in affiliation with the Oricon singles chart. Although functioning significantly differently from South Korean music programs, the creation of the series was nonetheless inspired by the success of shows such as Hallyumak and MBS Rankdown. Chart Rulers became a ratings phenomenon in Japan, achieving the highest average viewership of any program in the country in 2023. Following the success of the program, VEX began looking to expand their musical programming into South Korea.
The South Korean music program schedule had been fully occupied for quite some time in an oligopolistic manner, meaning that no new-comer would realistically be able to compete on viewership with incumbent programs. Following the cancellation of Music Box in 2024 however, a Tuesday music program slot was now vacant. VESK quickly began creating an idea for a music program that could occupy the slot.
The idea for the program was created by VESK producer Choi Jinsang. Jinsang wanted to embrace Korean culture and have it embedded in the program, and therefore pitched a martial-arts themed show, drawing upon elements of Taekwondo. The pitch proved popular with VESK executives, who greenlit the program's production in early summer 2024.
VESK began casting for the program's hosts in late June, whilst the construction of Studio K, a specially-made filming studio for the television show, was nearing completion. During casting, applicants were tested on their speaking abilities and diction, comedic timing, and physical strength. Successful applicants who passed the first round of screening would then pair up with one another in order for the interviewers to assess which candidates had the chemistry and charisma needed to host the program. Jinsang made it clear to entertainment companies that the program's first hosts would be the "bait" that would reel viewers in and ensure that the program achieved success early on. MERAVI's Jianyu and Femme Fatale's Haena were eventually cast.
Promotion for the program's launch began on July 9 across South Korea. Television and radio advertisements were employed, whilst Jinsang, Jianyu and Haena appeared in interviews to discuss their excitement for the series' premiere. Billboards and posters were also spread across South Korea.
Battleground K! premiered on July 23, 2024. It attracted more than 1.1 million viewers within its first 24 hours. Initially, reception to the program's concept was positive, but some felt its scripted nature was restrictive. Following episode 3, the program adapted itself to become more improvisational, which was met positively by fans.
Jianyu and Haena quickly proved to be immensely popular, with many praising their commitment to the show's concept, their chemistry, charisma, and interviewing skills. Their improvisational abilities were also lauded following episode 3. In episode 5, Battleground K! featured its first guest host: R3THR0's Duck appeared during the episode as a character called Rascal, a petty thief. The inclusion of different characters, including Grand Master and Rascal, was met very well with critics, and episodes featuring these guest stars saw higher viewership than rival music shows.
The popularity of the program prompted VESK TV to focus on monopolising the Tuesday evening television schedule. Law Law Law was moved to a Tuesday 18:00 KST timeslot, whilst two new programs, Seoul Sisters and Let's Play Ball, aired at 20:30 KST and 21:30 KST respectively. The line-up, referred to by VESK and the media as "Tune-In Tuesday", was centered around Battleground K! and promoted extensively by Jinsang, Jianyu and Haena. Battleground K! soon became a flagship series for the network thanks to the promotion, alongside its direct successor in the schedule, Seoul Sisters.
The program entered it's first multi-story arc in episode 8, with the reveal of a letter from the mysterious Princess who claims to be owner of the Dojang. The ensuing storyline was met positively with critics, with most feeling the story was creative and engaging without detracting from the core focus of the program - that being the music. The 3-part climax, from episode 11 to episode 13, was matched with the program's first triple crown, earned by HARAM for her single "Neon Butterfly". Episode 13 became the most viewed episode of the show since the premiere.
The first season of the program maintained consistent viewership, although it began being outperformed by Seoul Sisters on Tuesdays. Despite this, Jianyu, Haena, and Jinsang remained the face of the Tune-In Tuesday bloc until the season finale. Following another multi-episode storyline in episode 20 and 21, whereby Rascal and Cowboy arrive in the Dojang, with the latter catching the former trying to steal the Seventh Sacred Scroll only to find it had already been stolen by Princess, the program's first season concluded on December 17 in the most-watched episode of the program since its premiere. Jianyu and Haena's emotional departure was praised by fans as being heartfelt and well-written.
A Christmas special aired on December 24, hosted by Jinsang as Grand Master, which revealed the season-end top 10. A second season of the program began airing on January 7, 2025, with three new hosts: Snowbaby, Bailey, and Stephany, dubbed 'The 3 Ys' by Grand Master and viewers.
Format[]
Battleground K! has a runtime of 90 minutes. It features either 8 or 10 different performers in a single show. All artists perform their main single, whilst some also perform promotional B-sides. Episodes with 8 performers typically feature more B-sides performed than episodes with 10 performers. Companies put forward their artists for selection for the program, which are then selected by the producers. Companies have to pay a fee if selected, alongside an additional fee if they wish to promote a B-side. Artists can attempt to promote on the show for up to four weeks after the release of the single they are promoting.
Each episode begins with the program's main theme and opening title sequence, entirely animated by Studio Pierrot, featuring animated depictions of the program's hosts duelling, before a bright light encompasses the screen and transitions to a visual graphic of the three contenders (known as nominations) for the First Place rank that week - the nominations are based off of the Battleground K: Music Chart's first draft for that week, although details of each nomination (for example, first draft point scores) are not revealed. During this sequence, the MCs provide a live voice-over, outlining each nomination, before signing off by saying "Step into the Dojang!", after which the sequence transitions to the program's logo. During the live voice-over, the crowd can often be heard cheering and chanting - initially, producers wanted to keep the audience silent, but ended up enjoying the atmosphere created by the crowd's cheers.
The program is then properly introduced by the MCs, who introduce themselves and reveal some of the performing artists. The introduction also serves to set up the "storyline" of each episode (see below). Each artist's performance is preceded by an introduction of the artist by one of the program's hosts. The introduction is one of the only elements of the show that remains heavily scripted. It is largely comedic, providing a comical overview of either the artist's career (when it is the artist's first performance for a specific song), or the artist's promotional activities (when the artist is returning to perform a specific song again). Notably, the comedy is not mean-spirited, nor is it at the expense of the artist: instead, the comedy comes from the use of wordplay and satirical jokes, alongside providing comedic context for certain clips.
Throughout the program, the MCs employ martial arts terminology - most notably during the program's introductory voice-over, artist introductions, and the winner's ceremony. For example, nominees in close competition are often described as “sparring partners”. Each episode has three nominations (as previously mentioned) - throughout the program, all three nominees are interviewed (if a nominee is no longer promoting, their interview slot will be given to a new release). These interviews remain light-hearted and comical, sometimes involving small games. They also lack a clear script, with the hosts and interviewees both improvising and riffing off of one another. Certain idols have stated that the interview segments on Battleground K! are some of the hardest interviews to complete, due to their improvisational nature. All interviews are also broadcast live, as opposed to being pre-recorded (save for certain exceptions).
Following all performances and interviews, the end of the program sees all performers present, alongside the hosts and any guest stars, gather onstage. The Black Belt winner (see below) is announced, and given their trophy. Then, the three First Place nominees are once again identified, and scores are then revealed in the order of: digital sales, physical sales, music video views, broadcast points, and voting. The winner will subsequently be announced. They are given a trophy, allowed to give a speech, and, following the program's sign-off from the show’s MCs (“The battle continues next week. Tune in to find out who wins the fight in the Battleground K: Music Dojang!”), perform a live encore as the credits roll. This encore is in full, though may be cut off during broadcast.
Storylines[]
Every episode of the show follows a loose, light-hearted storyline involving the MCs, ranging from a comedic drama following an unseen event (for example, the program's second episode features Jianyu and Haena attempting to book the Dojang for themselves on the same day), to finding a possession of the Dojang's Grand Master (played by Jinsang). The storyline plays out in the segments between performances and interviews (although occasionally, interviews have involved references to the storyline).
The storylines are tenuously linked near the beginning of a season, but become more connected as the season progresses, culminating in the season finale where the MCs (usually) hand over their roles to the next set of hosts. The storylines feature guest stars, as well as frequent recurring characters, including the Grand Master, Rascal (played by R3THR0's Duck) and Cowboy (played by CASE1's Riku). Due to the limited time for dialogue in each episode, most of the program's overarching storylines remain simple.
The first season's overarching narrative revolved around Princess, the "true" owner of the Dojang who left it to her student, Grand Master, to search for the Seventh Sacred Scroll. She returns midway through season one in order to "reclaim" the Dojang from Grand Master - he eventually leaves the Dojang and Princess takes his place. She quickly reveals herself to be controlling and cruel to Jianyu and Haena, so Haena leaves the Dojang to find Grand Master and bring him back to the Dojang. Although initially hesitant to do so, as he believes she surpasses him in strength, he returns with Haena following a motivational speech from the latter and emerges victorious from a duel with Princess who - ashamed that her student has now beaten her - leaves the Dojang. At the end of the season, it is revealed that when Princess left, she took the Seventh Sacred Scroll with her - Grand Master commissions Cowboy and Rascal to retrieve it, but they are captured. Princess brings them back to the Dojang where she once again demands the Dojang to be returned to her, but Jianyu and Haena team up to defeat her in a fight, freeing the pair, before taking back the scroll. Princess is banished from the Dojang by Grand Master, whilst Jianyu and Haena are given their Black Belts in the following episode as congratulations, before they eventually leave the Dojang.
Recurring characters[]
- Grand Master (played by Choi Jinsang): The Grand Master of the Dojang, who oversees all events. Is present in every season premiere and finale, as well as throughout the season.
- Rascal (played by Gar Duck-Hwan): A petty thief who repeatedly attempts to steal objects from the Dojang. He is comically incompetent at doing so. He appears during the season as part of an episode's self-contained storyline.
- Cowboy (played by Rikushi Tamura): A mysterious cowboy who appears in certain episodes, claiming to be bounty-hunting in Seoul. He appears during the season partaking in interviews under the pretense of "obtaining intel", which in turn occupies that episode's storyline. Cowboy also helps introduce artists, and present the winner's ceremony - in this sense, he is a recurring guest host.
- Princess (played by Shin Yuri): The previous owner of the Dojang, who inherited it from her father. She was Grand Master's teacher and abandoned the Dojang and him in order to find the Seventh Sacred Scroll, but Grand Master managed to find it first and kept it safe in the Dojang. Princess returns partway through season one and spends the remainder of the season attempting to "reclaim" the Dojang and the Seventh Sacred Scroll.
Black Belt award[]
Every episode features a Black Belt award, given to the audience's favourite performance. When applying for tickets, audience members have to state which artist they have come to support, which is then printed on their ticket (this allows for fans of specific performers to be situated at the front of the crowd during said performer's performance). Audience members vote for their favourite performance via the Battleground K! Voting App - to be able to vote, they have to scan their ticket. As the ticket includes the artist that said audience member has come to support, by scanning the ticket, that artist is removed from the Black Belt vote for that audience member, allowing for more impartiality in the voting process. Additionally, the three First Place nominees are ineligible. Some have criticised the fact that this negatively impacts the ability for larger artists to win the Black Belt award as, if a large portion of the audience has come to support said artist, a large chunk of the voting audience will be unable to vote for them. Some have also stated that the system favours groups promoting in their first week, when they are less likely to have accrued enough points to be nominated. Regardless, it has been mostly well-received. The Black Belt vote opens after the first performance, and whilst each voter only gets one vote, they can change their vote throughout the program until the vote closes before the winner's ceremony. Each Black Belt winner is given a trophy made of black stone, taking the shape of a Taekwondo belt when tied. The Black Belt winner has no bearing on the chart.
Production[]
Each episode is partially live and partially pre-recorded. All performances are pre-recorded throughout the day of airing: recording begins at 12:00, and ends at 16:00, with artists filming multiple takes in front of the audience, and pre-recording their vocals live in front of the audience (this is done in order to allow the live audience to witness live vocals, even if the final performances use pre-recordings). From 16:00 to 18:00, each individual performance is edited by a team of 12 editors. The program's pre-recorded segments are checked and finalised between 18:00 and 19:00, when the program begins to air.
The rest of the program is aired live. This includes: the MCs voice-overs and introductions, artist interviews, intermission segments between the hosts, and the winner's ceremony. There is a 10 second live delay, in order to allow producers the ability to mute audio at specific points if either the hosts or the artists swear. The program is overseen by Choi Jinsang and, when Jinsang is playing Grand Master, his second-in-command Cho So-Young assumes his role.
Battleground K! features an 8 member writing team who plan each episode's storyline, each season's overarching narrative, and the scripted artist introductions. They also write the prompts used in the MCs improvisational segments. The team work alongside other areas of the production, such as prop design, to bring the storylines to life.
Artists are not required to have their stage or outfits on theme with the show. For the MCs, however, they wear the same dobok each episode, accompanied with varying accessories. Their belt colour changes throughout their tenure: initially, they begin on white belts, before gradually progressing through the remaining tags and belts, obtaining their black belt on their final episode.
The program is filmed at the specially-designed Studio K, which is part of VEX's Mantra Studios in Seoul. Stage designs are left mainly to the artist and/or their company, but all designs must be verified and cleared by the production team.
Battleground K: Music Chart! and eligibility[]
Weekly chart[]
| Tracking Period: February 11 - February 18 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Title | Gains | Peak | Weeks on chart | Weekly points | Total points | |
| 1 |  |
"Can We Ever Get Back Together?" — Han Yul ft. Lyubov Mel | ↑ 2 | 1 | 3 | 10,503 | 31,353 |
| 2 |   |
"FRAKTSIYA" — Jung Seokjin ft. Takamura Sumika | ↓ 1 | 1 | 4 | 9,985 | 48,309 |
| 3 |   |
"OBSESSION" — Bae Yeju ft. Moon Yujin | NEW | 3 | 1 | 9,621 | 9,621 |
| 4 |   |
"GUILTY" — DEC | ↓ 2 | 2 | 4 | 9,159 | 45,427 |
| 5 |   |
"Resort to Something Drastic" — Haeseung | ⇄ | 5 | 2 | 8,672 | 17,547 |
| 6 |   |
"Touch N' Go" — Kuin ft. Kang Jihye | NEW | 6 | 1 | 8,351 | 8,351 |
| 7 |   |
"It's Just Us" — Kuin ft. DEC | ↓ 3 | 1 | 4 | 7,800 | 45,697 |
| 8 |   |
"I LUV IT" — MIIX | ↓ 2 | 2 | 4 | 6,941 | 39,191 |
| 9 |   |
"UHUH" — LUNESSENCE | ↓ 2 | 7 | 2 | 5,890 | 13,749 |
| 10 |   |
"Pinned By The Monster" — Kyler Kim ft. Park Junmi | ↓ 2 | 8 | 2 | 5,328 | 12,280 |
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Chart eligibility[]
Any single released in South Korea is eligible to win, as long as the artist is actively promoting the release in South Korea. Therefore, promotional singles and OST's are eligible to win as long as they are promoted in the country. After receiving a quintuple crown (five wins), songs are no longer eligible to win.
Songs are compiled weekly on the "Battleground K: Music Chart". The chart features a varying number of songs for viewers to vote on via text, phone, or (most notably) the Battleground K! Voting App, which is free to download in South Korea, but is geo-locked, meaning those outside of the country cannot vote using the app. The initial draft of the chart is tracked from Tuesday-Tuesday each week, before final voting influences the second and final draft of the chart. Battleground K! is notable for lacking the ability to pre-vote for songs, hence the two-draft chart system. Songs can achieve a maximum point score of 16,000.
Below is the chart system for the "Battleground K: Music Chart" as of 2024.
| Period covered | Chart system | Total points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voting | Music video views | Broadcast points | Physical sales | Digital sales (Streaming & Downloads) | |||
| July 23, 2024-present | 12% live vote (via text, phone, or the Battleground K! Voting App). | 8% judging panel vote. | 10% (only tracks organic views via YouTube charts). | 10% (tracks multiple radio stations and television networks in South Korea, including AESK FM and VESK TV). | 15% (tracked via Circle albums chart). | 45% (Tracks Bugs, Melon, Flo, Genie, and Spotify). | 16,000 points. |
| 1,920 points. | 1,280 points. | 1,600 points. | 1,600 points. | 2,400 points. | 7,200 points. | ||
Audience eligibility[]
Audience members apply to a ticket ballot for the program. By signing up to the Battleground K! Ticket Ballot, individuals are automatically entered each week into the ballot. If selected, they do not have to pay a fee and instead instantly receive tickets. Ticket applicants are all given equal weighting, regardless of whether they have won tickets before.
Companies can choose to purchase up to 50% of tickets within the ballot and instead sell them to fans of the companies' groups, in order to ensure their performers have an adequate number of fans in the crowd.
Hosts[]
| Date | Hosts |
|---|---|
| July 23, 2024-December 17, 2024 | Jianyu (MERAVI) & Haena (Femme Fatale) |
| January 7, 2025-June 24, 2025 | Snowbaby (INTERSTELLAR), Bailey (XOLAS) & Stephany (SOMANY) |
List of episodes[]
Season 1 (2024)[]
| No. in season | No. overall | Air date | Nominations | Viewership (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | July 23, 2024 | "I'm No Superhero" vs "A-B-C-D" vs "DNA" | 1.13 |
| 2 | 2 | July 30, 2024 | "A-B-C-D" vs "DNA" vs "Lights, Camera, Action!" | 0.86 |
| 3 | 3 | August 6, 2024 | "Isometric" vs "Lights, Camera, Action!" vs "Ice Cream, Love" | 0.93 |
| 4 | 4 | August 13, 2024 | "Ice Cream, Love" vs "The Moon's Petals" vs "More&More" | 0.77 |
| 5 | 5 | August 20, 2024 | "Ice Cream, Love" vs "The Moon's Petals" vs "D.I.A" | 0.82 |
| 6 | 6 | August 27, 2024 | "D.I.A" vs "Angel of Big Dreams" vs "Chocolate Cream" | 0.65 |
| 7 | 7 | September 3, 2024 | "Chocolate Cream" vs "Zombie" vs "I'm Your Boy?" | 0.91 |
| 8 | 8 | September 10, 2024 | "Chocolate Cream" vs "Zombie" vs "blue love" | 0.68 |
| 9 | 9 | September 17, 2024 | "Ice Cream, Love" vs "blue love" vs "Flowering" | 0.83 |
| 10 | 10 | September 24, 2024 | "blue love" vs "Flowering" vs "Sweet Melody" | 0.88 |
| 11 | 11 | October 1, 2024 | "Sweet Melody" vs "Flash" vs "Neon Butterfly" | 0.79 |
| 12 | 12 | October 8, 2024 | "Sweet Melody" vs "Neon Butterfly" vs "XOXO" | 0.63 |
| 13 | 13 | October 15, 2024 | "Neon Butterfly" vs "XOXO" vs "Cherries" | 0.97 |
| 14 | 14 | October 22, 2024 | "XOXO" vs "Cherries" vs "Shadows" | 0.92 |
| 15 | 15 | October 29, 2024 | "Cherries" vs "Shadows" vs "That Ain't My Name!" | 0.80 |
| 16 | 16 | November 5, 2024 | "That Ain't My Name!" vs "Taste Me" vs "Blue Heart" | 0.76 |
| 17 | 17 | November 12, 2024 | "Blue Heart" vs "I=ME" vs "Boy In Love" | 0.93 |
| 18 | 18 | November 19, 2024 | "Blue Heart" vs "I=ME" vs "Stuck With Me" | 0.77 |
| 19 | 19 | November 26, 2024 | "I=ME" vs "Stuck With Me" vs "Slam The Door" | 0.92 |
| 20 | 20 | December 3, 2024 | "Slam The Door" vs "Give Me That" vs "Run It Dash" | 0.99 |
| 21 | 21 | December 10, 2024 | "Slam The Door" vs "Run It Dash" vs "String of Fate" | 0.85 |
| 22 | 22 | December 17, 2024 | "Winter Without U" vs "String of Fate" vs "Black Dress" | 1.04 |
Season 2 (2025)[]
| No. in season | No. overall | Air date | Nominations | Viewership (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | January 7, 2025 | "Are You Curious?" vs "Modern Royalty" vs "memento" | 0.98 |
| 2 | 24 | January 14, 2025 | "memento" vs "godspeed" vs "PRAY" | 0.78 |
| 3 | 25 | January 21, 2025 | "memento" vs "godspeed" vs "Dum Dum Dum" | 0.82 |
| 4 | 26 | January 28, 2025 | "I LUV IT" vs "It's Just Us" vs "FRAKTSIYA" | 0.69 |
| 5 | 27 | February 4, 2025 | "It's Just Us" vs "GUILTY" vs "FRAKTSIYA" | 0.75 |
| 6 | 28 | February 11, 2025 | "GUILTY" vs "FRAKTSIYA" vs "Can We Ever Get Back Together?" | 0.93 |
| 7 | 29 | February 18, 2025 | "FRAKTSIYA" vs Can We Ever Get Back Together?" vs "OBSESSION" | 0.88 |
List of achievements[]
List of First Place winners[]
Season 1 (2024)[]
| # | Date | Artist | Song | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 23 | FANC:Y | "DNA" | 11,037 |
| 2 | Jul 30 | Samika | "A-B-C-D" | 8,148 |
| 3 | Aug 6 | SUGARTIME | "Isometric" | 8,090 |
| 4 | Aug 13 | Nabi | "Ice Cream, Love" | 13,898 |
| 5 | Aug 20 | 9,362 | ||
| 6 | Aug 27 | Femme Fatale | "D.I.A" | 10,003 |
| 7 | Sep 3 | INTERSTELLAR ft. Ivan | "Chocolate Cream" | 9,341 |
| 8 | Sep 10 | Soreum ft Link | "blue love" | 11,428 |
| 9 | Sep 17 | After School Club | "Flowering" | 12,033 |
| 10 | Sep 24 | 10,228 | ||
| 11 | Oct 1 | HARAM | "Neon Butterfly" | 15,098 |
| 12 | Oct 8 | 14,411 | ||
| 13 | Oct 15 | 10,976 | ||
| 14 | Oct 22 | Jin Hyun-ah | "Cherries" | 9,859 |
| 15 | Oct 29 | Awkward Boy Syndrome | "That Ain't My Name!" | 11,549 |
| 16 | Nov 5 | LIGHTERS | "Blue Heart" | 13,312 |
| 17 | Nov 12 | SOMANY | "I=ME" | 10,327 |
| 18 | Nov 19 | Jeong Jiwon | "Stuck With Me" | 9,311 |
| 19 | Nov 26 | MERAVI | "Slam The Door" | 14,767 |
| 20 | Dec 3 | JΣПΣЯΛƬIӨП | "Run It Dash" | 12,120 |
| 21 | Dec 10 | rm8z | "String of Fate" | 11,522 |
| 22 | Dec 17 | 9,987 |
Season 2 (2025)[]
| # | Date | Artist | Song | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Jan 7 | EMPRESS | "Modern Royalty" | 9,767 |
| 24 | Jan 14 | YUKI | "memento" | 10,856 |
| 25 | Jan 21 | Chae Dahee | "godspeed" | 10,312 |
| 26 | Jan 28 | Kuin ft. DEC | "It's Just Us" | 13,519 |
| 27 | Feb 4 | 13,385 | ||
| 28 | Feb 11 | Jung Seokjin ft. Takamura Sukima | "FRAKTSIYA" | 12,788 |
| 29 | Feb 18 | Han Yul ft. Lyubov Mel | "Can We Ever Get Back Together?" | 10,503 |
List of Black Belt winners[]
Season 1 (2024)[]
| # | Date | Artist | Song | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 23 | R3THR0 | "Lights, Camera, Action!" | 62% |
| 2 | Jul 30 | Nabi | "Ice Cream, Love" | 53% |
| 3 | Aug 6 | Alora | "The Moon's Petals" | 44% |
| 4 | Aug 13 | AIDYLLIC | "On My Youth" | 49% |
| 5 | Aug 20 | ANGELUS | "Beyond The Night Sky" | 56% |
| 6 | Aug 27 | Binnie & DEC | "I'm Your Boy?" | 70% |
| 7 | Sep 3 | EMPRESS | "Take Me There (Bahama)" | 46% |
| 8 | Sep 10 | MARS | "Cold Blooded" | 39% |
| 9 | Sep 17 | IMPGS Tap | "Sweet Melody" | 52% |
| 10 | Sep 24 | XOLAS | "FLASH" | 81% |
| 11 | Oct 1 | LIGHTERS | "XOXO" | 65% |
| 12 | Oct 8 | YSM | "Shot (Liar)" | 48% |
| 13 | Oct 15 | Cherry Atlantic | "Chill Kill" | 43% |
| 14 | Oct 22 | MERAVI | "Opposites Attract" | 77% |
| 15 | Oct 29 | DREADNOUGHT | "Day By Day (Steady)" | 60% |
| 16 | Nov 5 | KXS | "Boy In Love" | 44% |
| 17 | Nov 12 | Jeong Jiwon | "Stuck With Me" | 58% |
| 18 | Nov 19 | MERAVI | "Slam The Door" | 82% |
| 19 | Nov 26 | R3THR0 | "Give Me That" | 64% |
| 20 | Dec 3 | CASE1 | "MAESTRO" | 48% |
| 21 | Dec 10 | VIIXEN | "BLACK DRESS" | 76% |
| 22 | Dec 17 | PHANTAIRE | "MELTING POINT" | 69% |
Season 2 (2025)[]
| # | Date | Artist | Song | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Jan 7 | CELOSIA | "PRAY" | 65% |
| 24 | Jan 14 | CHEET | "Dum Dum Dum" | 71% |
| 25 | Jan 21 | MIIX | "I LUV IT" | 53% |
| 26 | Jan 28 | Take Flight | "Ghost" | 46% |
| 27 | Feb 4 | LUNESSENCE | "UHUH" | 58% |
| 28 | Feb 11 | Kuin ft. Kang Jihye | "Touch N' Go" | 70% |
| 29 | Feb 18 | XOLAS | "Bad Luck" | 76% |
List of highest-viewed performances per episode[]
Season 1 (2024)[]
| # | Date | Performance | Views (millions) | Fancam | Views (millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Song | Artist | Song | Idol | ||||
| 1 | Jul 23 | CASE1 | "In My Lane" | 0.93 | FANC:Y | "DNA" | Seo Riah | 0.88 |
| 2 | Jul 30 | SUGARTIME | "Isometric" | 1.09 | R3THR0 | "Lights, Camera, Action!" | Minhae | 1.31 |
| 3 | Aug 6 | Nabi | "Ice Cream, Love" | 1.77 | Nabi | "Ice Cream, Love" | Bree | 1.44 |
| 4 | Aug 13 | 1.58 | Joo Yubin | "Inside The Fire" | Joo Yubin | 1.28 | ||
| 5 | Aug 20 | Femme Fatale | "D.I.A" | 1.87 | Gyumin | "Angel of Big Dreams" | Gyumin | 2.12 |
| 6 | Aug 27 | Binnie & DEC | "I'm Your Boy?" | 1.56 | Binnie & DEC | "I'm Your Boy" | Binnie | 2.04 |
| 7 | Sep 3 | 2.01 | Soreum ft Link | "blue love" | Soreum | 2.63 | ||
| 8 | Sep 10 | Soreum ft. Link | "blue love" | 1.96 | Hyunhee | "Really Like You" | Hyunhee | 1.64 |
| 9 | Sep 17 | After School Club |
"Flowering" |
3.77 | After School Club | "Flowering" | River | 2.95 |
| 10 | Sep 24 | XOLAS | "Flash" | 2.96 | IMPGS Tap | "Sweet Melody" | Crystal | 2.23 |
| 11 | Oct 1 | HARAM | "Neon Butterfly" | 4.11 | HARAM | "Neon Butterfly" | HARAM | 2.06 |
| 12 | Oct 8 | YSM | "Shot (Liar)" | 3.94 | LIGHTERS | "XOXO" | Youngbin | 4.03 |
| 13 | Oct 15 | VALERIAN | "Shadows" | 2.88 | Cherry Atlantic | "Chill Kill" | Kanako | 3.17 |
| 14 | Oct 22 | MERAVI | "Opposites Attract" | 4.01 | MERAVI | "Opposites Attract" | Jianyu | 3.65 |
| 15 | Oct 29 | LIGHTERS | "Blue Heart" | 3.03 | Awkward Boy Syndrome | "Forevista" | Charlie Kwon | 4.32 |
| 16 | Nov 5 | KXS | "Boy In Love" | 2.37 | SOMANY | "I=ME" | Meiling | 2.88 |
| 17 | Nov 12 | Jeong Jiwon | "Stuck With Me" | 3.11 | 2.02 | |||
| 18 | Nov 19 | MERAVI | "Slam The Door" | 4.32 | MERAVI | "Slam The Door" | Jianyu | 2.76 |
| 19 | Nov 26 | CASE1 | "MAESTRO" | 3.12 | R3THR0 | "Give Me That" | Jaesang | 2.45 |
| 20 | Dec 3 | INTERSTELLAR | "SUKI SUKI" | 2.59 | rm8z | "String of Fate" | Do Young | 4.54 |
| 21 | Dec 10 | VIIXEN | "BLACK DRESS" | 3.06 | VIIXEN | "BLACK DRESS" | Hong Jiyoon | 2.44 |
| 22 | Dec 17 | CELOSIA | "Let's Go On a Date Please?" | 2.07 | PHANTAIRE | "MELTING POINT" | Junseo | 2.85 |
Season 2 (2025)[]
| # | Date | Performance | Views (millions) | Fancam | Views (millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | Song | Artist | Song | Idol | ||||
| 23 | Jan 7 | JUNGENREGELN | "Shut That" | 2.37 | CELOSIA | "PRAY" | HUNTER | 2.11 |
| 24 | Jan 14 | CHEET | "Dum Dum Dum" | 3.10 | CHEET | "Dum Dum Dum" | Kass | 2.59 |
| 25 | Jan 21 | MIIX | "I LUV IT" | 4.25 | Kuin ft. DEC | "It's Just Us" | DEC | 3.91 |
| 26 | Jan 28 | Jung Seokjin ft. Takamura Sukima | "FRAKTSIYA" | 3.51 | LUMINSESCENT | "Superwoman" | Yushin | 2.38 |
| 27 | Feb 4 | BOY to Kiss | "Ice On My Teeth" | 4.60 | Kyler Kim ft. Park Junmi | "Pinned By The Monster" | Kyler Kim | 3.48 |
| 28 | Feb 11 | Bae Yeju ft. Moon Yujin | "OBSESSION" | 2.78 | Magic Crush | "Magic" | Ivy | 1.74 |
| 29 | Feb 18 | HELIX | "POW!" | 3.33 | Akira | "KANT" | Akira | 3.61 |
Critical reception[]
Since its initial release, Battleground K! has received positive reviews from viewers and critics alike. The program's heavy martial-arts theming has been met with praise, having been cited as unique and creating a layer of "competitiveness" to the music show process. Similarly, the production value of the program has been lauded, with positive feedback given towards the program's animated opening sequence, set and costume design, and soundtrack.
Battleground K! places great emphasis on its scripted comedy. In the program's early days, the scripts were deemed too restrictive by critics, who instead wanted to see more natural comedy delivered by the program's hosts. The program thus shifted away from tight, succinct scripts and moved towards improvisational comedy, guided by prompts from producers. This method was far better received, with the program's satirical, tongue-in-cheek humour being seen to blend well with the personalities of the program's hosts.
Critics have also appreciated the "personality" present during the show, noting that both the program's hosts and the idols featured during the show seem more relaxed and free to express themselves. The interviews and games featured throughout the program have been highlighted as significant proof of this. Some idols have, however, commented that appearing on the program can be "stressful", due to the improvisational nature of the show's interviews.
The first season's overarching narrative - which revolved around a woman called Princess who attempts to steal back the Dojang (which she'd inherited from her grandfather before abandoning it in search for the Seventh Sacred Scroll) and later steal said scroll - was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised the pacing of the narrative and its presence in the show. Viewers noted that the story was dense without overshadowing the main focus of the program (this being the performances). The climax of Princess' story, which also saw the return of the characters Rascal and Cowboy, was acclaimed as a satisfying conclusion. Duck-Hwan's performance as Rascal and Rikushi's performance as Cowboy were also both cited as strengths of the first season.
Viewership[]
Throughout its run, Battleground K! has achieved modest viewership ratings, matching the commercial success of other music programs in South Korea. The first season peaked at 1.13 million viewers for its premiere, which currently remains the highest rated episode of the program.
| Season | Episode number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | |
| 1 | 1.13 | 0.86 | 0.93 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.65 | 0.91 | 0.68 | 0.83 | 0.88 | 0.79 | 0.63 | 0.97 | 0.92 | 0.80 | 0.76 | 0.93 | 0.77 | 0.92 | 0.99 | 0.85 | 1.04 | |||
| 2 | 0.98 | 0.78 | 0.82 | 0.69 | 0.75 | 0.93 | 0.88 | 0.95 | 0.74 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.86 | 0.73 | 0.68 | 0.79 | 0.96 | 0.85 | 0.94 | 0.70 | 0.87 | 0.91 | 0.82 | 0.89 | 0.96 | 0.94 |
On VEXcess, the program ranks significantly higher than Chart Rulers, VEX's other music program. International streams for the program's first season averaged at 1.7 million per episode, compared to Chart Rulers' 0.8 million per episode.
Soundtrack[]
| Track | Title | Audio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Opening Sequence" | Plays during the program's opening title sequence. |
Trivia[]
- The first artist to perform on the program was R3THR0, with their single "Lights, Camera, Action!".
- The first artist to win the Black Belt award was R3THR0, with their single "Lights, Camera, Action!".
- The first male artist to win the Black Belt award was R3THR0 with their first single, "Lights, Camera, Action!".
- The first female artist to win the Black Belt award was Nabi, with their single "Ice Cream, Love".
- The first artist to win First Place was FANC:Y, with their single "DNA".
- The first female artist to win First Place was FANC:Y, with their single "DNA".
- The first male artist to win First Place was SUGARTIME, with their single "Isometric".
- The first solo artist to win First Place was Samika, with her single "A-B-C-D".
- The first artist to win a double crown was Nabi, with their single "Ice Cream, Love".
- The first artist to win a triple crown was HARAM, with her single "Neon Butterfly".
- The first artist to win more than one Black Belt award was MERAVI.