Origin and release year: South Korea (2024 – PROJECT 7)
MC: Lee Soo Hyuk
Panelists: Ryan Jhun, Lee Hae In, Ha Sung Woon, Bada Lee, RYUD
Guests/Special Directors: (G)I-DLE MiYeon, MAMAMOO Moon Byul, AB6IX Lee Dae Hwi, INFINITE Nam Woo Hyun, PENTAGON Hui, N.Flying Yoo Hwe Seung, Shin Youme
Warning! This article might contain spoilers!
Premiering on October 18th, 2024, PROJECT 7 is a high-stakes competition that invites 200 diverse contestants from around the globe to showcase their talent in hopes of forming a new K-pop boy group to be managed by a brand-new label created in partnership with SLL JoongAng, Studio Slam and YG Plus.
Other PROJECT 7 articles to check out: 13 Of The Most Anticipated “PROJECT 7” Survival Show Participants And Where You’ve Seen Them Before | PROJECT 7 Episode 1 And 2 Recap | PROJECT 7 Episode 5 And 6 Recap | PROJECT 7 Episode 7 And 8 Recap | PROJECT 7 Episode 9 And 10 Recap
UPDATE; Here are the final 7 members of the “PROJECT 7” debut group called CLOSE YOUR EYES!
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Episodes 3 and 4 of PROJECT 7 just took the competition to a whole new level, with high-stakes performances, dramatic rankings, and intense moments that had fans talking. Here’s everything you need to know about the game-changing stages, the standout trainees, and what this all means for the future of the competition going forward!
“PROJECT 7” Episode 3 Recap
Episode 2 Results
To recap, in the second episode, the contestants faced their first big hurdle: the theme song challenge, where the trainees had to split into five teams and compete for places in the show’s theme song performance. In the third episode, we finally get to see the results of this mission as P4 soars to the top, securing 712 final points and claiming the prestigious Tier 1 spot. Right behind was P1, who scored a final score of 673 points, landing in Tier 2 and showing strong potential despite the fierce competition. P5 and P3 followed with 621 and 610 points, respectively, which placed them in Tiers 3 and 4. However, it was P2 who faced the toughest outcome, scoring 589 points and ending up in the ominous “shadow zone.” This tier assignment immediately ramped up the stakes for P2, who now faces an uphill battle to stay in the competition without the exposure of the theme song stage.
Position Match – Rap Teams
Following the theme song mission rankings, the intensity is quickly ramped up again as the trainees are given their new mission: the Position Match. This challenge splits the contestants into three main categories based on their skills in rap, dance, and vocals, with each group then divided into four sub-teams. The teams are then given songs to prepare and perform in front of a live audience before each subteam’s performance gets judged and assessed, with points given based on various criteria, including stage presence, vocal control, and synchronization. These scores will ultimately determine the mission’s overall winners (a.k.a MVPs), adding extra pressure for each trainee to stand out.
Among the rap groups, the songs included high-energy tracks like NCT Tae Yong’s ‘Shalala’, performed by the team “Sha La La La Land,” and BIGBANG G-Dragon’s classic ‘Crayon’, performed by team “Oh really?”
Next, team “Workers” performed ‘WORK’ by ATEEZ, while team ‘Mommae’ covered ‘Mommae’ by Jay Park.
In terms of popularity, Jeon Min Wook (BAE173 J-Min)’s fancam for his performance covering ATEEZ’s ‘WORK’ has drawn tons of attention on YouTube since the episode came out.
As well as airing the first group of teams, it was also announced in this episode that, following the Position Match mission, PROJECT 7 will hold its first elimination, after which only 70 trainees will continue their journey on the show. For those who survive, this will be a vital moment to solidify their presence in the competition, while 30 others will be sent home. So, let’s head over to episode 4 to check out the rest of the performances!
“PROJECT 7” Episode 4 Recap
Position Match Vocal & Dance Teams
In the fourth episode, the Position Match mission continues with the vocal teams taking center stage. For example, the team “LOVE” performed IU‘s heartfelt ballad ‘Love Wins All’, with Bing Hua as the center alongside members Yoo Young Seo, Wu Chen Yu,
Lee Eun Suh, and Ha Seok Hee (of Celest1a). “Bee Boy” took on EXO’s nostalgic hit ‘Don’t Go’, while “Cooking Assembly” brought strong harmonies to ONF‘s ‘We Must Love’, led by leader Kim Young Hoon and with Lee Ju Chan as the center.
The last vocal group, “Love Me 5 and Juliet,” tackled DAY6‘s emotionally charged ‘Love Me or Leave Me’.
Among these performances, Nam Ji Woon’s fancam for ‘Don’t Go’ made waves online, racking up 30,000 views in just three days.
After the vocal rounds, the dancers took the stage as team “WE-KEY” delivered a powerful performance to Harry Styles’ ‘Kiwi’, with Kim Joon Woo at the center.
In “Your Four Leaf Clover,” Kang Wang Seok led a team of 13 trainees through a cover of The Chainsmokers’ ‘Closer’, capturing fans’ attention with their intricate moves and tight formations.
Next, the team “POP SHY” took on NSYNC’s classic ‘Pop’, while team “T.T.” brought intensity to BTS Jung Kook’s solo track ‘3D (feat. Jack Harlow)’.
Among the dance teams, Kang Min Seo and Seok Young Bae from the “Closer” team saw their fancams gain big popularity, while Jang Yeo Jun of the “3D” team also earned a lot of love from fans, showing strong potential. Lastly, Abe Yura from “POP SHY” also quickly gained traction online, with his fancam getting thousands of views.
Position Match Mission Rankings
According to the rules, the top ranked teams in each category would be earning a major advantage: a 20,000-point boost for every member. So with such a huge prize on the line and the first elimination around the corner, when it finally came time for the “position match” mission rankings, it’s not surprising that all the trainees were on the edge of their seats.
In the vocal category, team “LOVE” emerged on top with 163 points for their performance of ‘Love Wins All’. Following close behind was “Love Me 5 and Juliet,” who performed ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ with 135 points, while “Bee Boy” took third with 132 points, and “Cooking Assembly” placed fourth.
Next, for the dance teams, “T.T.” clinched the top spot with a whopping 233 points for their performance of ‘3D’. Meanwhile, “Your Four Leaf Clover” took second with 117 points for ‘Closer’, “POP SHY” came in third with 72 points, and “WE-KEY” rounded out the rankings in fourth with their performance of ‘Kiwi’.
Finally, for the rap teams, “Oh Really?” took first place with 192 points for their rendition of G-Dragon’s ‘Crayon’. Following them were team “Workers” with 160 points, ‘Mommae’ in third with 69 points, and “Sha La La Land” with 47 points.
In addition to team rankings, there are also individual rankings, in which the top MVP trainee in each category will earn an impressive 100,000 points. For these individual rankings, Yoo Young Seo came in first among the vocalists, Park Jun Seo topped the list among the dancers, and Jeon Min Wook was the MVP among the rappers–securing themselves a major boost as the elimination gets closer and closer.
“PROJECT 7” Episode 3 And 4 Review
Personally, this writer thought the Position Match mission had some really impressive performances, and I enjoyed seeing how each trainee rose to the challenge.
However, we have to also agree with much of the online discussion: some of the song choices were so uncomfortable to watch, especially since many of the contestants are so young. Songs like ‘3D’ and ‘Body’ by Jay Park felt really inappropriate and took away from the otherwise strong performances, especially since the songs could have easily been replaced by any number of other great dance/rap songs without suggestive themes.
Despite these issues, the trainees undeniably brought their best to the stage, and it’s clear that many of them have really promising talent that will be exciting to watch develop as the show carries on. We’re so curious what’s going to happen in the next episode’s elimination!
What was your favorite performance from PROJECT 7 episodes 3 and 4? Which trainees stood out to you in these two episodes? Let us know in the comments!