Lee Hyori Receives Scathing Criticism For Her Live Singing

Lee Hyori is widely known as one of the “OG” stars of K-Pop, having reigned the industry since 1998, when she debuted as a member of the group Fin.K.L.

Lee Hyori | Yonhap

Lee is often praised for her unmatched popstar qualities, from her addictive voice and versatile discography to her natural stage presence to a distinctive taste in fashion. Thanks to these, Lee is still very much an in-demand performer, rocking live stages all over the country.

 

| TVN

However, her recent live performance has garnered a negative reaction from netizens, who harshly tagged her singing skills as “awful.” The performance was not from any professional event but a private one. Lee Hyori was invited to sing at the wedding of Jung Ho Chul, the co-MC of Shin Dong Yup, on the popular YouTube channel Zzanbro. Jung tied the know with comedian Lee Hye Ji on March 9.

Lee Hye Ji (left) and Jung Ho Chul (right) | WikiTree

Lee performed Kim Dong Ryul’s heartfelt ballad song “Thanks” for the newlyweds after the ceremony, which was included in Shin Dong Yup’s vlog documenting his friend’s wedding. After the performance, she told the audience that it was the first time in her 26-year career to sing a piano ballad, drawing cheerful reactions.

 

However, a brief clip from the live performance, taken by someone in the audience, has gone viral on online communities, where Lee Hyori was heard singing with a strained voice.

Netizens, regardless of this being her first time performing a ballad, have given scathing criticism to the veteran idol. Some also wondered why she went with this song in the first place if it didn’t go with her voice and expertise.

| Nate Pann

• “I’m not even joking I would’ve sung better.”
• “It would’ve been better if she hadn’t sung at all. Did she not think about changing the song while practicing?”
• “It looks like Lee Hyori never received vocal lessons. It’s just her raw voice.”
• “The thing Lee Hyori can’t do at all = her main job.”
• “It’s not easy for people to be consistent…But of course, Lee Hyori is consistently bad at singing, haha.”

What are your opinions on this?