'Sing Again' runner-up's undeniable talent builds strong following in Korea

It was a runner-up finish that felt like a victory. That’s the story of Filipino singer Gwyn Dorado, 22, who placed second on the fourth season of JTBC’s audition program “Sing Again” (2024-) on Tuesday.

Gwyn Dorado performs Kim Dong-ryul’s “Etude of Memory” (1994) (translated) at the finale of the fourth season of JTBC's audition program “Sing Again” (2024-). [SCREEN CAPTURE]

It was a runner-up finish that felt like a victory. That’s the story of Filipino singer Gwyn Dorado, 22, who placed second on the fourth season of JTBC’s audition program “Sing Again” (2024-) on Tuesday. With her powerhouse vocals, Dorado posted the highest judges’ score in the show’s history.

Her performance of “Light Up” was especially praised, earning perfect scores from seven of the eight judges. “When she’s onstage, she owns the whole thing,” said Lee Hae-ri of Davichi, while Taeyeon of Girl’s Generation remarked, “She’s good enough to be sitting here judging with us.”

But Dorado fell behind in real-time text and online votes with 40 percent and online pre-votes with 10 percent, ultimately finishing as runner-up. The title went to Lee O-uk who earned 3,051.06 points overall, but ranked fourth in the judges’ scores.

Dorado has already been performing as a singer for 11 years. She first learned guitar at age 8 and, at 11, competed in 2015 on “Asia’s Got Talent,” where she advanced to the finals. Her performance — playing guitar while singing Katy Perry’s “Roar” (2013) — made waves at the time.

She later worked as an actor as well, appearing in musicals including “Annie” and “The Sound of Music.” In 2023, she debuted as a singer-songwriter with “Why Do We Love?”

Gwyn Dorado, singer [MUSIC FARM]

Dorado’s performances have also gone viral online. A video of her singing “As Time Goes By” (1988) (translated) by singer Choi Ho-seob in the first round of “Sing Again 4” last October had surpassed 4.02 million views as of Jan. 7. Other clips of her singing Korean ballads on the show — including “Rebirth” (1993) with 1.97 million views and “One Late Night in 1994” (1994) (translated) by Jang Hye-jin with 1.55 million views — have also drawn attention.

Dorado came to Korea two years ago. “Why Do We Love?” gained popularity on social media, which led to her move. “Watching K-dramas, I started dreaming of working in Korea,” she said.

In a phone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Wednesday, Dorado said, “I never imagined I’d make it to the final stage. No matter the result, I’m just happy I made it through to the end.”

Finalists for the fourth season of JTBC's audition program “Sing Again” (2024-) [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Q. It was such a close finish. How do you feel?

At first, I didn’t even expect to make it to the final round. People around me say it’s a shame I didn’t win, but I really don’t feel that way. When I first came to Korea, I was so lonely. But through "Sing Again," I made friends and found people who cheer me on — and that makes me so happy.

Which stage do you remember most?

Singing Exhibition’s "Etude of Memories" (1994) in the final was really difficult. My family came to watch that day. Seeing their faces, I got overwhelmed and couldn’t control myself very well. I came off the stage after giving it everything I had.

Why Korea?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I watched a lot of Korean dramas, including “Itaewon Class” (2020). I also listened a lot to soundtracks sung by 10cm, Paul Kim and others. I guess that naturally made me want to train in the Korean system. When I got an offer to work in Korea with “Why Do We Love?,” I thought it was a really great opportunity.

Gwyn Dorado appears on “Asia’s Got Talent” (2015-) in 2015, singing Katy Perry’s “Roar” (2013). [SCREEN CAPTURE]

For someone in their second year in Korea, your Korean is very fluent. How did you study? At first, it was so hard. I memorized vocabulary and studied grammar diligently. I also wrote a diary in Korean every day. But more than writing a diary, my Korean improved a lot more by talking with friends I met through ‘ "Sing Again."

You’ve been good since you were young. How did that happen? My dad loves singing. Even now, whenever I go onstage, he gives me feedback and advice. He’s also the one who supported me in living as a singer.

You write songs, too. How did that happen? After "Asia’s Got Talent," I fell into a slump. When I got to middle school, I tried to focus on studying. But when I thought about it, I realized I still wanted to keep making music. As I started enjoying songwriting, I naturally got over the slump.

Gwyn Dorado sings the Philippine national anthem ahead of the president’s State of the Nation Address in 2015. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

You’re good at English, but on "Sing Agai" you consistently sang classic Korean ballads. Why? I thought that if I sang in a foreign language, it would be harder to make my name known in Korea. I just wanted Korean people to look kindly on me — that’s all.

What’s next? I’m preparing for a nationwide tour with the “Sing Again” Top 10. I’d also like to appear on variety shows like “Earth Arcade” (2022), which a lot of Gen Z viewers watch, and on YouTube channels like “Find Kany” hosted by French dancer Kany. For that, I’ll need to study Korean slang and abbreviations, too. I still have a long way to go.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHOI MIN-JI [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]