'Steal Heart Club' Reveals First 10 Eliminated Contestants, Brace for 20 More Drops in Round 4 'Band Unit Battle'

Mnet's survival program 'Steal Heart Club' has officially entered its elimination phase, announcing the first 10 contestants who will be departing the competition. The upcoming 'Band Unit Battle' in Round 4 promises even more intense drama, with a staggering 20 participants set to be cut.

Tuesday's broadcast (the 18th) featured the final matchups of the 3rd round's 'Dual Stage Battle' with a K-pop girl group cover challenge. Team Generation Integration, led by front person Oh Da-jun (Kim Eun-chan A, Oh Da-jun, Jeong Eun-chan, Chae Pil-gyu, Hanbin Kim), faced criticism during mid-term checks, with music directors questioning their best effort. However, they revamped their arrangement and stage composition, delivering a surprising performance by reinterpreting IVE's 'Rebel Heart'. Their powerful rendition, complete with audience sing-alongs and an impromptu drum solo, earned them 738 points and a victory. Oh Da-jun expressed his emotion, stating, 'We finally achieved integration.'

In contrast, Team Universe Conquest, led by Dane (Dane, Park Cheol-gi, Sa Gi-som-eol, Seo Woo-seung, Lee Jun-ho), presented an explosive stage by reimagining aespa's 'Armageddon' in a hard rock metal genre. The combination of an 8-string guitar, Sa Gi-som-eol's charismatic vocals, and Dane's stage presence garnered praise like 'Rock God descended' and 'Legendary'. Despite the accolades, they narrowly lost with 723 points from the band maker votes. Though their team lost, Dane, who secured the top individual score with 170 points, commented, 'Just because we're in the elimination pool doesn't mean my teammates are out. We fought really well even though we lost.'

Following the competition, the director team began deliberations for selecting survivors by position. After intense discussion, vocalists Jo Ju-yeon and Kim Eun-seong, keyboardists Jang Jae-hyeong and Kim Eui-jin, drummers Tae Sa-o and Kim Geon-dae, bassists Kim Jun-young and San E, and guitarists Yang Hyeok and Lee Jun-ho were chosen as eliminated contestants. However, due to Kazuki's withdrawal from the drum position for health reasons, Kim Geon-dae, who ranked high in the band maker votes, was reinstated to continue his journey. He declared, 'It's an honor to be back on stage. Thank you, and I promise to do much better this time.'

Lee Jun-ho, who made a strong impression with his 8-string guitar performance, was moved to tears, saying, 'Every day was happy and unforgettable.' Sunwoo Jung-a offered warm encouragement, stating, 'I deeply support your future and will definitely meet you again.' Yang Hyeok, who gained attention for his appearance in 'Lovely Runner', also left a lasting impression, remarking, 'It made me reconsider my dream of standing on stage as a guitarist. I have a reason not to give up on music.'

Before the shock of the first eliminations could fade, the mission for Round 4 was revealed. MC Yura (Moon Ga-young) announced, 'In Round 4, the 'Band Unit Battle', a massive 20 contestants will be eliminated. Half of the current participants will be cut,' sending shockwaves through the venue. She further explained, 'The 'Band Unit Battle' will proceed in two parts. Part 1 requires performances solely with team members, while Part 2 will be a collaboration unit battle with artists from different genres.' She emphasized, 'This round is a crucial stage to showcase both team identity and unit strategy.'

The Front Persons for Round 4, selected based on their top individual scores in Round 3, are Dane (Bass), Hanbin Kim (Guitar), Yoon Young-jun (Keyboard), Lee Yoon-chan (Vocal), and Kim Eun-chan A (Drum). They will now form new teams. Participants who received multiple Front Person nominations were given the choice of which team to join, leading to intense psychological warfare. After much deliberation, five teams of eight members each were finalized. Attention is now focused on which teams will survive the upcoming 'Band Unit Battle', where only 20 out of the 40 aspiring musicians will remain.

'Steal Heart Club' is a global band-making project chronicling the growth of aspiring musicians into iconic global bands, airing every Tuesday at 10 PM KST on Mnet.

Netizens expressed shock and anticipation following the broadcast. Comments included, "10 people eliminated? That's so shocking!", "I'm already nervous about how much more intense the next round will be", and "Lee Jun-ho and Yang Hyeok, it's a shame, but I hope to see you again in the future."