I Can See Your Voice (abbreviated asICSYV;Korean: 너의 목소리가 보여;RR: Neoui moksoriga boyeo;MR: Nŏŭi moksorika poyŏ) is an international television mystery music game show franchise that originated fromthe South Korean program of the same title,[2][3] which is created byproducer Lee Seon-young.
In 2012, producer and creator Lee Seon-young initially planned to develop a singing reality competition show that includes "good singers". She would unusually add elements with "bad singers",lip sync, and "guessing game" flairs,[4] creating a unique format that would become the "mystery music game show" in the process.[3] Also, she originally envisioned a program that will allow anyone to be the main character regardless of their appearances, inspired byKim Bum-soo who struggled to gain recognition because of his look.[5]
I Can See Your Voice made its debut onMnet andtvN on February 26, 2015, with host Kim Bum-soo playing the game as a guest artist.[1] Despite the poor reception in its first season, the show went on to become an instant success in South Korea, forcing to renew for a second season.[6]
Presented with a group of "mystery singers", the guest artist(s) must attempt to eliminate bad singers from the group without ever hearing them sing, assisted by clues and celebrity panel over the course of several rounds. At the end of a game, the last remaining mystery singer is revealed as either good or bad by means of a duet between them and one of the guest artists.[7][8]
The "battle format" is a variation of the original South Korean rules that introduced inGiọng ải giọng ai, when two opposing guest artists eliminate one singer each during the proper game phase, and then remain one singer each to join the final performance. At the end of a game, the following conditions for winning mystery singers chosen by opposing guest artists, depending on the outcome of final performances, if:[9]
One opposing guest artist has revealed as a good singer and the other one has a bad singer, or
Both two opposing guest artists have revealed as good or bad singers.
ForVeo cómo cantas in Mexico, two oppposing contestants must eliminate one mystery singer from an assigned group. At the end of first two or three rounds, the contestant having of a least one or two bad singer eliminations will proceed to the next round.[10]
The game's main element, "mystery singers", are a lineup of selections played by the guest artist(s), having divided into good and bad singers.[a] Actually, the winning mystery singer can perform freely without accompanying guest artist(s).[12] Beside them, it also involved civilian or celebrity contestants as "eliminators".[8] Some lineup variations include:
For a mixed group, if all of the members are good singers but including of at least one bad singer, they are actually classified as "bad".
The "surprise" entrant, when a mystery singer stands inside an enclosure and remain concealed until its revelation by being eliminated or a final performance by one of the guest artists.
Throughout the game, mystery singers, contestants, and to lesser extent guest artists have given rewards such as prize money, trophy, or recording contract.[8] Some commonly used methods include:
The eliminated or winning mystery singer, regardless of being good or bad, gets a cash prize. With contestant(s) involved, they get a cash prize if the last remaining mystery singer is good, or to the winning bad singer selected by them.
The contestant(s) must eliminate one mystery singer at the end of each round, receiving a petty cash if they eliminate a bad singer. At the end of a game, if the contestant(s) decide to walk away, they will keep the money had won in previous rounds; if they decide to risk for the last remaining mystery singer, they win its main prize if a singer is good, or lose their all winnings if a singer is bad.
Each mystery singer performs a lip sync to a song; good singers mime to a recording of their own, while bad singers mime to a recording by someone else.
Also for the pair and batch variations, the guest artist(s) and contestant(s) eliminate one mystery singer from each group.
The mystery singer lip syncs to the good singer's recording, then a bad singer's recording comes in the middle of the performance.
Each mystery singer reveals an evidential piece. Good singers have own evidences, while bad singers had their evidences fabricated.
The hosts have randomly assigned clues about the mystery singer, and then the guest artist(s) and contestant(s) must choose a clue for each one.
The guest artist(s) and contestant(s) are presented with a video package containing possible clues by one of the mystery singers; this includes "house tour", "personal life", or "witness" variations.
Each mystery singer reveals a pre-show rehearsal piece, but their voices are actually concealed through audio distortion.
Three random panelists are wearing headphones to listen to a recording of assigned mystery singer that lasts for a short duration. Afterward, the panelist defends the mystery singer and convince the guest artist(s) and contestant(s) to choose them as the winner.
The guest artist(s) and contestant(s) are presented with video from a recording session by one of the mystery singers, but pitch-shifted to obscure their actual vocals.
The guest artist(s) and contestant(s) may ask questions to the remaining mystery singers. Good singers are required to give truthful responses, while the bad singers must lie.
Each mystery singer has to confess what kind of identity they have if the singer is bad.
TheGolden Mic is used by guest artists or contestants that introduced in theAmerican counterpart, in which they may hear additional clues and observations to mystery singers from a celebrity guest off-stage.[8]
UnlikeIdol,Rising Star,The Voice andThe X Factor, which are competitive-based franchises,I Can See Your Voice is a game show being considered a "stepping stone" for undiscovered singers to perform effortlessly,[13] referring to as the "second coming ofNational Singing Contest" because of its sudden impact on their local music industry.[14] Certain participants such asHwang Chi-yeul[15] andKim Min-kyu[16] made their success after the program.
In August 2015, CJ ENM accused two (locally unlicensed) programs,God of Songs bySZTV andX-Singer byBeijing TV, ofplagiarism. They have also implement on modified game mechanics, strikingly similar to the original format ofI Can See Your Voice without having permission from the said company.[17][18]
During an interview with CJ ENM head of formats Diane Min in June 2020, she revealed that there was a dispute withIs That Really Your Voice?, another game show format by the Turkey-based Global Agency launched in 2013, in whichI Can See Your Voice was accused as being plagiarized from their format.[19]
Part of a regional or multinational, single adaptation ofICSYV
With own multiple adaptations ofICSYV
I Can See Your Voice commenced franchising[24][25] with a joint agreement by CJ ENM and Chinese broadcasterJiangsu Broadcasting Corporation in June 2015, to acquire the rights for producing its firstlocally-licensed adaptation.[26][27] On the other hand, Thailand became the first country to air its ownlocal adaptation, debuting on 13 January 2016.[28][4] Since then, theICSYV franchise produced 35 adaptations, having aired in 34 countries and territories.[29]
Giọng ải giọng ai (subtitled asHidden Voices) is a formally recognized Vietnamese adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice that has aired from 2016 to 2020. Also, the introduction of a "battle format" would be later implement to existingICSYV counterparts.[30]
^The number of mystery singers in a lineup may vary depending on the game's duration, with a minimum of five people setting in the Philippine adaptation.[11]
Kang, Ji-ae (February 24, 2015).k외모 편견 깨부순 '너의 목소리가 보여', 新 음악 프로 지평 열까 [종합] [I Can See Your Voice: breaking prejudice against appearance, new music show prospect opens].TVDaily (in Korean). Archived fromthe original on May 14, 2021. RetrievedJune 5, 2021.
Zimmer, Cindy (August 22, 2016)."Interview: Kim Bum-soo".ATK Magazine.Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. RetrievedJune 5, 2021.
