February 26, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-02-26)[2][3]
I Can See Your Voice (abbreviated asICSYV) is a television game show franchise. Originating from theSouth Korean program of the same title created bytelevision producer Lee Seon-young and produced byCJ ENM, it features a "mystery music game show" format leaning of a guessing flair, with guest artist(s) and also contestant(s) playing on a group of mystery singers.[4][1]
In 2012, television producer Lee Seon-young initially planned to develop a singing reality competition show "involving only good singers", which she would later add unusual elements such as "bad singers",lip sync, and a "guessing game" flair, thus creating the "mystery music game show" format in the process.[5][1] Lee also originally envisioned a program that allows anyone to be the "main character" regardless of their appearances, withKim Bum-soo taking inspiration, who struggled to gain recognition because of his look.[6]
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.[2][3] 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.[7]
Presented with a group of "mystery singers" that identified only by their occupation or alias, the guest artist(s) and/or contestant(s) must attempt to eliminate bad singers from the selection without ever hearing them perform live, over the course of several rounds. They are also assisted with clues regarding singers' backgrounds, style of performance, and observations from a celebrity panel. 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.[8][9]
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:[10]
One opposing guest artist remained a good singer and the other had a bad singer, or
Both two opposing guest artists remained with 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.[11]
The game's main element, "mystery singers", are a lineup of selections catered to guest artist(s) that divide into uncertain number of good and bad singers.[a] Actually, the winning mystery singer can perform freely without accompanying guest artist(s).[13] Aside from that, it also includes civilian or celebrity contestants, taking the role of "eliminators".[9] Some lineup variations include:
For a mixed group, if all of mystery singers are good but to include of at least one bad singer, they are reclassified 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.[9] 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 abacking track by another vocalist.
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.
TheAmericansecond season introduced the use ofGolden Mic, in which the guest artist(s) and contestant(s) may hear additional clues and observations to mystery singers from celebrity panelist(s) off-stage.[9]
For thethird season ofPeesh ili luzhesh, theGolden Switch can be used by panelists during the proper game phase to apply one randomly-selected mystery singer as an additional hint; the guest artist(s) could still eliminate that, even if they are revealed as good or bad.[14]
According toTV Report in August 2015, CJ ENM was suspected ofplagiarism on two Chinese programs,God of Singing byShenzhen TV andX-Singer byBeijing TV, as they both implemented on "modified" game mechanics strikingly similar toI Can See Your Voice, without granting permission from the said company. One unnamed employee also stated in a phone call that they did not emulate the original South Korean program, proving both broadcasters had acquired rights to produce local adaptations, likely ofIs That Really Your Voice?, another game show format created by the Turkey-based Global Agency in 2013; as a follow-up, CJ ENM would immediately enforce countermeasures to avoid such future occurrences.FormatBiz later revealed in an interview by CJ ENM's head of formats Diane Min in June 2020 that there was also a dispute of its own with the latter, in whichI Can See Your Voice was accused as being plagiarized from their format.[23]
In a subsequent similar case by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange Berlin correspondent Lee Yu-jin published on theKorea Creative Content Agency in July 2021, CJ ENM had been also suspected on a then-upcomingProSieben programFameMaker [de], citing its comparisons toI Can See Your Voice in terms of format elements, that was noticed on his deletedtweet byOliver Pocher. The show's production companyBrainpool TV and producerStefan Raab were also concerned of the issue, saying it was an original concept, which is leaning onThe Voice-styled competitive approach with singers performing inside a soundproof dome. Later, anRTL Deutschland spokeswoman formally responded in an interview fromFocus that both two programs have "good and bad singer" elements, but they were different formats; she had also initially refused to comment about ProSieben's attempt to acquire rights for another South Korean program as it succeeded inThe Masked Singer.[24]
Guest artists have been also intended to perform along with unsuspected people before proceeding to the actual duet in-game as a "mystery singer", which is considered to be an act ofcheating. One such example was occurred in asecond season episode ofPeesh ili luzhesh on November 24, 2024, whenOrlin Goranov committed to remain with good singer Beatris, Judy Halvadjian's daughter, as the winner. However, it was later noticed that they had recently performed together duringBNT'sChristmas Matinee concert in 2023.[25]
There are some games that have been considerably flawed, such as situating on mystery singers with only one bad singer on their lineup while using the American-modified original format. In athird season episode ofSedato that happened on April 14, 2025, contestant Akhil Royinbagh left empty-handed by eliminating five good singers, leaving with sole bad singer Amir Fadajan as the winner for a duet performance by returning guest artist Amir Mohammed Kamirpour.[26]
With a single adaptation organized by multiple countries
I Can See Your Voice commenced franchising[31][32] 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.[33] On the other hand, Thailand was the first country to air itsown local adaptation, debuting on January 13, 2016.[34][5] Since then, theICSYV franchise has produced 32 adaptations, airing in 31 countries and territories.[35]
Giọng ải giọng ai (subtitledHidden Voices) is a Vietnamese program technically included as part of theI Can See Your Voice franchise, airing between 2016 and 2020; this also introduced a "battle format", which would later implement to existingICSYV counterparts.[36]Catch Me If You Can, an unofficial adaptation of its Russian original counterpartYa vizhu tvoy golos[37] (as it aired duringwartime with Ukraine from 2024 to 2025),[38] used the same format, applying to opposing teams of guest artists and mystery singers.[39]
Aside from these adaptations having already adapted, 14 other countries have formally announced their intention to produce local adaptations ofI Can See Your Voice:
Slovakia andCzech Republic — Slovakia first reported the inclusion byThe Korea Economic Daily in December 2018, and then a press release by CJ ENM in March 2019;[50][51] Czech Republic also followed, as both countries signed a co-deal between CJ ENM andFremantle in November 2020, with a possibility of producing a multinational adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice in the formerCzechoslovakia.[52]
Australia andItaly — Both two countries first reported the inclusions through a press release by CJ ENM in December 2019.[53]
Poland was one of the countries to have signed a co-deal between CJ ENM and Fremantle in November 2020.[52] Meanwhile,WPtv did also air the American counterpart under its title,Śpiewają, czy udają? (English:Are they singing or pretending?).[55][56]
In Turkey,Acun Medya acquired the rights to produce a local adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice, as per dealing with Eccho Rights in April 2021;TV8 is assigned to air under its tentative title,Sesini görebiliyorum.[57][58]
India andNorway — Both two countries signed a co-deal between CJ ENM and Fremantle in November 2020.[52]
Greece — According to report by Grigoris Melas ofNewsIt on August 20, 2021,Alter Ego Media formally acquired the rights to produce a local adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice, with Silverline Media assigning on production duties;Mega Channel is assigned to air under its tentative title,Boró na do ti foní sou (Greek:Μπορώ να δω τη φωνή σου), withMaria Bekatorou [el] as host.[59][60]
Serbia — In September 2021, Videostroj initially planned to produce a multinational adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice consisting of all countries from the formerYugoslavia, withUna TV [sr] assigning as the broadcaster prior to its launch on 21 December 2021. Amidst the U.S. sanctions linked to then-president of Republika SrpskaMilorad Dodik, Una TV would also halt operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia (as it went on to produceTko to tamo pjeva?),[b] Montenegro, and North Macedonia in July 2024.[61] As for the Serbian counterpart (under the management of Srđan Praštalo and Aleksandar Radoš), there is also a possibility that they will produce its own local adaptation.[62][59]
Ukraine — In February 2022, a post fromNovyi Kanal's officialInstagram page announced the auditions for a proposed Ukrainian adaptation ofI Can See Your Voice.[63]
Colombia — The country first reported the inclusion byiMBC News in February 2023.[64]
Japan — The country first reported the inclusion through a press release by CJ ENM in April 2023;[65] Mnet Japan's official website had also a translated title ofI Can See Your Voice (Japanese:君の声が見える,Hepburn:Kimi no koe ga mieru).[66]
Brazil — The country first reported the inclusion byEl País in February 2024, as related to then-upcoming Uruguayan adaptation ofVeo cómo cantas.[67]
^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.[12]
Tko to tamo pjeva? is also aired in Bosnia and Herzegovina(s2),[40] although it allows the guest artists from countries that had been part of the former Yugoslavia as foreigners to play there.[41]
Kang, Ji-ae (February 24, 2015).외모 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 from the 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.
