Girl Group Goes Viral For “Completely Botching” Live Performance of Iconic K-Pop Song

Japanese girl group ME:I is going viral in Korea after their live cover of an iconic K-Pop song drew brutally honest reactions from netizens.

| @official__ME_I_/X

ME:I, the girl group formed through Produce 101 Japan The Girls, recently performed a live cover of “Golden,” the hit song from KPop Demon Hunters. The performance featured members MiU, Ayane, and Tsuzumi taking on the difficult track.

| @official__ME_I_/X

However, shortly after clips of the performance began circulating online, Korean netizens were quick to point out that the song choice may have been too ambitious.

On May 30, 2026 (KST), a post about the performance went viral on the Korean forum theqoo, where many commenters questioned why the group chose “Golden” in the first place. The song is widely known for its demanding vocal range, difficult transitions, and high notes, making it a risky choice even for strong vocalists.

これは酷い…
高見音外しすぎて放送事故レベルだろ
大量脱退してからME:Iダメダメだね pic.twitter.com/XJmE9SkqMI

— WeeLu (@lgmjmj_gql_dmw) May 29, 2026

This is awful… Takami’s pitch is so off it’s broadcast accident level, right? Ever since the mass withdrawals, ME:I’s been a total mess, huh?

— @lgmjmj_gql_dmw/X

Many netizens reacted with shock at the live vocals, saying the members appeared to struggle with pitch and control throughout parts of the performance. Several commenters said they were less confused by the mistakes themselves and more confused by the decision to perform such a difficult song live.

Online reactions were harsh, questioning whether the group had practiced enough before taking the stage. Some said the performance sounded like the members could not properly match the pitch even during rehearsal.

Still, not every reaction was purely negative. A few commenters acknowledged that “Golden” is an extremely difficult song, with some even pointing out that the original singer also adjusts the key for certain performances. Others said they respected the group for attempting the song live without relying heavily on a backing track.

• “Why did they sing ‘Golden’… They seem like they’re good at singing, but since the key doesn’t fit them, they ended up completely botching the high parts…”
• “Oh no… LOL.”
• “Who made them do this?! LOL.”
• “This is hard for me to watch…”
• “It’s like listening to a talent show. What is this?”
• “I don’t know who they are, but after listening, I don’t think they’re originally bad singers. This song just doesn’t suit them.”
• “Ah… oh no…”
• “Letting Saja Boys straight back in from hell.”
• “I don’t think they’re people who can’t sing, but you shouldn’t give a song like this to people who can’t cover that vocal range.”
• “Don’t do ‘Golden.’ Do another song. It’s such a difficult song, so I don’t really want to criticize them. But choosing a song that fits your vocal range is also a skill…”
• “The one on the far left is Tsuzumi, and even if she’s not better than Korean singers, she usually sings the high notes in her own group’s songs really well. But watching this, maybe she was nervous, because her voice was shaking so much.”
• “I don’t think they’re bad singers. The song choice was a miss.”

The performance has since continued to spread across Korean online communities, with netizens debating whether ME:I’s stage should be seen as a brave live attempt, a poor song choice, or an unfortunate viral moment for the group.

Watch the full performance here:

260528 Golden （Japanese Ver.） cover
初披露 櫻井美羽 高見文寧 海老原鼓 🎙️#美羽文寧鼓のGoldenカバー初披露 #ME_I pic.twitter.com/7cUqw2qh3i

— ْ (@Ae39ME_I) May 28, 2026