Idols South Africa Recap: Loyiso, Karabo, Sam Smith Steal the Night
Sam Smith stole the first night of live performances on this season of Idols. Okay, not Sam Smith, but covers of Sam Smith songs. Successful British male artists seem to be popular at the moment, with the song list featuring two Sam Smith and two Ed Sheeran tracks – to varying results.
Loyiso Gijana delivered the standout performance of the night, with Karabo Mogane not trailing far behind. Frontrunners crashing and burning seems to be the ‘it thing’ this season as Lungisa Xhamela underwhelmed, failing to cash in on his golden status.
The four guys with the most votes will automatically enter this season’s Top 10. Four guys did stand out above the rest, but all four of them aren’t likely the ones who’ll receive the most votes. Loyiso, Karabo, along with Ruan Grobbelaar and Thami Shobede deserve to go through based on these performances but Lungisa will seal one of those spots regardless.
Without further ado, let’s continue to my grades of last night’s performances:
Siphelele – Omi’s ‘Cheerleader’: B- It was not quite in the pocket, his voice lacking the smooth rhythm the song requires. That said, it showed a much different side of Siphelele – he chose one of the biggest songs of the moment. He took a risk, although it didn’t quite pay off. Near the end, he got more into the groove, but he still didn’t sell it. Gareth thought he took a while to get into it – agreed. It was Somizi’s first time hearing the song – and he’s an Idols judge?
Phila – Uhuru’s ‘Ungowami’: B- Vocally, it wasn’t strong. He sounded out of tune a few times throughout. His performance was pretty good, but the song didn’t do him any favours. His voice didn’t shine. Somizi thought he owned it while Gareth wasn’t sure whether it was good enough. Randall said he should concentrate more on his singing and less on his dancing. Randall hit the nail on the head.
Thami – Ed Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’: B In his video package, he said all the ladies want a piece of him. Keep your head in the game, Thami. It probably wasn’t the right song for his voice, and he lacked some of Ed’s subtlety, but the climax of the song was vocally very solid. He made it his own. It was definitely the first solid performance of the night so far. Randall didn’t think it stood out enough and could’ve been a bit better. Unathi thought it would stand out. He should make the cut based on this performance.
Karabo – Sam Smith’s ‘I’m Not the Only One’: B+ It definitely isn’t the song that will shed his dishwater personality persona, but vocally, it was pretty strong. He hit all the notes, alright, but it lacked the emotion that would take it another notch higher. Somizi was on his feet, and Gareth guaranteed that he’ll be one of the four guys going through. Somizi thought he would be in a worldwide Idols top 10. Calm down, Somizi. It was good, but he certainly can become better.
Rhema – Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’: C+ In hindsight, this was definitely the wrong song for Rhema. Dude is a soul singer. He needed a big, soulful, bluesy song to catapult his voice into the heavens. This wasn’t it. The vocals were off, and the emotion wasn’t there. On top of that, he seemed uncomfortable. It was the worst performance of the night. Gareth thought there was something missing, but that he will get through. Somizi also thought the meaning of the song was lost on Rhema. Rhema has a very strong voice, but based on that, he should be heading home.
Lungisa – Trey Songz’s Touchin’ Love: B- This song choice did not allow Lungisa to show off his voice. Sure, he’s smooth. His performance is smooth. Vocally, however, it wasn’t strong. It was a performance that was style over substance. It was a disappointing performance since everyone knows he can do much better. Gareth didn’t think it was enough. Somizi called it “okay”. Randall thinks he’s the best vocalist among the guys, but said he didn’t bring it. Lungisa is going nowhere, that’s for sure, but this will not win him this competition. He needs to get serious and dig in – sing your ass off!
Loyiso – Sam Smith’s ‘Lay Me Down’: A- Damn. This performance left me kinda speechless. When I first saw his song choice, I thought he made a mistake. He proved me wrong. This kid has so much potential. It was beautiful and tender, and each note was handled with care. His falsetto was smooth as silk. The emotion and vocals were perfect. It was Gareth’s performance of the night. Unathi’s too. It was pure class. The first ‘great’ performance of the season. Keep it up, dude.
Ruan – George Ezra’s ‘Blame It on Me’: B+ I don’t think this was the right song for Ruan. George Ezra has his own unique voice, and Ruan tried to follow the blueprint a little too much. That said, it was a very solid cover, and he was in it the whole time, and really delivered a performance. Was it good enough? I think so. Gareth’s “well done, white boy” was very funny. Somizi called it “magnificent”. Randall wasn’t as impressed and doesn’t think he’ll get the votes. There’s something wrong if that performance doesn’t get him through.
Should be in danger: Rhema, Phila, and Siphelele.
Will be in danger: Rhema, Siphelele, and Ruan.
What did you think about Sunday night’s performances? Who was your favourite?
Vote in the poll and tell us!
