Idols South Africa Recap: Uh Oh, We’re in Trouble
According to Proverb, over 1.8 million votes were cast for the Top 8 boys last week. I’m pretty sure the girls will struggle to crack the million mark.
The girls delivered likely one of the weakest live Idol performance shows in recent memory, marred by one terrible song choice after the other. Even the more ‘solid’ performances were not quite on par. I could name at least four of last week’s performances that were stronger than last night’s most solid delivery.
When previous Idols contestant Matthew Gold – he was eliminated seven years ago – returned to the stage to perform his new single, it was an eerie precursor for the night ahead. His vocal performance made it quite clear why he was eliminated back then.
I really struggled to grade these performances. No performance deserved a B+ or better. Some would disagree with these grades, but I think we’d all agree it was a very shitty night, so here goes.
Mmatema – Ella Henderson’s ‘Ghost’: B
Mmatema has a great range. She showed us that during the second half of the performance. The first half, however, was too low, and her voice struggles with low verses. It’s her biggest weakness. When the song allows her voice to soar, it’s very strong, but when the verses are in a lower register, she struggles. It was a performance of two halves: the second half was better than the first. The judges, however, loved it every bit, so fuck it. The second half of the song delivered the best vocals of the night.
Nina – Blackbyrd’s ‘Better in the Morning’: B-
The first in a barrage of bad song selections. It’s integral to pick a song most people would know. This wasn’t it. Shalalalalalala was a tad too sing-along karaoke for my taste and the song didn’t allow her to show off the depth of her voice. Sure, her vocals were pretty solid, but this song did her no favours. Gareth compared her to Taylor Swift. Just not as smart, Gareth. Randall thinks she’s going to struggle for votes. Yes, most likely.
Amanda – Beyonce’s ‘Drunk in Love’: C+
When I first saw Amanda was going to do this song, I thought she was going to give a whole new artistic interpretation on her guitar – a real ‘artist’ performance. Instead, Amanda tried to be Beyonce, and failed miserably. She had none of Bey’s sex appeal. It all fell flat. Her vocals were solid some of the time, but she was more yelling the chorus than singing it. Somizi also missed the x factor someone like Beyonce has. Randall called it “paint by numbers” and compared it to a high school talent show performance. Ouch. She was trying to be something that she isn’t. She still has a good shot at going through most likely.
Elwira – Taylor Swift’s ‘Style’: B-
Again, a completely wrong song choice. Her vocals were pretty solid throughout, but it wasn’t quite in the pocket. It’s not a song she should be singing. Elwira isn’t a pop singer. She needs a song that lets her voice breathe and come alive, a big song that lets her voice soar. She has arguably the strongest voice of all the girls, but this song didn’t show it. Gareth thought it wasn’t fun enough, and Somizi agreed with me – this song is not her style. Randall thought it lacked Taylor Swift’s charm. Surely, her voice will get her through.
Bridgitt – Meghan Trainor’s ‘Lips Are moving’: D+
No, no, no, no, no, no. This was another horrendous song choice that did not allow her to show off her voice at all. It wasn’t fun or sassy enough, and I found it super uncomfortable. Of all 16 performances, this was by far the worst. Somizi said she sounded like a 6-year-old. Bye-bye.
Nadia – Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love me like you do’: B-
Nadia’s voice isn’t strong enough to do this song justice. The chorus was solid because the backup singers could join in and everything came together. Her voice seemed a little thin, and the high notes were a little iffy, but considering the night was so weak, this was not that bad everything considered. It was a solid enough performance, and the song choice probably did some of the work. Based on the night, Nadia should be going through. All the judges, except for Randall, enjoyed it. Randall said if she ended up going through, it won’t be because of her singing. Another ouch.
Dineo – Sia’s ‘Chandelier’: B
I was expecting this to be a complete miss. I was wrong. The low verses hit the mark and the chorus wasn’t bad. She had to do a lot of reaching, and it did get away from her at the end, but it was mostly solid throughout. Considering the night, this was a pass. Gareth was right, it was no Sia, but it was better than I expected it would be. She went for it, and sometimes got there. Somizi and Unathi loved it, but Randall, like Gareth, wasn’t buying it.
Shenay – Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Bang Bang’: B
Man, this was a lot of fun. The night needed some fun entertainment, and Shenay brought it. The performance aspect was fantastic. I agree with the judges however, the vocals weren’t great. The chorus was too high, and the performance most likely too “drag”. I may have given her a B, but it’s based on the overall entertainment value alone. I enjoyed it. Idols being a singing competition, this won’t get her the votes. It was fun while it lasted.
Should be in trouble: Bridgitt, Amanda, Nina
Will be in trouble: Bridgitt, Nina, Shenay
What did you think of the performances? Was the night a disaster? Which performance was your favourite?
Photos courtesy of Mnet
