Idols South Africa Power Ranking: How Do The Top 10 Stack Up?
After a predictably shocking results show on Sunday, we finally have our Top 10, ladies and gents. Sure, a few of them probably don’t deserve their spots, and some eliminations were controversial, as witnessed from all those annoying #BringThamiBack Facebook comments.
Hint: He’s not coming back. Thank those who voted for Siphelele and Rhema. The show’s proverbial hands are tied by voters’ inability to vote for star quality.
Move on, that’s all.
Ranking the Top 10 based on what we’ve seen from them thus far as well as Sunday’s surprising results, this is what I came up with. With the guys and girls now finally combined, it makes the rankings quite tricky, but the top half was pretty easy. Here goes.
#10 Nadia Herbst
Yeah, no. This was easy. She didn’t get enough votes when she should have, received a wildcard thanks to gender equality, and the general viewer does not like her for some reason. She would rank 3 places higher if this was on performance alone, but as we know, it’s not. I hope she goes up tempo on Sunday.
#9 Amanda Antony
One of those head scratchers. Her performance of Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love” was all kinds of wrong. It did not fit her at all. She’s not a sexy pop star, and shouldn’t try to be. I hope to see her back with her guitar on Sunday. That is what sets her apart and gives her a shot.
#8 Siphelele Ngcobo
He seems like a likable guy, for sure. It’s probably the reason why he got the votes. It definitely was not based on his mostly off performance of “Chearleader”. He’ll leave early if he doesn’t bring it and come out swinging.
#7 Rhema Varrie
The guy has a strong bluesy soul voice but completely failed on Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”. He’ll need to do much better if he wants to stay for a while, and he has the ability to do so if he picks the right songs. His last performance was uncomfortable to watch, but hey, he’s a nice guy. He needs to connect to the material – that’s when his voice will come alive.
#6 Lungisa Xhamela
The biggest surprise from Sunday night’s results. I thought he was a lock for a spot in the Top 10, but clearly his fans are social media fans only. He has great potential, but his performance really hurt his chances. I hope he comes back with a bang. He can do it. Stop being a drama queen and a dancer and be serious. Show the judges and the naysayers that you deserved that wildcard spot.
#5 Elwira Standili
On voice alone, she deserves to be in the Top 5, even higher, but her performance of Taylor Swift’s “Style” was a big misstep. It was not her style. She needs a song that allows her to show off her great voice. Sing, girl!
#4 Dineo Moseki
Now this girl didn’t hurt her chances at all. She took on a big song and got through it. It wasn’t perfect – far from it – but she showed that she has the guts to push herself. She may be small, but her voice can go there. She made herself a potential top 3 candidate. For Sunday, I hope she goes up tempo.
#3 Loyiso Gijana
If this was on performance alone, he would have been at #1. His performance of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down” was damn good. At only 16, his vocals and star quality are already through the roof. I hope he keeps this up, he deserves to go very far. He’s also very versatile: From Nick Jonas, to Usher, to Sam Smith, that’s pretty good I’d say.
#2 Mmatema Moremi
When her voice soars, she soars. She has the voice, except maybe for her lower register, to do well, if she picks right. If she maintains her momentum, she could ride it all the way to the final. Do I think she’s going to win? No. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t good enough to. She’s already better than last season’s runner-up Bongi.
#1 Karabo Mogane
Based on performance, I’ll place him at #2, but fuck it, he has seemingly the biggest support group already. The majority of viewers have chosen their Idol already, and he’s most likely it. He has all the makings of the next Musa, hopefully just better. That said, I hope he surprises, and comes alive on that stage. He needs to show star quality, because on that front, he’s no Loyiso.
After Sunday, these rankings are sure to change. A few of them might just surprise. What do you think? Are you willing to take a stab at ranking this season’s Top 10? Join the discussion and leave your comments!
