Idols South Africa Recap: Mmatema, Karabo, and Comeback Kid Amanda Dominate
First off, thank fuck the show survived the disaster that was the girls’ Top 8 live performance show. We areare back on track. Crisis averted. We do indeed have some potential stars here.
From Amanda Antony and Rhema Varrie redeeming themselves with strong performances – especially Amanda – to Mmatema Moremi and Karabo Mogane continuing their rise to a potential finale showdown, likely the best male versus female showdown the show has ever had, since last year’s was horrible and one-sided thanks to a terrible runner-up.
But there’s also Loyiso Gijana, the 16-year-old from Uitenhage with the potential to be a huge star. Top 3 could be on the cards for him, and if he was given a few years, he could have been the most versatile package Idols has ever produced. His performance last night couldn’t live up to his masterful Sam Smith vocal from three weeks ago, but he’s still very much in the game.
Each judge submitted a list of ten songs and the contestants were tasked with choosing one to perform. Six of the ten songs came from Somizi, so at least he knows popular music.
Lastly, that terrible “VIP Room”. Hardly VIP. It’s just ten chairs. No drinks, no cool lights, no atmostphere, just chairs. Get on that, production and design team.
Now, let’s get into the breakdown:
Elwira Standili – Somizi’s song – “Without You” famously performed by Mariah Carey: B
A performance of two halves: The lower register was a struggle, even sometimes inaudible, and it kept the song bogged down. The second half was strong as the song changed gears and allowed her to use her upper register. She has pipes, and that was really good. It was stronger than “Style” and clearly more in her lane. Unathi was right on the money with regards to her lower register. Randall thought that song worked ten years ago and said it didn’t seem like she enjoyed it, and the crowd booed.
Karabo Mogane – Gareth’s song – “I Try” by Macy Gray: A-
I didn’t think this song was going to work for him at all, I must admit, but was it incredibly solid and I completely wrong, eh? Sure, it’s not the most challenging song, but it’s the smoothest and most soulful Karabo has ever been. For the first time, he looked like he truly believed he belonged on that stage. He was in it vocally and emotionally. I would have liked a bit more subtlety during parts, but other than that, it was really strong. His best performance to date. The crowd loved it. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t find himself at least in the finale. Randall said it was almost as though he was already in the final. He’ll be there.
Amanda Antony – Gareth’s song – “Say You Love Me” by Jessie Ware: A-
Jessie Ware isn’t widely known, but back at her guitar, in her element, Amanda killed it. When the chorus came, it was really, really good, and her falsetto was up for it too. Her voice is very powerful, and sometimes she just needs to hold it back a bit, just rein it in, show some restraint – but this was tons better than her disastrous Beyonce performance. This was the real Amanda, the Amanda that has the goods to stay in this competition. The artist. She’s completely in her own lane with her guitar in hand.
Siphelele Ngcobo – Somizi’s song – “Soul and Mind” by Lira: C+
Well, this song took him back a few steps, back to what he did during Hell week when he performed Zahara’s classic. I was bored. There’s a voice there, but it leaves me cold. “Old soul” isn’t really a compliment when it comes to Siphelele anymore. We need more, and he might be out of his depth here. He’s far behind the rest of the guys. Randall, right on the money, said he’ll struggle to get the votes because of his lack of charisma. Do you know who had more star quality? Ruan and Thami.
Dineo Moseki – Randall’s song – “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift: C+
The judges loved it, I did not. I was disappointed. She just wasn’t in the pocket and some notes were off tune, maybe because she sounded out of breath. “Blank Space” is a great pop song, but you have to be able to sing like a pop star to pull it off. Dineo is a good performer, but the rest did not hit the spot. Somizi was on his feet and the crowd went wild for Ms. Dynamite. Gareth thought the first half lacked energy, but loved the second half. Randall’s feedback: “For tonight, my job here is done”. He felt good about his song, clearly. This performance has taken her back a step or two.
Rhema Varrie – Somizi’s song – “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson: B+
During the first verse, behind the piano, he struggled. It trudged on slowly, but it came alive when it got to the chorus, thanks to the backup singers in some aspect. It was pretty great when he got up from the piano – his voice and soul got going, and he was in it. Fully in it. The grit we love so much was back. The real Rhema finally made an appearance. The first verse stopped this from being an A-, but it’s a huge improvement, and it bought him some time.
Lungisa Xhamela – Somizi’s song – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Rait: B
Lungisa’s voice is smooth as butter, alright, so it was pretty to listen to, easy on the ear, but something was missing. I needed some grit, some more oomph, more emotion, and this performance didn’t have that. There’s another gear that his voice does not have. He finished with a great falsetto note, though. It was solid. He toned it down and just sang, which was what he needed to do, I just want something more. It was a pass.
Nadia Herbst – Gareth’s song – “Take a Bow” by Rihanna: B-
Ag no, Nadia. I wanted something up tempo and pop. Instead, Rihanna again. Her voice couldn’t fill the song. “But it’s over now” probably seems about right, unfortunately. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. It felt like something was missing. Somizi’s singing advice was horrible. No. Randall thought it had its moments. It did, but just not consistently. It had to be great, and this was not.
Loyiso Gijana – Somizi’s song – “Next to me” by Emeli Sande: B
I didn’t like this song for Loyiso. It was too safe. I wanted something more up tempo to show off his star quality. I wanted to love it, but it left me a bit disappointed, maybe because he has so much likability, and so much potential to be fantastic. That said, Loyiso’s voice is great. It’s undeniable. The B grade might be because I know LoyLoy has so much more to offer. He has “it”. Loy needs to make it to the Top 3. Gareth thinks he could be in the Top 2. Unathi called it her performance of the night. Second time for Loyiso. Until...
Mmatema Moremi – Somizi’s song – “River Deep, Mountain High” by Tina Turner: A-
This is a great song, not only for the performance value, but the vocal opportunities it offers as well. Performance is something we haven’t seen from Mmatema thus far, and Tina’s classic gave her that opportunity: she brought it. Damn straight! She went there. All in. The range and the performance shone together for the first time. It suited her perfectly; no lower register to bog her down. It was up, up, up all the way, except maybe for the beginning, which is why she doesn’t get the first A of the season, but she was very close. Gareth said it gave him goosebumps, and Somizi compared her to Tina Turner and Celine Dion. A little hyperbole doesn’t hurt. Randall called it the performance of the night. It sure was.
Should be in danger: Siphelele, Dineo, and Nadia
Should go home: Siphelele
Will be in danger: Nadia, Siphelele, Elwira
Will go home: Nadia
What did you think? Which performance was your favourite?
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