Idols South Africa Recap: Is It a Weekend Special?
As predicted last week, Siphelele wasn’t going anywhere yet. No, the Idols viewers, or at least a tone deaf chunk of it, decided that Siphelele needed to stay a little longer.
I predicted last week that Elwira would be the one packing her bags, and when Siphelele was called to perform, the writing seemed to have been on the wall. Elwira was sitting in the ‘VIP Room’ along with Karabo, Mmatema, Dineo, and Rhema. She knew. Another crazy prediction: the four contestants she was left with could end up being the Top 4. It seems very plausible at this stage.
Then Rhema was called to perform, followed by Dineo, and eventually the frontrunner Karabo. That left Mmatema and Elwira. If Elwira somehow survived, Mmatema’s exit would probably have been the most shocking elimination in Idols history.
Predictably, she survived. Elwira was sent packing.
It was a solid but still largely unmemorable night of performances. The Top 3 performances of the night? Loyiso, Mmatema, and Lungisa.
The worst performance? Siphelele of course, but Amanda might be in big trouble this week. A good vocal but underwhelming performance sent Elwira packing, so watch out. Karabo was almost as bad as Siphelele, but he ain’t going anywhere, ever.
Let’s get into the performances:
First contestant safe and performing was Loyiso.
Loyiso – “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin: A-
Really, really fun start to the show. The unorthodox song choice was a real risk but he made it his own. It was groovy, and had a real reggae feel to it. Amongst all the ‘heavier’ songs, this was quite fun. He made an older song sound cool in 2015. It’s not an easy feat. His voice sounded great, and his personality was on fire throughout. Randall called his performance “top level”, and I have to agree. This dude is a star. He’s showing his versatility probably more than anyone else on the show. It’s scary to think that he might not even make the Top 4.
Amanda was the second contestant to make it through. Eastern Cape representing.
Amanda – “Paradise Road” by Joy: B
To think that this is the Amanda who delivered that shocking Beyonce performance just a few weeks ago. She’s been very solid ever since. This was another solid performance. It was power all the way through, maybe too much power. She never hit a peak, though. It was never fantastic, but it was solid. It was in third gear throughout, never reaching fourth. Somizi called it a “safe job”. Maybe a good term for it. Randall thinks she’s a very good singer, and he only discovered that last night. He wanted more from the performance, and not just the singing. Again, I have to agree with him. It needed more oomph.
Lungisa was up next. Lungisa – “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper: B+
For me, this was Lungisa’s best live performance by far. It was a simple, stripped down acapella version, just him and the backing vocalists. No music. It was a refreshing take on a very well known song, and he nailed it. Gareth called it “magical”. Sweet and creamy like condensed milk also came up. Randall wasn’t as impressed, saying he wasn’t captured. It wasn’t the best vocal performance, but it was indeed smooth. It was ballsy. I like ballsy. I also like creative, and this was creative. So pretty good I’d say.
Siphelele followed. The moment Elwira knew she was a goner. Siphelele – “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie: C+
His mission to bore viewers into submission continues. It was another boring, cheesy song choice and another underwhelming Siphelele vocal. That said, his performances have been so consistently terrible that this vocal was his best. It was a safe vocal, but if you’re Siphelele at this stage, safe is better than nothing. Gareth was disappointed again. Join the club. Siphelele calls him a vernacular singer, and wants him to sing vernacular every time, no more English. Please. Don’t vote for him. I beg. Unathi disagreed, she thinks he should at least try if he wants to. See, this boring dude even had the judges fighting.
Rhema was next to perform.
Rhema – “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” by Simply Red: B
It’s kinda feeling like we’re seeing the same thing from Rhema over and over again now, the same type of performance. He’s predictable. It was a strong vocal, and again, as usual, it got better as the performance progressed. It takes him a while to get into it, but when he does, the crowd loves it. It was good, but he’s turning into a one trick pony. The crowd would have went insane for American Idol’s Clark Beckham, lemme say that. The crowd loved it, judges loved it, and this dude is a dark horse. He’s looking more and more like a Top 4 finalist at this stage. His predictable song choices and the sameness of his performances are going to keep him at a B grade.
Dineo was next, and also eliminated the little bit of suspense the show had left.
Dineo – “Heaven” by Bryan Adams: B
She just doesn’t have the voice to compete against the rest of the field, outside of Siphelele and maybe Lungisa. Again, she had to stretch to hit the higher notes, almost getting into that yell again. There were parts that were good, the second half of the song was better than the first. She reminds me of Zoë from two seasons ago, a good performer, but not the strongest vocalist. This was not bad, not bad at all, but vocally she struggles to compete with the rest. She’ll make it far, possibly Top 3, so what do I know?
Karabo was safe, leaving Mmatema and Elwira.
Karabo – “Careless Whisper” by George Michael: C+
This was Karabo’s worst performance to date. The lower register was troubling, and the song was boring. It was a flat performance, his voice doing nothing to the song. It was meandering, like he was in rehearsal. Sure, the second half was stronger, but it was lifeless. Karabo was lifeless. Not a winner’s performance. At all. He’ll still win, regardless. Unathi called it “sensual”, and I was like “what the fuck?” Randall also thought it was “really good”. I’m with Gareth and Somizi, this was not good.
Mmatema was through and Elwira was eliminated.
Mmatema was a crying wreck, and her performance was surely going to suffer.
Mmatema – “Weekend Special” by Brenda Fassie: B+
Was this as amazing as it could have been? No. But after the emotions she just went through, anyone’s performance would have suffered somewhat. Mmatema is not only a great vocalist, but her performance quality is really good too. She’s a star. She looked good; the performance was class all the way. The vocals weren’t the strongest, but it’s undeniable: as a package, she’s it. She’s the most polished package in this group, just a pity she’s a woman. Reality show viewers hate women.
Should go home: Siphelele
Will go home: Amanda
What did you think of the night’s performances? Who’s in trouble?
