Idols South Africa Power Ranking: We Rank The Top 7
Showstopper Week proved to be highly successful on Sunday night, with at least four contestants showing that they are the real deal, and when news broke yesterday that the Idols winner will be heading to the American Idol finale, it’s more important than ever that this season’s winner be on an international level.
As usual, Justine and I rank those remaining from last to first.
Reinhardt: Siphelele Ngcobo – Sure, technically he wasn’t the worst on Sunday night, he was actually somewhat better than expected. That doesn’t change the fact that Siphelele is out of his league here – he should have been eliminated weeks ago. Yet, he’ll survive again this Sunday.
Justine: Amanda Antony – Sunday could mark the end of the road for Ms Antony as there has been no real hype surrounding her performance of Cee-Lo Green's 'Forget You'. I don't think her fan base is loyal enough to keep her in the competition much longer.
Reinhardt: Amanda Antony – This lady will be going home on Sunday. Not because her performance was the weakest – it was actually really good – but because her fan base isn’t big enough. Amanda deserves to stay another couple of weeks based on talent alone, but this is a popularity competition after all.
Justine: Siphelele Ngcobo – Siphelele gave his most promising performance of the season thus far but I still maintain that Idols is not the correct platform for him. Social media users were very indifferent about his performance and this indifference could lead to his elimination.
Reinhardt: Dineo Moseki – Dineo fell flat during a week she was supposed to standout. The Showstopper theme is made for a performer like her, but her performance of “One Last Time” could have led to that being her last time on the stage if it wasn’t for her fan base. She was the worst. I haven’t been sold on a Dineo performance in weeks. The end should be near, but it isn’t.
Justine: Dineo Moseki – Dineo had the worst performance of the entire season yet her fans seem to be completely oblivious to it. It is never pleasant to see an early frontrunner crash and burn the way Dineo has and unless she makes a complete 360 she will find herself going home very soon.
Reinhardt: Rhema Varrie – His performance of Chris Brown’s “Fine China” was hardly showstopper. He stood there for most of the song. That said, his vocals were really on the money, and that seems to be what his fans, and the viewers, want. He’s a good vocalist, but he’s not a superstar. He’ll certainly finish in the Top 4 at this rate.
Justine: Rhema Varrie – I have given up all hope of seeing an upbeat, lively performance from Rhema. He is one of the most popular contestants and as long as he keeps his fans happy with his solid albeit lacklustre performances he could very well end up in the Top 3.
Reinhardt: Loyiso Gijana – The 16-year-old potential pop star probably chose the wrong song on Sunday, but that did not stop him from delivering a very strong performance of Martin Garrix’s “Don’t Look Down”. He doesn’t have the fan base, unfortunately, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is eliminated in 5th place. I truly believe this kid could be a star.
Justine: Loyiso Gijana – Loyiso drops down to #3 this week because I am starting to fear that a large portion of his fanbase is more mouth than money. Although not an outright personal favourite of mine the least he deserves is a loyal fan base, especially after a very solid performance on Sunday.
Reinhardt: Mmatema Moremi – The girl I think would best represent us at the American Idol finale – and an international stage in general – drops down again this week. Her wonderful performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” was fucking hot. It was great. Unfortunately, she’s a woman, and not bland. I don’t think there’s been a woman on this show who deserves stardom more than Mmatema. She’s everything.
Justine: Mmatema Moremi – Mmatema delivered what was in my opinion the best Showstopper performance in the history of Idols South Africa. Is she as popular as Karabo? No. It seems that no matter what the girl does the judges will always find a way to praise Mr Mogane more. She deserves the title but more often than not that is not how it plays out in Idols Land.
Reinhardt: Karabo Mogane – And this season’s winner is back at #1, where we should actually just keep him, because he won’t lose. We know what Idol viewers want, and it’s the same thing every year. Karabo fits that bill. His performance on Sunday was really good for the most part, and the crowd as well as the viewers went insane. That said, he’s absolutely not the right guy to send to the American Idol finale.
Justine: Karabo Mogane – Karabo steals the #1 spot back after a crowd-pleasing performance on Sunday. His popularity on social media is increasing by the day and with a support base as loyal and vocal as his it is going to be very hard for anyone else to take home the title.
There you have it. By the look of things, Justine and I are almost on the same page, because we know by now how this shit works.
Next week we’ll rank Siphelele at #6.
