Karabo, Mmatema Dominate as Justice is Served
We have our Top 5 Idols SA finalists, guys.
If someone said Siphelele was going to find himself in the Top 5 a few weeks back, I would have laughed. Really, it didn’t seem plausible, but after his very strong Top 6 night, it was obvious he’d make it. After weeks of struggling, he finally found out what he needed to do.
When the final result of the night came down to Siphelele and Dineo, I could honestly say he should be safe. He was. And it felt like justice – Dineo has been on a slippery slope the past few weeks, and she was clearly struggling to survive while the others gained momentum.
It was a great night for two contestants in particular: Karabo did a great job on reimagining a tired Alicia Keys track, and Mmatema proved to be SA’s own Whitney Houston. At this stage, a final pitting them against one another seems inevitable, especially after Loyiso fell way flat after the stunner of a week he had last week. Rhema delivered one strong performance that will probably save him for another week.
Okay, Round 1: How it should have been done. Wooden Mic contenders done right.
First contestant safe and performing was Rhema.
Rhema – “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars: B+
For me, this was his best performance to date. He seemed more comfortable on the Idols stage, and it finally seems like he’s starting to have more fun. His vocals were, as usual, quite solid. He sounded good – no Bruno Mars, but who is? It was his most complete performance. His voice sounded relatable on a more contemporary tune, and this suited him.
Karabo was up next.
Karabo – “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys: A-
Alicia Keys is pretty much a staple on talent shows, and always the songs that made her most famous. However, Karabo, with help from the backup singers, made the song their own. It built and built towards a big climax, but did they do too much? I don’t know. That said, it was a great vocal performance, and his voice never got lost between all the commotion – he held his own and some. Somizi and Unathi seemed to have enjoyed it as much as I did.
The next person into the Top 5 was Mmatema.
Mmatema – “Can’t Give Up Now” by Mary Mary: B+
I don’t know why Mmatema wanted to do this song. “Shackles” is my favourite Mary Mary track, it’s more fun. The second half of the song was just all out, she took it to church for a 12-hour service. The first half wasn’t perfect, but her voice – and the choir – came alive during the second half. We all know her higher register is damn good, and she proved it again with this performance. I would have liked the first half to be more present, but she made up for that.
Loyiso was safe next, to huge cheers from my living room.
Loyiso – “Ndiza” by Zahara: B
Loyiso’s voice is the most commercial and international sounding to me, from all the contestants this season. I must admit however, I wasn’t feeling this is as much. This wasn’t his strong point. He’s tried a wide array of genres throughout the competition, and South African mother tongue music has been the only one he couldn’t rise up to. His lower register was still so good, but the connection wasn’t there.
Last result of the night: Siphelele was safe, and Dineo was going home. She seemed a little pissed, and the crowd booed. So charming.
Siphelele – “So High” by John Legend: B-
As predicted last week, Siphelele was going to struggle with consistency. He did. His vocal throughout was pitchy, and he clearly missed some notes during the climax, his voice not quite getting there. He doesn’t have John Legend’s great lower register. The judges seemed to love it. I didn’t get it. I prefer a little more depth to a voice.
Round 1:
Gareth: Thought Siphelele won the round? Okay.
Somizi: Said Mmatema took round 1.
Unathi: Karabo, Mmatema, and Siphelele.
Randall: song choice – Karabo and Siphelele. He thought Rhema was in the danger zone at this stage, and Mmatema was off-key throughout her performance.
Round 2:
Rhema – “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge: B
I expected a lot from this performance. This song suits his voice perfectly; he has the grit to really get into it. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It was a pretty safe cover of the song; he didn’t go there enough for me. Sure, the last 20 seconds were better, but it was a little too late. I’ve seen so much better covers of this song on other talent shows. He was stuck in 3rd gear. Still, his vocal was solid enough, just not great.
Karabo – “Ekuseni” by Ringo: B+
It was smooth, effortless, and just natural. He sounded fantastic with the choir again. It was good song choice because it showed us another side of Karabo. The first was a big soul performance, and this was just laid back and in the pocket. It was really nice, and capped off a very strong night for him.
Mmatema – “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston: A-
Another Whitney track from Mmatema – this time just a lot more daunting and maybe just plain crazy. I was scared. But, she had me hooked. This was fantastic. I didn’t think it would be nearly as good as it was. The lower register – damn fine. Higher register – fine as always. This was a moment: pure, beautiful, classy, and stunning, everything that Mmatema is. She’s quite possibly the best female contestant we’ve had on this show, but unfortunately, even that won’t be enough. Somizi thought it was a “finale” performance. Agreed. It would be criminal if she’s not in that finale.
Loyiso – “One Love” by Bob Marley: B
Behind the piano, Loyiso sounded amazing. Those vocals were beautiful. Then he got up and the song switched to its reggae roots, and he lost my attention a tad. He may have messed up the lyrics, but that didn’t show during the performance, he soldiered on. Personally, I would have liked him to stay behind the piano, but the performance did allow him to showcase more of what he can do. After his fantastic night last week, this was a little bit of a letdown, and he could be in trouble.
Siphelele – “Inkomo” by The Soil: B
Sticking to his strengths is going to pay off for him, and he’ll sing again next week. Based on voice, he should be the one going home, but his smart song choices will keep him in. This was a fun performance and he has really loosened up. His vocals got garbled up during some parts, though, but that won’t count.
Should go home: Siphelele, based on voice.
Will go home: Loyiso
