Idols South Africa Recap: The Men Bring It
The night doesn’t start well for me when Somizi awards a completely lip-synced group performance a standing ovation. It irks me. Hate, hate, hate it.
At least after all that, there’s a terrible guest performer or two to take your mind off of that lip-synced number.
All season long we were led to believe that the girls were stronger than the guys. Last week, the girls did okay. Some were very solid, some bombed.
Last night, the only weak spot for me was fan favourite Tebogo, who isn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon.
New stars emerged as Keegan, Terra, and Lusanda delivered incredible vocals, while others like Bevin and Thamsanqa delivered performances that made them look like potential stars.
And then there’s Thami who isn’t likely to go anywhere either, but who didn’t show any real star power.
But let’s get to the performances:
Thamsanqa – DJ Shimza and Dr Malinga’s “Akulalwa”
R: It was a pretty solid start to the night. The first verse was flat, and it sounded like this was going down the drain quickly, but he managed to pick it up as the performance progressed. The last 30 seconds were very strong, but the initial vocals were gobbled up. All in all, it was a promising performance. He’s got a fine voice. B
J: A rugby player who sings. I Like. I wasn’t blown away by the performance but it was a pretty good start to the night. He has some strong competition but I want to see more of him – his fans are going to have to vote! B+
Sanele – Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away”
R: Will Sanele get another shot to show off his versatility? It was a very solid vocal performance and he made the pop song his own, giving it a more soulful vibe. It did come off a tad safe, but it was a really good vocal. He’s good. If he makes it, I hope he surprises us with a more up tempo track, but so far, so good. B+
J: I love Charlie Puth and although Sanele rendered a solid vocal performance I did not love it. If Sanele wants to survive in the competition he is going to have to take risks – you cant simply slow songs down to suit your own style. B
Bevin – Chris Brown’s “Back to Sleep”
R: Bevin’s got swag for days, no doubt about that. He has a star’s package, but I couldn’t help but feel that this was not the right song for him. It was the right genre and style, but a more commercial song would have garnered him more votes. Still, it was a solid performance all in all. Vocally, he’s not the strongest, but performance wise he’s right up there. That “street” in his voice is what you call growing up in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas, and I sure hope they’re all voting. There’s a star in there. B
J: Reinhardt comparing the Northern suburbs of PE to Harlem threw me for a loop but I will try my best to crit the performance as best I can. Bevin has a good voice and just the right amount of street-smart to make him a possible contender. His song choice was spot on but his vocals failed him in places. Port Elizabeth is not known as huge voters but I hope they come out and support their boy. B
Lusanda – Vusi Nova’s “Thandiwe”
R: This guy has a beautiful tone. It was soulful, intimate, subtle, and stunning. During the bigger moments, his voice came alive. The grit in his voice was surprising and it worked so well against the tone of his voice. It was really, really good, and I completely disagree with Randall. I’ll remember this performance. A-
J: There is something special about Lusanda. He has a beautiful rich tone to his voice which was showcased beautifully by a popular song. Sorry Randall, I thought it was rather memorable. A-
Tebogo – Black Motion’s “Rainbow”
R: Oh no. That was what I was thinking watching Tebogo’s performance. The first half of the song was flat, just completely disconnected. When the song went into the chorus and the bigger parts of the song, it was much stronger. Hated the first half, liked the second half. All in all, it was a tad flat. Wrong song, perhaps? His fan base will vote him through easily, but it was one of the weaker performances of the night. C+
J: I have been a fan of Tebogo since his first stint on Idols but I can’t wax lyrical about this performance. Wrong song, flat vocals and absolutely zero emotional connection to the performance. Hopefully his fans will vote him into the next round because he is capable of so much more. C
Thami – Drake’s “Hotline Bling”
R: When I saw what he was going to perform, I was a little worried. Will his technically gifted voice nail the swag of the song? That was my concern. I think it was warranted. It was a very solid vocal performance, but he missed the coolness and swag of Drake’s original completely. I don’t think that’s who he is as an artist. He’s a technical vocalist, not the next big R&B star. Good vocals, little swag. B
J: Another contestant with a huge pre-existing fan base. Thami is a consummate vocalist but he is no Drake and the performance lacked swag. It was pleasant but did not evoke any real excitement. He will be safe. B+
Terra – Maxwell’s “Bad Habits”
R: Terra has a very strong voice: soulful, gritty, powerful, and a strong falsetto. His voice is right up there. This performance showed off all of that. The grit in his voice was on point and that one falsetto note was fantastic. The only thing that might keep him back is his stage presence. Viewers will need to rally behind him because at the moment it looks like he’s struggling with gaining a large fan base. He could be the judges’ 5th pick. A-
J: This is what I have been waiting for all night! Terra’s voice is spectacular. Yes, his stage presence needs a bit of work but the raw talent is undeniable. I pray he has enough support to carry him into the next round – the guy deserves it! A
Keegan – Usher’s “Climax”
R: Why didn’t I know this guy had this in him? Vocally, it was great. Performance wise, it was great. This was a complete performance, from start to finish. He needs to be in the Top 10. Big vocals from a big underdog. A
J: Keegan delivered a pretty solid performance with regards to vocals and stage presence. He has a large fan base which should vote him into the next round. The results show is going to make for an interesting one! A-
So, uh, what is going to happen next week? These guys delivered, outperforming the girls by quite a margin. Several of these guys could be stars, so who goes through?
I can see quite a few shocking results coming next week.
