Idols South Africa Recap: It Was A (Fairly) Good Night
Sjoe, what a relief.
After last week’s not-so-hot mess of a Top 10 show, I thought this season was going to be like an undercooked piece of KFC chicken: it doesn’t look promising, but you’re still going to eat it.
There wasn’t one performance that deserves to be labelled as ‘bad’. All nine of them delivered, but you have to take a look at the whole season to decide who should be packing their bags.
The elimination was pretty predictable once Nosihe and Bevin were declared safe – Sanele’s fate was sealed, and the poor guy knew it too. Pitting him against Thami, come on, was never going to be suspenseful. Thami is the winner while the rest are jostling for second place.
Let’s get to this week’s performances:
Terra – Chris Brown’s “New Flame”
R: He picked the wrong song, as simple as that. That said, vocally, it was still a very strong performance, but this isn’t the path he should follow. Strong vocals, ranging from subtle to powerful, but I didn’t feel like he connected fully to the song, or to what Chris Brown’s music represents. Still, a very good vocalist, anyway. B+
J: Terra is just the cutest bundle of awesomeness. His vocals were beautiful but I must also concede that it was not the ideal song choice for him. There was a slight emotional disconnect which I blame fully on the song. B+
Noma – Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette”
R: Immediately, the song choice is a concern, after last week’s mess. Her lower register during the first verse was unconvincing but the bigger chorus served her well, and unlike last week, she didn’t over sing. I missed the punch and attitude that Rihanna’s original has, the pain of the song, which Noma lacks. Good vocal, but I would have liked to see more of a performance. B+
J: I was not convinced by this rather lacklustre performance. Wrong song choice and a complete emotional disconnect. Noma has a set of pipes on her but lacks the spunk needed to pull off this song. B
Tebogo – Black Coffee and Bucie’s “Superman”
R: Ah, some artistry, someone who gives us some much needed originality. He stripped down the song and made it a Tebogo special, a performance that we haven’t seen from him since theatre week. He needed a good one, and this was it. The first line was wonky, and that’s where the wonkiness stopped. The vocal during the choruses were probably the best he’s delivered. His beautiful tone shined throughout a performance that was so him. He’s arrived, finally. A-
J: And he’s back! This is the Tebogo we know and love! Beautiful, subtle performance. His tone is spectacular and his somewhat shaky start was soon forgotten. Artistry at its best! A
Nosihe – John Legend’s “All of Me”
R: She needed a good performance, and this could be it. They chose not to stay with the original key and make it a more mid tempo track, which I didn’t think worked at first. The first half of the song was very underwhelming, but halfway through the performance her vocals eventually showed up. Her vocal showed why the change was needed, and that made the song come alive. The second half was really strong. Recorded, I can see the version working. B/B+
J: The song did not do Nosihe any favours. She has a beautiful voice which sadly failed to shine through during the performance. The song usually brings me to tears but I was left cold. B-
Bevin – Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”
R: I really kinda liked this. It’s not the strongest vocal, and you’ll never get that from Bevin, but the song worked so well with what he represents as a performer and artist. The song choice was perfect and he delivered a smooth pop vocal. Nice job. B+
J: No no no! Bad song choice! The entire performance did nothing but highlight Bevin’s weaknesses. He is a cool guy with a decent voice but this did not work in his favour. I don’t think Bevin is a pop singer and once he finds himself he might truly blossom. C+
Lucia – Toni Braxton’s “Breathe Again”
R: Now this is what Lucia should be singing. It was a perfect fit for that wonderful tone of hers. Sure, it wasn’t technically the best vocal of the season, but I really, really enjoyed it. That smoky tone breathed life into the song and it sounded like an original Lucia song. I disagree with Somizi. It took off in full cruise control. That said, I would like Lucia to push her voice more, push that boundaries, and let it soar. She can do it. B+
J: One would this that this would be the perfect song for Lucia but it didn’t quite work for me. Something was amiss. I didn’t feel any of the Toni Braxton angst and there were no soaring vocals either. I have to agree with Somizi on this one. B
Keegan – Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better”
R: Keegan is most complete package this season by a country mile. Strong vocals, strong look, good moves, and a clear musical path forward – he knows who he is. His falsetto is always fire, and his voice is just so naturally smooth, and readymade for commercial stardom. He should be in that finale, Somizi, but I highly doubt he will. A-
J: There is no doubt that Keegan is an accomplished performer. Sadly he over-performed somewhat which lead to his vocals not quite being on par with previous performances. A solid performance nonetheless. B+
Valentine – Alicia Keys’s “Doesn’t Mean Anything”
R: She hasn’t put a foot wrong thus far, and this performance was no different. She has a very warm tone that just sits in the pocket. She does it with ease. I did think the first half of the song was stronger than the second, but generally, she was on point. She picks the right songs and always delivers. She’s good. B+
J: Another effortless performance from Valentine. I think she is the strongest female left in the competition. Her vocals were on point and she connected with the song beautifully. If she peaks at the right time she could prove to be a thorn in the sides of the early front-runners. A-
Thami – Kelly Khumalo and Robbie Malinga’s “Sobalili”
R: Ha, I see what you’re trying to do Idols SA producers, but it ain’t working. Everyone knows Thami is the viewer champion this season, and letting him wait until last is an attempt to scare viewers, but you did the exact same thing to Karabo last season as well, and we all know how that panned out, right?
Okay, back to Thami’s performance. It was, predictably, a good vocal from him. We know what he brings every week, like Noma, a very good voice and not much else. But this week that was certainly enough. It was a very strong vocal, and his playfulness with the backing vocalists was nice to see. It was a powerful delivery and he brought the song home, every second of it. A-
J: Did anyone even consider Thami’s possible departure for a second? Nope? Didn’t think so! Thami is good and will most probably win the season. His vocals were near perfect and his personality finally shone through in this performance. The song suited him perfectly and he delivered with a memorable performance. A-
Should go home: R: Nosihe J: Bevin
Will go home: R: Bevin J: Nosihe
