The 8 girls set the stage alight with their performances under the theme “the best cover songs” as they vied for a spot in the top 10 in the 16th edition of Idols SA.
Jerodine was first to take to the stage with her stunning rendition of ‘Giving him something he can feel’ by En Vogue. The judges were clearly impressed with her performance, with Randall Abrahams saying it was good from the start. Unathi Nkayi described it as her best performance yet, calling it immaculate, while Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung simply referred to her as a powerhouse.
Melanin was next with Anna Kendrick’s ‘True Colours’, which Unathi said it demonstrated how delicate and caring she was. “You nailed the emotion,” she said.
Bongi showed off her “powerful” voice with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s 1992 hit “All the man that I need.” However, her shaky start was brushed off by the judges, with Randall saying although she had a powerful voice, she edged a little to close to being like Whitney.
Ndoni’s rendition of Tracey Chapman’s 1988 folk-rock smash hit ‘Fast Car’ was too met with a mixed feedback, with Randall saying she took too many liberties with the phrasing. Unathi on the other hand, urged her to surprise the viewers with unlikely song choices.
Dee’s ‘Rolling in the deep’ by Adele was also met with lukewarm reception, with Unathi calling her performance a “commendable attempt”. While Randall said he liked her, he gave a little sage advice on how to make a song her own.
Totally impressed, Somizi awarded Be’s performance of ‘How come you don’t call me’ by Alicia Keys a 10 out 10 for self-esteem. Randall responded by saying: “This competition is going to be tight.” Unathi said she was captivated by her performance, adding that she had grabbed her … attention.
The one performer who seemed to have nailed the night was Ntokozo, whose rendition of Beyoncé’s ‘I’d rather go blind’ moved Somizi to his feet and Unathi to tears, while Randall described it as “the most complete performance of the night”.
Rounding off a night of some superb performances was Zama, whose rendition of Tori Kelly’s ‘Crazy’ received mixed reactions. While Somizi mused that modesty suited her, saying it was a lovely performance, Randall said although he liked it, he would have wanted to see “a little change of attitude”.
With the ladies performances now in the bag, it is now up to the viewers to decide who moves on the top 10. While voting for the male contestants is now closed, viewers have up until 10pm on Tuesday to cast their votes.
Hot on the heels of the November 2019 crowning of King William’s town native, Luyolo Yiba as Idols SA season 15 winner , ‘Idols SA‘ S16 is on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Sundays, 5pm. For more information visit http://www.idolssa.tv.
