Idols SA : Did The Girls Of The Top 16 Rule

Tonight’s Top 16 live performance invoked Woman Power as the girls took to the Idols stage to fight for their place. The eight young powerhouses kicked off the show with a homage to queen Bey with Run the World and Formation, giving a spirited performance that drew excited applause and enthusiastic feedback from the judges.

Tonight’s theme was Bestselling Female Artists of the 21st Century, and to help the stage newbies were award-winning Shekhinah harmonising her hit Different featuring Mariechan.

First to take make a solo appearance was diminutive Christmas baby, Thando, singing American Idol alumna Jennifer Hudson’s Giving Myself. While Randall felt she didn’t get to belt it out because it was too big a song, Unathi called the performance “exceptional” and Somizi said she had “killed” it.

Aspirant music writer, Bongiwe, followed with the impassioned Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé. The rendition had Unathi declaring: “You’re in it to win it! The competition has just begun!”

Attridgeville’s blonde ambition, Wattahmelon, may have struggled with the first verse of Fantasia’s Lose to Win according to Somizi and Unathi, but she hit all the right notes with Randall, who declared she was “fantastic from start to finish!”

Recent birthday girl, Nosipho, saw Unathi and Somizi give her performance of Sia’s Alive an enthusiastic thumbs up, while Randall was also impressed with her delivery of an 80s big sound ode.

The judges may have been giving mixed reviews, but all three agreed that the girls were still running ahead of the boys halfway through the show.

Xae, who is a self-confessed car karaoke lover, hit the trifactor of adulation when she left Randall speechless, Somizi shouting “genius” and Unathi calling it “brilliant!” for her rendition of SZA’s Broken Clocks.

Season 14’s youngest contestant, Yanga, slowed it down with Adele’s monster hit, Don’t You Remember. Again, it was two to one as Randall felt it dragged while Somizi and Unathi loved it, with Somizi awarding it a “whoo shem”.

Ntokozo brought it home and kept it local with Ndiza by Zahara. She undoubtedly received the best ovation of the evening. “Best performance of the night!” said Somizi. “I’d much rather listen to you off-key than six other contestants on key,” Randall announced. “Your imperfections were perfect,” was Unathi’s declaration.

Closing off the show was Delene with Whitney Houston’s It’s Not Right But It’s Okay. It didn’t turn out to the big bang closing that was expected, with Randall and Somizi feeling it failed to launch while Unathi believed she would be memorable.

The judges have handed out a mixed bag of sweets and lemons, but it’s ultimately up to the voting public to push through their favourite to the Top 10. Let’s see what the results bring next week.

Idols SA season 14 is on Mzansi Magic, DStv Channel 161 on Sundays at 17h00. For more information visit our website: www.idolssa.tv

You can also join the Idols SA conversation via social media on… Facebook: Idols South Africa (www.facebook.com/IdolsSA) , Twitter: @IdolsSA #IdolsSA Instagram: @IdolsSA

 

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb