The final top 10 contestants of Idols SA’s last season were revealed during a lively event that showcased electrifying performances by contestants.
There has been an equal gender balance, with the final featuring five women and five men. The top 10 contestants are: Nkosi, Lungile, Faith, Sena, Niikiey, Envic, Princess, Thabo, Lungelo, and Thando.
Unfortunately, it was end of the road for the Idols SA hopefuls Neve and Sipho, who could not go past the second-last stage.
Each of the top 10 contestants will receive an impressive prize package, which includes R5,000 from Mzansi Magic, a Huawei Nova 11 smartphone, and a Huawei GT3 SE smartwatch.
They will also be awarded a beauty hamper valued at R2,000 from L’Oreal and R5,000 worth of fashion vouchers from Truworths.
Saturday night’s Idols SA performances were themed ‘New kids on the block’, which saw them perform the hottest hits from the newest and hottest artists.
Nkosi started off the top 10 show with Ami Faku’s Ubuhle Bakho, impressing the judges.
Somizi Mhlongo commented: “You are a very simple guy, but you have proven that simplicity can be very effective.
Following the queue was Lungile, who sang the Soa Mattrix hit Mina Nawe. Somizi and JR Bogopa had mixed feedback, but Thembi Seete called it a “beautiful performance”, saying: “The [musical] style you just did is perfect for the voice you have.”
For his performance, Faith sang Murumba Pitch and Omit ST’s Imvula. The judges praised his “stage presence” and “charisma”, with JR saying: “There’s very little you have to do to get me to watch you and become a fan of who you are.”
Next to take to the stage was Sena, who performed Mthunzi’s Ngibambe La, earning praise from all judges. Somizi made his point saying: “You are flawless. You do your vocal gymnastics so effortlessly. That’s called a performance.”
Niikiey sang Nomfundo Moh’s hit Umona, which left all three judges impressed. Thembi said: “The magic I felt was because of how you moved your crowd. If you weren’t feeling what you were doing, there was no way we would have felt it.”
Envic took on Coco Jones’ hit tune ICU, to praise from the panel. JR said: “It’s a pleasure to watch you. When I see someone who loves music as much as I do, I become a big fan of who they are. I’m a big fan of yours.”
Next was Princess, who performed Monalisa by Lojay. While Somizi advised her to use the stage more, he also said: “You have such versatility. You just make what you’re singing seem like your forte, that’s how good you are.”
Thabo took on Aubrey Qwana’s Molo, bringing the audience to their feet. The judges enjoyed his performance, with Thembi saying: “What surprised me the most was how comfortable you are. You used the stage, and you held it down!”
Performing next was Lungelo, who sang Aymos and Ami Faku’s Fatela. JR said: “That was straight to the point. You came, you hit the stage, delivered, and made your point clear. You solidified who you are and how much of a power you can be.”
Closing up the top 10 show was Thando with a rendition of Lady Amar’s Hamba Juba, to mixed reactions from the judges. “Yes, it’s a competition and you’re trying to show vocal gymnastics, but it didn’t go as well as I would have loved it to,” said Somizi.
Next week, the show will move on to the top 9 stage of the competition. It’s up to the viewers, to decide who stays and who goes.
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