For the past two weeks we watched as the top 16 Idols contestants battled to get a spot in the top 10.
While the girls may have brought it two Sundays ago, the boys definitely shut the show down last week.
There were amazing performances from some contestants, while others faltered and failed to impress. After spending some time with the contestants, I got to see how things work behind the scenes and how tough the competition is.
While there isn’t a frontrunner this year, there are a few contestants with the potential to be. And with four of my top 10 being from Durban, who knows, we might just bring the title home again.
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Thami Shobede
The 28 year old originally from Mtubatuba in northern KZN is not stranger to Idols. This is his second time and by the looks of things, it could be his title.
But it won’t be easy. Last year, Idols judge Unathi Msengana blamed South Africa for not voting for him when he unexpectedly did not make it through.
This weekend he did a rendition of Drake’s Hotline Bling. Although some preferred the original, he won over thousands of fans, and the judges.
He has the looks and adoring fans scream the minute he steps on to stage. But most importantly, he has a powerhouse voice.
Keegan Martin
This 23 year old won me over from his very first audition and he continued to impress the judges. His performance last week was great; not the best, however, he did have positive comments from all the judges.
As with most of the guys, if he happens to get the lyrics wrong or can’t hold a note, he has good looks to rely on. He definitely has the potential to become a star and Idols is going to help with that.
Whether he makes it to the end is up to South Africa. I definitely see him in the top 10 tonight.
Lucia Jakeni
The 26 year old from Vereeniging won us over when she sang Adele’s Send Your Love. I imagine that if Bonang Matheba was a singer, she’d sound like Lucia, the singer has a deep vocal box that demands attention. It’s a beautiful voice and im looking forward to her making beautiful music on the Idols stage.
Amanda Kunene
This Durban North music student is true to the old cliché that dynamite comes in small packages. She proved this when she took on Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman. At times she sounds too commercial, which might work for the pop fans and for her music to get played on radio, but she looks like a contestant who has a few tricks up her sleeve and can surprise us during the show.
Valentine Mathe
The youngest girl in the group, she is from Mamelodi, just outside Pretoria, and seems to be the bubbliest of the lot. She was daring and took on Beyonce’s Halo.
At first I thought oh no, she is going to ruin it somehow, but she did the opposite. It’s not easy taking a Beyonce song and making it your own, but she did and that’s the level of talent Idols has to offer.
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Noma Khumalo
She is without a doubt the girl to watch. She is unassuming and quiet, but once she opens her mouth and sings, she commands the attention of everyone in the room. A student teacher, she sang Rihanna’s Stay and almost had Unathi crying.
“The universe was in alignment and God was showing off,” Unathi said of her performance. She is my favourite among the girls.
Bevin Samuels
The only contestant from the Eastern Cape and the youngest in the group, he took a gap year to pursue a music career. After receiving a golden ticket and battling it out during Theatre Week for a spot in the Top 16, many thought he was too young for the competition. In recent seasons of Idols, anyone 19 years or younger does not make it far in the show.
After his performance at the second live show, Randall Abrahams, who is known for not saying the nicest things, praised his “unique street voice” and said he’d love to see him in the Top 10. He performed a popular Chris Brown song Back to Sleep; no doubt his song choice earned him a few more female fans.
Tersius 'Terra' Kocks
His Idols journey has been an emotional one. I remember almost crying when I first watched his audition. The 28-year-old from Alberton, auditioned in honour of his late mother. He is the only man in the Top 16 group that received a yes from every judge. During Theatre Week, he “came out of his shell”, as Somizi said.
During the live show we saw his performance being praised by every judge, with Randall going as far as to call it the best performance of the night.
Local celebrities tweeted about his performance and many threw their weight behind him. Its not easy taking on a Maxwell song but Terra did so with ease. I see Terra not only in the Top 10, but also the finals.
Lusanda Beja
He is no stranger to the music industry or talent shows. He auditioned for I Want to Sing Gospel in 2008 and made it to the top 30. In 2015 he released a gospel album The Revelation of Grace.
Now he is vying for the title of Idols 2016 and is looking for commercial success. He didn’t impress the judges with his rendition of Vusi Nova’s Thandiwe but he has the voice, experience and a fan base that’s sure to make sure he makes it.
Thamsanqa Mathonisi
Another KZN contestant, he is a rugby player and music student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, He had no plans to audition for Idols.
The spur of the moment decision saw him forget the lyrics to the song, but he saved the day with a second song and received three yes votes from the judges. He sang Akulalwa by DJ Shimza and the crowd loved it.
His versatility and penchant for picking the right songs, may just seem him make the Top 10 this year. The Top 10 contestants will be announced tonight at 5pm on Mzansi Magic, channel 161. The 12th season of Idols South Africa has started and the competition is getting exciting