On Sunday (29 August) the first group of Idols 17 finalists sang for their shot at the title, hitting out notes in the hope that viewers will choose them.
The live audience was small, consisting of their loved ones, and Amapiano muso Lady Du warmed Somizi's seat in what's now become a glorified audition for the show's next full-time judge.
Here's a recap by Mzansi Magic of what the judges had to say:
The theme for the week was the biggest hits of today, with the performers singing popular songs that have the most downloads and likes on streaming services.
Andiswa was the first to take to the stage, performing Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus.
While Unathi uWeepy (
Ed) said she was amazing, a sentiment that was echoed by Lady Du, Randall Abrahams found her performance “static”.
Bulelani was next, singing Charlie Puth’s Attention.
While Randall was happy with his singing, he felt that Bulelani injected the energy a little too late in the performance.
Sinovuyo’s rendition of Jazmine Sullivan’s Pick up the Feelings was also met with a lukewarm reception, with Randall and Lady Du advising her to pay attention to her notes and to not swallow her words.
Unathi told her she needed to focus on her performance. Still, Lady Du said Sinovuyo’s performance was amazing.
Bucking the trend of the evening was
Nqobi, whose performance of Hard Place by H.E.R. had Randall lavishing her with praise. “I love you, love you, love you,” he exclaimed, before adding that she was calm and did not look like she was trying too hard.
Unathi said it was a colourful and powerful performance, while Lady Du said she had the fire needed by any performer.
Sia Mzizi’s feedback was, however, mixed.
After performing Giveon’s Heartbreak Anniversary, Lady Du and Unathi both agreed he was a phenomenal vocalist and has that star quality inside him.
Randall, however, was not convinced that he had brought it.
Tesmin-Robyn sang Before I Let Go and while Lady Du was impressed by the risk she took in tackling a Beyoncé song, she advised her not to lose herself in the performance as it is the vocals that are the important element.
Randall felt that she needed to step into the song to ensure she remained the centre of attention throughout the performance.
Unathi commended her on her choice of song, saying the oft-covered track would resonate across generations.
Daylin had both Unathi and Lady Du swooning after he delivered his rendition of Bruno Mars’s Leave the Door Open, with Lady Du saying all that was missing was the chocolate and roses.
“You were amazing,” she said, while Unathi said he had the ability to bring emotion to a pop song. “You are phenomenal,” she exclaimed.
Randall, however, felt that he had taken risks with this delivery of the song too soon in the competition.
He said it was too cabaret-like, a criticism he extended to
Berry, who was the last performer of the evening.
Wrapping up the performances with You Say, by Lady Diego, Berry had Randall worrying that she and Daylin were destined to sharing a cabaret stage.
Unathi, however, had nothing but praise for Berry. She tied her performance to Women’s Month, saying Berry had reminded every woman that no matter where they in their lives, they are entitled to everything they desire.
Lady Du agreed, adding “You spoke to me and the rest of South Africa.”
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