Following the three weeks of the audition process, 72 singers made it to the theatre week of Nigerian Idol, where the competition only gets hotter. Theatre Week began with Omawumi informing everyone about the twist in the season’s theatre week. She mentioned that they would have to make the biggest cut ever in the show. Only 20 out of 72 contestants could make it to the next round.
Watch the biggest chop
This information raised the stakes for contestants, making them realise the intense battles that lie ahead to make it as the next Nigerian Idol.
If the auditions were intense, theatre week proved to be more challenging. During theatre week, the 72 singers who got golden tickets are paired and given specific songs to sing. Those who do not impress the judges with their rendition will not proceed to the next stage. Ultimately, the top twenty singers who perform excellently continue to the next stage where they will slug it out in a much tougher music battle.
Southrain and Maio were the first pair to both get a pass to the next stage. They beautifully sang Sugarcane by Camidoh and practised with a voice coach, Lauretta Cookey. The duo gave a fantastic performance in front of the judges, Omawumi, Ric Hassani, and 9ice, and received a commendation.
Watch dreamers live to sing another day
Alfred and Kevwe were a perfect match as the judges were blown away and applauded the performance after they sang. 9ice commended them as the best performance he had seen so far during the episode. Omawumi added to the praise tagging them as an ‘unexpected progress.’ They gave the judges an unforgettable performance of the song sign, sealed, delivered by Stevie Wonder
Their duet was one of the best for the night, and they got a pass to the next round.
Gracia, left partnerless, had to select through a ballot system a contestant from three platinum ticket holders to sing with. Since platinum holders were guaranteed passage through to theatre week, they wouldn't be impacted by the outcome. Choosing Mikki, they performed When I First Saw You by Beyoncé and Jamie Foxx. Despite doubts from voice coach Tima Reece during rehearsals, their stage performance left a positive impression, earning a standing ovation from Omawumi and securing Gracia a spot in the next stage.
Next week, the judges will continue to face the daunting task of selecting the top performers to advance to the live shows, narrowing down the pool of talented contestants. With only 10 spots available in the live show, anticipation runs high, promising a mix of emotions and perhaps a familiar face returning to the show.
The journey ends here for these dreamers, watch the moment
Follow the ninth season of Nigerian Idol with new episodes every Sunday on AM Showcase (DStv channel 151, GOtv channel 12), and AM Family (DStv channel 154 & GOtv channel 2) from 7 pm. You can also catch all the auditions from day one and the behind-the-scenes episodes on Nigerian Idol Extra, airing daily on (DStv channel 197 and GOtv channel 29).
Don't miss out on the exciting journey to discover the next Nigerian Idol. Reconnect now to MyDStv and MyGOtv to catch all the electrifying performances, and behind-the-scenes action.