Meet the season 19 finalists

The final-ever top 10 of Idols SA have been unveiled in a spectacular live show that featured soulful and vibey performances.

The five ladies and five gents making up the season 19 top 10 are, in no particular order: Nkosi, Lungile, Faith, Sena, Niikiey, Envic, Princess, Thabo, Lungelo, and Thando. Sadly, this marks the end of the Idols SA journey for Neve and Sipho.

The top 10 also each take home an impressive prize haul: R5 000 from Mzansi Magic; a Huawei Nova 11 smartphone and a Huawei GT3 SE smart watch; a R2 000 beauty hamper from L’Oreal; and R5 000 worth of fashion vouchers from Truworths.

Last 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 kicked off the top 10 show with Ami Faku’s Ubuhle Bakho, impressing the judges. Somizi Mhlongo said: “You are a very simple guy, but you have proven that simplicity can be very effective.”

Next was Lungile, who took on 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 the stage was Sena, who performed Mthunzi’s Ngibambe La, earning praise from all judges. Somizi said: “You are flawless. You do your vocal gymnastics so effortlessly. That’s called a performance.”

Niikiey took on 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 sang Coco Jones’ 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.”

Wrapping up the 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 will see us enter the top 9 stage. Who will earn a spot and whose journey will come to an end? That’s up to the viewers to decide, but either way the entertainment will be top notch.