After Sunday’s season premiere of Idols SA, Mzansi’s audiences got a load of the new judges and a taste of what we might expect from them over the coming weeks. Thembi Seete is something of a known identity – she was a guest judge during last season. However, being a guest is not the same thing as being on permanent duty, so nobody could really claim to have any real idea of how she might perform as a judge.
Well – to everyone’s relief – she performed really well. She gave clear reasons for her position, she let people down easy: almost like she knows what it feels like to be trying to make one’s way in the music industry. She was never unreasonable, but she did have some moments where she betrayed her surprise at people even thinking they could enter a singing competition.
To her right was JR. A seasoned music producer and songwriter, JR was never going to be a pushover, and he earned himself the title of “Junior Randall” from the show’s host, ProVerb. That said, we don’t think it was particularly unkind. He gave constructive criticism when it was due, and positive reinforcement when it was called for. Clearly, it seems like he might be the stricter of the three judges – at least for now – but he clearly isn’t unkind.
We’ve only seen a single episode, which means we have no idea how the judges might adjust to the coming competition, but we’re very happy with what we’ve seen because it looks like just the thing young singing hopefuls need if they want to carve their way into the industry.
Idols SA season 18 airs on Mzansi Magic at 17:30 on Sundays. You can follow us on our assorted social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.