Idols SA heats up with only 7 contestants remaining

Bulelani was eliminated in the race, leaving Nqobi, Berry, Sia Mzizi, Karabo, Daylin Sass, S'22kile and Kevin to fight for a place in the top-six phase.

The evening featured guest judge and performer Zahara, with Karabo performing ‘Paradise Road’ by Joy, while Sass added evocative soul to the late Steve Kekana’s ‘Take Your Love’ in a performance that had Unathi begging him to record the song and release it.

Berry was likened to US singer Billie Eilish after her rendition of Freshlyground’s ‘I’d Like’, while Unathi called Kevin’s cover of Malaika’s ‘Nguwe’ “fifty shades of everything soulful.”

While Mzizi made every effort to honour the man who gave him a ‘yes’ during the open auditions, his performance of Ringo Madlingozi’s ‘Sondela’ failed to hit the mark, with Unathi lamenting the loss of a serendipitous moment. S’22Kile, too, failed to win over the judges, who said she did not bring enough energy to Brenda Fassie’s ‘No No Senor’.

The evening ended on a high note as it had started, with Nqobi’s restrained performance of Lebo Mathosa’s ‘I Love Music’ prompting Randall to declare, for the first time in his 17 years as a judge, that he was a fan of an Idols finalist.

Unathi said the finalists proved themselves as worthy successors to South Africa’s greatest legends. “Our icons paid their dues through sheer hard work and tenacity, and tonight’s lot showed they could work just as hard to honour them and win them a whole new set of fans. I am looking forward to them stepping it up at next week’s showstopper.”