Press Release
Top 16 Group 2 Show
Last night (7 September) the second group of Top 16 Idols SA contestants performed live at the State Theatre in Pretoria to win the public's vote for a spot in the next round of the competition – the Idols SA Top 11.
M-Net and Mzansi Magic announced in the media earlier this week that instead of the usual Top 10 there would be eleven finalists this season. The decision was made after the channels and auditing company De Loitte & Touche ascertained that a communication error on the DStv iTV application may have had an impact on the votes received by Group 1 contestants Vincent Verhoog (25) and Ivan Roux (24).
At the beginning of the show Idols SA host and co-producer ProVerb explained that Vincent’s photograph briefly appeared with Ivan’s voting details on the contestant information voting pages last week, and vice versa.
As the viewers’ votes then placed Vincent and Ivan in the fourth and fifth positions in Group 1 with only 1% difference between them, the fair solution was to let both of them through to the next phase of the competition.
The other three contestants from Group 1 who made it through to the Top 11 will be announced in the
Idols SA Top 16 Results Show on Sunday, 14 September, along with the top 4 from Group 2’s performances last night. And Idols judges Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana and Gareth Cliff will use their lifeline to fill the remaining two Top 11 spots.
Like their fellow contestants last week Group 2 also performed hits from South Africa’s top radio charts, and 17-year-old Olivia Cloud from Hyde Park in Johannesburg kicked the show off with Rita Ora’s “I Will Never Let You Down”, which reached Number 3 on Highveld 94.7 this May.
Gareth Cliff was impressed. “That was actually really good. You’re channeling J-Lo there!” he teased. “The first half of the song I found myself freaking out for you, because I could see you were freaking out,” Unathi Msengana noted. “Don’t let all this overwhelm you,” she advised.
“You deserve to be here.” Randall Abrahams noted that Olivia is “the perfect pop package”, but he also thought she is a better singer than she demonstrated tonight. “If you are here next week don’t focus that much on the dancing and being the pop princess – focus a bit more on the singing.”
To vote for Olivia, fans can text her voting number
01 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Kyle Deutschmann (27), the chiropractor from Durban, was up next with Beyoncé’s hit, “Pretty Hurts”, which charted on Gagasi FM in June.
“I’m trying to make up my mind what I thought about that,” Gareth equivocated. On the one hand he thought maybe the song was too complex, but on the other hand there were parts of that performance that were really impressive, he said. “I feel the same way,” said Unathi.
But Randall had no doubt how he felt about that performance. “That was certainly your worst vocal performance so far and I would say of the Top 16 so far that was
the worst vocal performance,” he declared. “It was off-key as well. Sorry. Not good.”
To vote for Kyle, text his voting number
02 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Next up was the leggy blonde from Durbanvile, Demi Lee (24), with the KFM/Highveld Stereo chart hit “Latch”, by Disclosure, featuring Sam Smith.
“That’s better! That’s what I want!” Gareth smiled. “I’d forgotten how good you were. You just reminded me.” “That was sensual, that was bold, that was commanding,” Unathi praised. “Job extremely well done!”
“I would never have imagined that you would do that song so well,” Randall marveled. “I almost sat here thinking ‘who’s that Demi Lee person?’ It was really unexpected but extremely, extremely good.”
To vote for Demi, text her voting number
03 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Fourth up was the handsome hockey coach from Durbanville, 23-year-old Rowan de Villiers, singing “A Sky Full of Stars” from Coldplay, a KFM Number 1 this past July.
“That song could have gone either way, said Gareth. “I think you delivered it very, very well.” “I didn’t think you had so much power in you. We saw you smile for the first time!” Unathi complimented him.
“It was really good to see you having fun on stage,” even Randall smiled. “Really good song choice, good performance, lots of energy,” he commented.
To vote for Rowan, text his voting number
04 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Cape Town music student Roxy McVean (19) had the fifth position, singing Daughtry’s “Waiting For Superman”, a Jacaranda FM Number 1 that spent 14 weeks on their chart.
“I love your energy and I think you’re a great performer but your singing just didn’t break through for me,” Gareth said. “There was something missing. There was just something that wasn’t the complete Roxy.”
“Can I just say that I got the complete Roxy?” Unathi disagreed. She said she appreciated that Roxy didn’t conform to the stereotype that they had of her.
Randall agreed that Roxy broke away from the Amy Winehouse image they had of her. “You brought yourself to the song,” he said. But he did criticise that her voice seemed to disappear on the lower notes. “You’ve got to be really, really great from the moment you start singing till the moment you finish,” he lectured.
To vote for Roxy, text her voting number
05 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Sixth in the lineup was the 21-year-old Musical Theatre student at the Tshwane University of Technology, Tumi Morobane, with the Katy Perry hit “Birthday”, which reached Number 1 on Algoa FM this June.
“That was astonishing! That was really, really good!” Gareth raved. “When your band is smiling and having just as much fun as the main artist on stage you know you’re doing a good job!” Unathi told Tumi.
But Randall warned that there are still quite a few weeks to go in this competition, “and when you come up with such a sparkling performance so early on you’ve got to keep it up,” he warned.
To vote for Tumi, text her voting number
06 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Next up, singing John Newman’s “Losing Sleep”, which charted on KFM/Highveld Stereo for six weeks, was Lize Mynhardt (21) from Stellenbosch.
Gareth thought she nailed it and Unathi agreed. “You stepped out of your comfort zone,” she commented. But Randall warned Lize that she should be careful not to come across too professional, because South Africa likes to vote for the underdog.
To vote for Lize, text her voting number
07 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
And last but not least was professional musician Musa Mashiane (27) from eMalahleni, putting his own spin on Aloe Blacc’s “The Man”, which reached Number 1 on Kaya FM this June after seven weeks on their chart. “You’ve got to love the energy, “Gareth commented. “Superb!”. “You’ve got such an incredible vocal range – if you get through, give us more of that!” Unathi praised. Randall said it didn’t really matter what the judges say about Musa. “Ultimately you’re going to be a crowd favourite – they’re going to like you and they’re going to vote for you,” he said. “You’re probably going to be South Africa’s favourite”. To vote for Musa, text his voting number
08 to 37400, or dial *120*33033# or vote for free on WeChat at IdolsSA, or on the M-Net mobi site or website.
Gareth’s top performer of the night was between Tumi and Lize, he said, and Unathi agreed. “Demi Lee,” Randall said without hesitation. “It was very, very good,” he qualified.
Voting for the Top 16 Group 2 performances opened at the start of tonight’s broadcast and closes on Tuesday night, 9 September, at 22:00. For more information on voting procedures and terms and condition, visit the official Idols X website at
www.mnet.co.za/idolsSA.
Idols Season 10 is a co-production between pay-television channels M-Net and Mzansi Magic. To stay on top of all the Idols Season 10 news, follow Idols SA on Twitter @IdolsSA and the official Idols Facebook page at “Idols South Africa”.