With only a few weeks until the finale of Season 6 of Nigerian Idol, Africa’s biggest music talent show, the stakes had gone significantly higher.
The judges – DJ Sose, Obi Asika, and Seyi Shay – were each asked whom they felt was the most “prepared” of the remaining six contestants, but they declined to comment. However, DJ Sose noted that each contestant needed to work on their social media presence.
On tonight’s show, a special guest dropped by: Mr. P (of the defunct P-Square) was on hand to watch the live performances and share his opinions. The fans clearly put in the work for their faves in the online polls, as 7 million votes were counted in the course of the week. The contestants also got the chance to meet with the flamboyant entertainer, Denrele Edun, a few days earlier.
The theme for the night’s performance was “Pop vs Jazz”, where each contestant had to perform two songs: one jazz hit and one pop hit. By the end of the evening, the number of contestants left in the competition would be down to five, as determined by the voting public. It was hard to tell who would be eliminated.
The fans were kind to Faith Jason, who performed a soulful cover of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.” There was also some respite for Comfort, who had been described by Denrele as an “ambivert”, as she handed in a rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”, with some help from the live band.
The fans showed some love for Kingdom, who reflected on how he received lessons on red carpet presence from Denrele, and with vocal assistance from the live band, he performed a melodious cover of Bruno Mars’ 2010 smash hit “Just The Way You Are.” Akunna also lived to fight for at least another week, looking regal in a flowing red gown as she performed Miley Cyrus’ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball.”
The fifth and final contestant to be saved by the bell – or in this case, the votes – was Francis Atela, who struggled to process his emotions as he realized that the fans had kept his dreams alive. For Emmanuel, it was the end of the road.
Francis has developed a knack for challenging himself with the most difficult songs, and he did it again here, opting to perform Sam Smith’s ballad “Too Good At Goodbyes.” When asked who had been most impressive during the first round of performances, Mr. P replied that Akunna had blown him away.
For the jazz covers, Faith Jason went with a rendition of Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”, supporting his performance with an acoustic guitar. DJ Sose noted that he had a little problem with his breath control, while Mr. P advised him to never let go of the guitar.
Comfort opted to perform a cover of Michael Buble’s “Save The Last Dance.” Seyi Shay commented on her growth and confidence, but Obi Asika remarked that her energy was low. For his jazz cover, Kingdom took on Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” His performance got the judges rising to their feet in approval, and Seyi Shay referred to him as “the strongest vocalist in the competition.”
Akunna’s performance was a cover of the Nina Simone classic “I Put A Spell On You”, with some backing from the live band. Mr. P seemed very pleased with what he saw, and Seyi Shay described her voice as “powerful.” The final performance of the night was Francis Atela’s jazz version of Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, which was well-received by the judges: Seyi Shay praised his versatility, and Obi Asika remarked that Francis “reminded him of Vegas.”
At this stage of the competition, the power to determine who stays and who leaves is solely in the hands of the viewers. Voting on Nigerian Idol is via the website, mobile site, MyDStv, and MyGOtv apps and via SMS on participating networks – Airtel, MTN, and 9mobile. You can vote for your favourite contestant via the Africa Magic website, www.africamagic.tv/nigerianidol, and the Africa Magic mobile site by selecting contestants of your choice and entering your number of votes and clicking VOTE. Voting via these platforms is limited to 100 votes per user. MyDStv App and MyGOtv App votes are free, and votes are allocated based on your subscription packages.
You can also catch up on all the behind-the-scenes action, trivia games involving the contestants, and reactions to eviction announcements by checking out “Countdown to Showtime”, which airs from Monday to Saturday exclusively on Showmax.
