Sunday night, Besi’Extra was on Idols SA, with OTT as the order of the day

It was the perfect celebration of the LGBTQI+ community, especially since on Saturday, Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo finally tied the knot. 

Starting off the night on an appropriate note, the Top 8 contestants performed Lady Gaga’s Born this Way with the Mzansi Gay Choir. The choir is no stranger to Idols, having accompanied one of their own, Thula, to the auditions for this season’s edition of the competition.

Tonight though, the choir returned to the show to accompany the contestants as they belted out great hits from both South Africa and abroad. The Idols contestants who got to perform were the ones chosen by viewers, whose 16-million votes had decided who would be in the Top 8.

Sneziey Msomi led tonight’s Top 8 picks, with her rendition of Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse’s Burn Out, which Unathi Nkayi and Mhlongo called amazing. Msomi got kudos for her range, though Randall Abrahams cautioned her about over singing. “You just need one or two great notes. You have a great voice, so there is no need to over sing,” he said.

Viggy Qwabe impressed the judges by showing off her versatility with her performance of Sia’s Chandelier. Mhlongo said it was her most powerful performance yet, while Nkayi said she was perfect. Abrahams said the song seemed to have connected with her.

Luyolo Yiba sang Green Light by John Legend. The judges commended him for changing up his performance though he managed to remain his soulful self. Mhlongo said his performance was smooth, while Abrahams said it had a distinctive and different energy even as he remained soulful. Nkayi called it a charged and electrifying performance.

Nqobile Gumede also made the cut into the Top 8, with a performance of Whitney Houston’s I’m Every Woman. The judges were mixed in their feedback. Abrahams said she was over-powered by the Mzansi Gay Choir, while Nkayi said it was a beautiful performance of who she was. “I’m happy that you didn’t try to be Chaka Khan or Whitney Houston,” she said. Mhlongo said it wasn’t a great performance and advised her to go home and fix her errors.

Nolo Seodisha was also back with past Idols winner Musa’s cover of Umkhaya Lo. The judges were unanimous in their praise. Nkayi commended him from a beautiful performance, while Mhlongo said loved his authenticity, while Abrahams called it an energetic performance.

Virginia Qwabe returned with David Guetta and Sia’s Titanium. The judges were happy with her performance. Abrahams said her singing had improved and it showed she was working hard, while Mhlongo said she did what needed to be done to ensure a beautiful performance. While Nkayi agreed with the other judges, she advised her to remain present throughout the song.

Micayla Oelofse also sang a past Idols winner’s song – Paxton’s Angifuni. It was the perfect song for her, the judges said, with Abrahams saying it worked for her perfectly and Nkayi saying she gave it more meaning. Mhlongo called her the full package and said she was going to sell records with or without Idols.

The final contestant in the Top 8 was Mmangaliso Gumbi with Lady Marmalade from the movie Moulin Rouge. For the judges, it was the performance of the night, with Mhlongo calling Gumbi an amazing yet humble vocalist.

With the competition getting more heated, it is up to the viewers to decide who gets into the Top 7.

Tonight’s performances

Sneziey Msomi: Burn Out – Sipho “Hotstix”  Mabuse

Viggy Qwabe: Chandelier – Sia

Luyolo Yiba: Green Light – John Legend featuring Andre 3000

Nqobile Gumede: I’m Every Woman – Whitney Houston

Nolo Seodisha:  Umkhaya Lo – Musa

Virginia Qwabe: Titanium – David Guetta and Sia

Micayla Oelofse: Angifuni – Paxton

Mmangaliso Gumbi: Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, and Pink (Moulin Rouge soundtrack)

Idols South Africa airs, Sundays at 17:00 on Mzansi Magic Ch161.