Nigerian Idol S9: Incredible stage presence, show-stopping songs, well executed choreography as Stevie exits the show

The Top 6 Nigerian Idol hopefuls had returned for another spectacular live show showdown! With four phenomenal weeks under their belts, these talented singers were all prepped to deliver show-stopping performances that will leave the judges and the audience breathless.

With the week’s theme aptly dubbed ‘Showstopper’, the contestants – Chima, Chioma, Mira Clear, Lammy, Stevie and Maio – went all the way out to leave a lasting impression, particularly with their collective rendition of John Legend’s Preach, which was accompanied by dancers masked as a mass choir.

The show host Ik Osakioduwa, with the judges – Ric Hassani, Omawumi, 9ice, and guest judge, Ice Prince took the contestants out of their comfort zones, as world record-breaking choreographer Dr Kaffy, coached the contestants on how to deliver their individual show-stopping performances.

The night became tense following Stevie’s eviction. “You’ve been a source of joy on the show. We’ve seen the joy you exude in your music. You’ll do great outside,” Omawumi said to him as he exited the stage and the show.

With the emergence of the Top 5 contestants, the individual show-stopping performance commenced with Lammy kick-starting the night party performing Black Eyed Peas’ infectious I’ve Got A Feeling, a high-energy dance track released in 2009 from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. Although his vocals were not perfect, the energy he brought made up for it.

Next up on stage was Mira Clear, who brought the heat with Beyonce’s up-tempo song, End of Time, a track of her 2011 fourth studio album titled 4. Her vocal control and execution of the choreography simply showed that she was indeed on the stage to compete.

Chima proved he was in the competition for business with his ovation-worthy performance of Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now, which set the stage on fire. His stable vocals and the incredible choreography, made his time on stage a performance most considered graceful.

The nu-disco song released in 2019 from Dua Lipa’s second studio album titled Future Nostalgia, dominated charts worldwide, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated in three categories – Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Unlike her previous performances, Chioma struggled to enjoy the stage as she performed Beyonce’s anthemic Who Run The World, track released in 2011 as the lead single from her fourth studio album, 4.

Maio capped the night with his performance of Davido’s viral single, Unavailable, a track of the just married Afrobeats superstar’s 2023 fourth studio album titled Timeless. The song featuring South African singer Musa Keys became a massive hit in Nigeria and across Africa. It was certified gold in both Canada and France. The performance was dubbed one of the best for the night.

Despite his performance of Ne-Yo’s lead single Closer with smooth sounds, Stevie could not go further on the fiercely contested music reality show, as he polled the least votes among the Top 6 contestants.

Released in 2008, as the lead single from Ne-Yo’s third studio album, Year of the Gentleman, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his seventh top ten hit on the chart. It was also nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards.