Carnival City’s Big Top Arena was the perfect setting for the 'Idols SA' Season 13 finale last night.
With its dramatic stage and set with strobe and laser lights — and after months of battling it out in a bruising contest that started with thousands of hopefuls — Paxton Fielies, 17, from Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, faced off against Mthokozisi Ndaba, 25, from KwaMashu in KwaZulu-Natal.
Paxton and Mthokozisi showed the country just why they were the last two standing.
However, before the country found out who their new idol was, viewers and the audience were treated to performances by some of the country’s biggest acts.
This season’s Top 10 opened the two-hour display of showmanship with a high-octane performance of 'Four Five Seconds' by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney.
#idolssa opens with a performance by the Top 10 contestants and it’s electrifying in the arena pic.twitter.com/S07OcIMo0e
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
The pageantry continued with special medleys and mixes featuring DJ Tira & Destruction Boys, Tipcee, Naak Musiq, Madness, Season 12 winner Noma, judge Somizi and Heavy K, Kwesta, TLT, ChianoSky, and KidX.
What did you think of @NaakMusiQ’s performance on the #idolssa finale stage? We loved it! pic.twitter.com/D0HE8xg5Tr
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
Destruction Boys are in the house! #idolssa pic.twitter.com/1s6cFjegcW
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
The crowd goes crazy for #Paxtonidols and the @Sowetogospel choir #idolssa pic.twitter.com/vXB3cUiHUY
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
#Idolssa Season 12 winner @NomaNomz sings Let It Go off her debut album pic.twitter.com/yLLGv3q3kn
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
What do you think of Somizi’s performance? #idolssa pic.twitter.com/O8kAWiXO8d
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
Look at this! @KwestaDaKAR @ThabsieSA @KidXSA& @ChianoSky all on the #Idolssa stage 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/VSjMcEajHY
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
Season 13 vocal coach Donald gave the audience and viewers a taste of his Red Mic Experience when he took to the stage to perform Landela, featuring the Top 10. Which also saw winner Paxton sing in vernacular for the first time on the show.
There was also a touch of nostalgia courtesy of Boom Shaka and TKZee, who performed a medley of their cool kwaito hits that had the full-capacity audience on their feet. Thembi Seete also had the crowd on their feet with her dance moves.
It’s about time to listen to Boom Shaka 💃🏽🕺🏽 #idolssa @IamThembiSeete pic.twitter.com/WZAdFh9P78
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
According to Idols host and executive producer, Proverb, this was also the season of record breaking votes, with 98 million votes recorded for Season 13, while more than 30 millionvotes were cast in the last week for the Top 2 — Paxton and Mthokozisi also performed.
Accompanied by the multi award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, Paxton performed Stand Up for Love by Destiny’s Child and Mthokozisi sang R. Kelly’s The 'Storm Is Over'.
#IdolsMthokozisi and @Sowetogospel choir had the crow on their feet with their rendition of The Storm is Over #IdolsSA pic.twitter.com/DpBkOBhoBO
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
They also collaborated on a remix of 'Back To The Beach' by Kyle Deutsch and Shekinah.
Back to the Beach by #idolspaxton& #IdolsMthokozisi definitely had us on our feet with that arrangement #idolssa pic.twitter.com/fxcO9tHWyz
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017
In the end it was Paxton that was crowned the winner and the show ended off with her performing her new single, Demonstrate which is available on iTunes
The crowd went crazy as Paxton was announced as the #idolssa season 13 winner 👏🏽👏🏽 Congratulations from IOL Lifestyle pic.twitter.com/lvSNprjptw
— IOL Lifestyle (@IOL_Lifestyle) November 19, 2017