Nigerian Idols Final Four speak on future plans

Friday Treat sat with the last four finalists (Progress, Zadok, Banty and Itohan) of the Nigerian Idol class of 2022 recently to discuss their journey before and during the competition, with a view to finding out their plans for the future after the show ended. Excerpts…

How would you describe your experience at the Nigerian idol competition?

I will describe it as a very wonderful one because coming on the show has been a blessing to me. I have met great people and I have learnt a lot. I have grown and eventually, I emerged the winner so I am super excited about everything.

What was your game plan going into the competition, knowing that you would be up against stiff opposition?

For me, I think I had to be who I am and stay true to myself with the kinds of sounds that I chose to showcase in every song that I was to perform or sing. And yes, it’s a competition that is based on votes and that’s what made me to win so yes that’s how it is. I guess staying true to myself worked in my favour.

In what way do you think you were able to captivate the audience the most that helped you to earn the bulk of votes?

I think one thing, asides being myself and also trying to push my capabilities to do a variety of other things on the show while also maintaining my comfort zone which is being the ‘church boy’ without overdoing it was a factor. Sometimes, I tried to sound very churchy but then at some point when it was necessary for me to come out of my shell and showcase other potentials that I discovered during the show.

That I was able to do these, in my opinion are probably some of the reasons people were able to love what I did and what I stood for.

During the show, you all went through a whole lot of trainings, how do you value your experience on the show; the trainings, the song choices and how do you think they have impacted your music career going forward?

The show was able to teach me growth and brought me out of my shell, so moving forward as an artiste, I would not be limited to any genre.

I can now freely express music in the best way that I can in different genres. I was able to try out different genres on the show and moving forward, I think I am now confident enough to try other genres of music.

Can we expect any form of music anytime soon?

The timing is not certain but yes music is what brought me on the show and music is what I’ll do eventually so they should expect great music from me. I am planning some amazing collaborations with some of my fellow Idols who are artistes I respect the most and some amazing producers in Nigeria.

Waiting for the winner’s announcement is always a huge task for the final two. How was your experience?

Yes. No matter how good you think you are or how talented you might be, when it comes to competitions like this and there’s going to be the part where one person is chosen over the other, one must be anxious and tense. I was tense like every other person but then again it is what it is you know. There would always be only one winner.

What were some challenges you had on the show?

I wouldn’t say I had any because to me, challenges are actually opportunities. That’s how I see it. One of the opportunities was the showstoppers week where we had to rehearse and dance all night. I think that was very challenging but it brought out the best in us.

Since you have been out of the house, how would you say the reception has been?

We have been with doing media runs and it has been amazing. I am just hoping we sustain the momentum when we get back to our various homes. The love has been crazy and overwhelming for me personally. Even before the end of the show, a lot of people had already reached out to me, especially the ladies.

How do you think Nigerian idol has influenced your career?

Before I came for the show, I had a couple of singles and so I got on Nigerian Idol to get more publicity. My Instagram page blew up from 10000 to over 60000; a lot of people are reaching out to me and these are things that never happened to me before. So, the show has been a blessing and I am grateful to God and everybody supporting.

Your message to the fans…

First, I want to say a big thank you to them for voting and supporting me; it’s been a very overwhelming journey and I just want to give them sweet and good music. They should expect live shows and I’ll be putting out some EPs very soon.

What are the challenges and opportunities that Nigerian idol has presented to you as a musician?

The song choices but at the same time it was also a way to show people that we can push ourselves beyond our limits. For the opportunities, it’s the way the platform opens doors for you by putting you out there. I have met a lot of people I probably wouldn’t have ever met.

What more should we expect from you?

In music, I want to go into Afrobeats. I want to going into the mainstream music, perform and record songs and be the biggest Nigerian female artiste ever produced. I would like to take on that risk and also pave way for other young female artistes. Apart from music, I am very passionate about tech.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I don’t have plans of owning a record label at this stage so I think it’s the time for me to build on my career and music/brand. The next five years should be about me making a name for myself. I don’t want to be just a local artiste but a global one.

What advice would you give to anyone planning to go to Nigerian Idol?

Stay true to yourself and have a strong team. Ensure you can sing well, brand yourself and be versatile.

What role do you think appearance plays in getting the fans to love you though you have the voice?

It plays a lot. During the show we were being dressed for the live show, I was unique among other girls and you could easily spot me out.

What inspired your name ‘Banty’?

That wasn’t my name. I had to change my name for show and I was so specific that I wanted a name that was aggressive like my personality. I made some research and nobody had the name; it meant short and aggressive. I am short and can be aggressive.

How would you describe your experience at the Nigerian idol?

I would say it was an amazing one because I didn’t just come to the show to pass time. Most people who participate on the show come for winning but I came here and grew. I met people and I learnt how to come out my shell and of course, I enjoyed myself while doing so. I enjoyed every bit of my experience.

In introspect, what do you think you could have done better or what strategy do you think you should have employed that would probably had given you an edge at emerging the winner?

I don’t think there’s anything I would change because I don’t regret anything because there a reason for everything. I made it this far for a reason so I wouldn’t change anything.

What should fans expect from you in the coming months?

Good music basically because music is my life and then I don’t want to be restricted to just music so probably acting, modeling but mainly music.

Are there any specific artistes or actors you are looking forward to working with?

There are a lot but right now I am open minded.

How would you advise anyone coming on the show to do to get them at least a shot at winning the golden ticket?

One advice is to just be yourself and enjoy yourself because this kind of opportunities come once in a lifetime.

In what way has the platform influenced your career?

There are many ways but the major influence is that it has given the exposure that I never had or bought with money. My social media has shot up and I made relationships with people in the industry. I am really grateful to the platform.

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