Paxton Fielies aims high after ‘Idols SA’ win
Idols SA 2017 winner Paxton Fielies took a risk by sacrificing her Grade 11 year to enter the competition, but it paid off when she bagged the most votes to become one of the show’s youngest winners. The Cape Town teenager said she had decided with the support of her mother that 2017 would be a risk-taker year.
“It was a risk worth taking. But I intend completing my studies while doing gigs and shows.
“My goal is to make it internationally,” an excited Fielies said.
The petite 17-year-old won the title at a spectacular finale at Carnival City in Johannesburg on Sunday evening.
She received the majority of the viewers’ votes when she and Mthokozisi Ndaba‚ 25‚ from KwaMashu in Durban‚ made the final two after months of battle against thousands of contestants.
On Sunday‚ accompanied by the multiaward-winning Soweto Gospel Choir‚ Fielies performed Stand Up for Love by Destiny’s Child and Ndaba sang R Kelly’s The Storm Is Over.
They also collaborated on a remix of Back To The Beach by Kyle Deutsch and Shekinah.
“The highlight apart from winning Idols was performing on my birthday during the season,” she said.
Fielies said she knew people appreciated her talent and would continue to support her.
She said every week had been difficult as, on top of learning a new song, no one knew who would be going home.
“But here I am because I worked very hard to be where I am. I did receive criticism sometimes but I didn’t let it get me down.” Fielies will begin recording her album in January. Other performers at the finale included the top 10, who opened the two-hour show with their performance of Four Five Seconds by Rihanna‚ Kanye West and Paul McCartney.