I don't know what is going on, says NXT LVL's Zethe on show rating

17 November 2017 - 08:00 By Kyle Zeeman
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Zethe has failed to impress the judges despite being a firm fan favourite.
Zethe has failed to impress the judges despite being a firm fan favourite.
Image: Via Vodacom YouTube

Afro-soul jazz musician Zethembiso "Zethe" Mdletshe has experienced a "rollercoaster" of emotions as a contestant on TV music reality show Vodacom NXT LVL, including low scores by judges. 

The 24-year-old has become a massive fan favourite and her followers once again flooded social media with complaints about the scores given by the judges.

"Everyone thinks that I was scored harshly, and a part of me also thinks that, but the panel is made of people who may not understand my sound or are not in the same genre as me," Zethe told TshisaLIVE in an interview.

She said that she wasn't sure why she had failed to impress the judges so far, but understood that she couldn't please everyone.

"This is not the first time and, to tell you the truth, I don't know what is going on. I know that we are not supposed to pat ourselves on the back and say we are good, but you know when you do well and have given your all. It is not encouraging when you don't receive the response you feel you should get. That is how the industry is. You can give 100 percent but sometimes not everyone will like you. You are not God."

She said that people often asked her why the judges were so harsh but said the experience has made her stronger and pushed her to keep going back. 

She said she was not concerned about winning the R1-million prize money and decided in the last few weeks of the show to perform for those who are watching at home.

Besides being a Twitter favourite, Zethe has become something of a celebrity in her hometown of Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal and said that she was surrounded by fans when she went back recently.

"I am an awkward person and when I went home recently I was walking in the mall when suddenly there were tons of people wanting pictures. I was like 'can't a girl get a bikini and get out'. It is insane, but great. It is also humbling to get inboxes from people who tell me my music touched their lives. That is what I do it for and it makes it worth it."

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