The group phase of the competition ended last week with the eviction of Thekhaleed and Esjay.

The pair battle phase began on Sunday and saw the contestants perform contemporary Naija songs in pairs.

Also, the baton of eviction from the show has exchanged hands from the audience to the judges as the music talent hunt show hits up to discover who becomes the next superstar.

The competition gradually becomes fiercer as the weakest in each team goes on probation and then possible eviction. At this stage, each episode becomes a hot seat for the contestants to unleash their hidden creativity or leave the stage.

In the end, Skyffy, eMzez, Denerio, TOMs, Jaydboy, and MB Dre were selected by the judges for probation. On Sunday, four will be evicted.

Singer Uwale Okoro, aka Essence, made a guest appearance on the show, ushering in Denerio and Skimzo to join her in performing one of her classics, ‘Facebook Love’,

Naija Star Search airs every Sunday at 8 pm on the following StarTimes channels: ST Nollywood Plus, ST Nollywood and ST Yoruba. You can also watch on the StarTimes-ON mobile app.

Don’t miss the intrigue. See some of the contestants:

As Naija Star Search kicks off, Kenny Ogungbe, ID Cabasa and Asha Gangali will square up against themselves in the group stage of the music reality show as coaches. Each coach will have contestants assigned to them, with some game twists unknown.

Thus, aside from the electrifying performances by the contestants, the show is full of drama, intense competition and passion as the twists of the game cause mixed emotions.

In a game flow unveiled by the organisers, the show will be a blend of music performances and a glimpse of their lives off the stage. 

In a post seen on Naija Star Search social media handles @naijastarsearch, the game flow consists of the Group Stage Competition with 3 teams led by the 3 Judges; Pair Battle with 12 contestants performing in twos; eight Solo Performances; and the Final 3 who will slug it out for the grand prize of N10,000,000 and more.

In the Group Stage, three teams are formed with five evictions in three episodes. After the weekly performance, the team with the lowest score will go on probation, by audience votes. Then members of the team on probation will nominate their team members for eviction.

The Pair Battle, the next phase, will have the remaining twelve contestants divided into six teams of two each. The judges will decide which four contestants get evicted. Likewise, in the solo performances, which will have five evictions, the judges will decide who goes home. Four contestants will compete in the final episode consisting of three finalists plus one contestant saved by audience votes. The audience will vote using USSD.

Naija Star Search airs every Sunday at 8 pm on ST Nollywood Plus, ST Nollywood and ST Yoruba channels on StarTimes.

Naija Star Search is a reality show aimed at discovering the next generation of Afrobeats superstars.

The judges say, unlike other music reality shows, the Naija Star Search show is unique because the focus is solely on Afrobeats, an umbrella term for all kinds of songs originating in Nigeria.

In a media chat, Mr Ogungbe said that he and his fellow judges would look out for authenticity, potential, originality and street credibility among the talents, adding that the top seven finalists from the show would be groomed by the Kennis Music label and given a platform to turn their raw talents into superstars.

Eighteen contestants have been rigorously selected by the show’s judges led by music label executive Kenny Ogungbe; celebrated music producer ID Cabasa; and singer Asha Gangali. VJ Adams is the host of the show.

The judges would look for authenticity, potential, originality and street credibility among the talents. Naija Star Search will see the contestants showcase their singing prowess while battling for N10 million prize.

Furthermore, the top seven finalists from the show would be groomed by the Kennis Music label and given a platform to turn their raw talents into superstars.

Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe, the head judge of the show, revealed that over 4,000 contestants had sent in their entries for the competition.

The music reality show, which aims at sustaining the Afrobeats culture and nurturing young talent, is an initiative of StarTimes in association with Kennis Music.

Speaking at the unveiling event in Lagos, StarTimes Chief Operations Officer Tunde Aina said, “Naija Star Search is fashioned to be an exclusive Afrobeats show, the first of its kind in the country. Contestants will perform only Naija songs, starting with the classics and contemporaries to warm their vibes (ginger their swagger) and then singing original songs composed by themselves.

“With guidance and criticism from the judges, these talents will be schooled in the art and business of Afrobeats music for the next three months.

“Ultimately, the goal is to discover the next promising talents with the potential to blow. Top performing talents will work with Kennis Music, who will groom, mentor, produce and market their songs to a music-loving audience in Nigeria and Africa.

Comparing Naija Star Search to the future of afrobeats, Kenny Ogungbe said, “Afrobeats will never die.

The people sustaining it now are in their mid-twenties and thirties. To sustain it, we need to groom new talents in their teens so that in the next ten years, we will still have those holding it. We are here for the future to project the beauty of Naija music.

Adding to what Kenny said, ID Cabasa said that “we are here to sustain the momentum that is building in the ecosystem of Afrobeats globally. To do this, we don’t just want to leave it to those that are there now. We don’t want a situation where once our legends die, they die with the history, the music, and the culture of the genre.

“We saw a lot of young talents during the audition process, which blew our minds. Naija Star Search has become a pivot for any ambitious artiste for the limelight. Currently, it is very hard to break through in the music industry.

“To promote an artiste now, you would need millions of naira. This platform was set up to push them even when they didn’t have that push. So, any outstanding talent in this reality show would come out with great potential. We will be training them on songwriting, how to record their songs and how to sustain themselves in the industry since it’s easier to blow than sustain oneself in the industry.”