The music competition "Superstar!" unfolded its seventh week on NTV, showcasing participants belting out beloved classic hits from the past. Contestants included Ksenia Georgiadi performing "Argo" by VIA Iveria, Irakli Pirtskhalava tackling Anna German's "Spring Tango," Sergey Minaev with the Soviet anthem "Oh, Roads," and Sergey Chellobanov delivering Frank Sinatra's timeless classic "The World We Knew."
Aziza brought energy to the performance stage with a fiery kazachok number, winning the admiration of the judges. "Honestly, I'm thrilled. I realize once again how incredible Aziza is as an artist," gushed jury member Lera Kudryavtseva, who had urged Aziza for weeks to diversify her repertoire.
Highlighting the competitive spirit, Margarita Sukhanina's rendition of the song "Carmen" wowed audiences, displaying her impressive vocal range and operatic prowess. Her performance also included rap, culminating with her floating above the stage, which captivated judges and audiences alike.
After seven episodes, Aziza emerged as the leader with 55 points, closely followed by Sergey Chellobanov with 52 points. Ksenia Georgiadi and Margarita Sukhanina were tied for third, each scoring 51 points. The bottom duo, Irakli Pirtskhalava and Sergey Minaev, found themselves locked at 50 points.
According to the rules of the show, should contestants tie for the last position, the judges must vote to decide who will remain. If the judges' votes are split evenly, the final decision lies with the host, Natasha Koroleva. During this episode's deliberations, Kudryavtseva and Sergey Sosedov advocated for Minaev, whilst Kirill Turichenko and Katya Lel voted for Pirtskhalava. "Since I’m born of the USSR, and we had this wonderful motto – the young need the road everywhere, and the elderly deserve respect everywhere – I believe there’s still room for Irakli's music to travel on our project," Koroleva stated, casting her vote for Pirtskhalava. Consequently, Sergey Minaev had to leave the show.
"Thank you so much for supporting us on this amazing stage, which has brought me so many wonderful moments. I performed a repertoire almost entirely out of my comfort zone. It was genuinely fascinating because it felt like entering the water without knowing how to swim; it was great! Thank you all once again!" was Minaev's heartfelt farewell.
This week also featured performances from past contestants, including Viktor Saltykov, who triumphed on the second season of "Superstar!" with his hit "White Night." Cornelia Mango, who had left "Superstar!" the previous week, returned to perform "Good Girls" by Alexandra Pakhmutova, dediculating it to her late grandmother. Tatyana Kurtukova also made her debut on the project, performing her hit "Matushka."
Expectations run high as the competition narrows down, and next week's outcome is already sparking discussions among fans and critics alike.
