Artists Fight To Continue To Impress Diddy In ‘The Four: Battle For Stardom’
FOX's singing competition The Four: Battle for Stardom has entered its second week! Who rose to the occasion and became a part of The Four?
The Four artists Lex Lang, Zhavia, Saeed Renaud, and Ash Minor entertained the crowd and the experts with an explosive cover of En Vogue's "Free Your Mind."
Minor was the only artist who was not challenged last week, while Lang kept her seat and Zhavia and Renaud stole the original two members of The Four chairs.
Round One: Candice Boyd Versus Ash Minor
28-year-old Candice Boyd worked with Nicki Minaj and French Montana but struggled to break out as a solo artist. She was nervous to sing in front of panelist Sean "Diddy" Combs, but Boyd held her composure when she walked out on stage.
Boyd sang Mary J. Blige's "I'm Goin' Down" for her challenge song. She showcased heart and soul in her performance and called out Meghan Trainor.
Boyd received a standing ovation from all four experts. Diddy, who originally recorded the song with Mary, stated that she deserved to challenge one of The Four.
Boyd received all four blue rings, which gave her the right to challenge a member of The Four. She decided to test Ash Minor. The original member of the Four left his home country of Australia to search for a music career. Minor performed Miguel's "Adorn" and he made Trainor cry during his jaw-dropping performance. Boyd countered with Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman," and while it had some bright moments, the performance felt rushed. Trainor and Charlie Walk even stated that her stage presence needed work.
The audience had the power to decide who would win the competition and with a vote between 55-percent and 45-percent, Brown won and sent the original member of The Four packing.
Round Two: Stevie Brock
Fashion aficionado Stevie Brock came dressed to impress and Trainor loved the outfit. He auditioned with Maroon 5's "Sugar." Brock bounced around the stage, but the artists and the panel were not feeling it. Charlie Walk questioned his brand. Diddy called him a "fairly decent performer." Brock admitted that he was nervous, and this infuriated DJ Khaled who stated that he could not be nervous while wearing that outfit. The panel decided against advancing Brock into the next round.
Round Three: Cheyenne Elliott Versus Lex Lu
New York City resident Cheyenne Elliott brought her family, including her grandmother -- music legend Dionne Warwick, to her audition. Elliott decided to sing Little Mix's "Wings" for her audition song, and the audience loved watching Warwick's beaming pride as Elliott performed. Trainor enjoyed the performance but Diddy wanted to believe in her performance.
Despite Diddy's comments, the panel voted for Elliott to challenge a member of The Four and she challenged Lex Lu. The remaining original member gave her take on Migos's "Bad and Boujee." Lu fought for her spot but divided the panel. Elliott countered with Sam Smith's "Too Good At Goodbyes." The Sam Smith song was a strong song choice for Elliott and she won the challenge, which meant that the final member of the original group was eliminated from the competition.
Round Four: Cocoa Sarai
The Brooklyn music teacher hoped that her The Four: Battle for Stardom performance would inspire her students. She dedicated her performance of Labrinth's "Jealous" to her mother who passed away from cancer. Cocoa Sarai gave audiences chills with her honest performance, and Sarai broke down during the song's ending. Walk felt the performance but was honest with his response stating that he could not see Cocoa Sarai up against The Four and voted against her. Since Walk voted against her, Cocoa Sarai was eliminated from the competition.
Round Five: Kayla Ember
The 18-year-old Florida native came from a musical family and was nervous performing in front of the panel. Ember sang Halsey's "Bad at Love" for her audition. At times, Ember sounded like Trainor or as though the show's host Fergie had a sister who shared the similar singing voice. DJ Khaled stated that she could sing but could not feel her vibe. Meanwhile, Diddy believed in Ember and stated that she could be big. However, Ember received three "No's" for the panel and was eliminated from the competition.
Round Six: Jason Warrior Versus Saeed Renaud
Chicago native Jason Warrior turned to music after his father went to jail and he fought his way to give back to his mother who made numerous sacrifices. Warrior auditioned with John Legend's "Love Me Now" and delivered a compelling interpretation of Legend's hit which features outstanding vocals. DJ Khaled felt Warrior's emotion in his performance and stated that Legend would be happy with his performance. Walk also added that Warrior was the reason why he signed up for The Four: Battle For Stardom.
Warrior earned his way to challenge The Four, and he chose to go up against Renaud. The powerhouse vocalist tackled Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and delivered a memorable vocal that would have made the legendary singer-songwriter proud. Warrior performed Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," but the singer was unable to reach the glory that Will Champlin, Caleb Johnson, and Janice Freeman delivered on their respective performances. The audience decided to give Warrior the win, eliminating eliminated Renaud.
Next week, artists will continue to challenge Elliott, Boyd, Zhavia and fight for the right to earn their seat. If they are successful and make it to the finale, The Four: Battle For Stardom's champion will earn the right to be mentored to the panel and be named one of iHeartMedia's On The Verge Artists.
