After an intense second season of The Four: Battle For Stardom, the next big star has been chosen ... and if you haven't watched yet, then *SPOILER ALERT* come back and read this when you're ready because James Graham has won season two of The Four!
It's been a tight competition, week after week, and as an original member of the Four, James prevailed throughout the entire season, with the exception of one week, but managed to win his seat back during the comeback episode. James will not only receive a recording contract with Republic Records and be backed by the panel (Meghan Trainor, Diddy, DJ Khaled), he will also become iHeartRadio's On the Verge artist.
Let's backup and recap. For the finale episode, instead of trying to defend their seats from new challengers, James Graham, Leah Jenea, Whitney Reign, and Sheraya J faced off against each other in several very fierce battles.
The show kicked off with a performance of Rihanna's "Hard" from our final Four, James, Leah, Whitney, and Sheraya. Then, it was time to get down to business.
Round One
Up first, was Whitney performing Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & P!nk's "Moulin Rouge," which she received much praise for from the panel. Next, was Leah performing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," which made Diddy "light-headed" as he explained.
Then, it was Sheraya's turn, putting her spin on The Notorious B.I.G.'s iconic hit "Juicy," which she dedicated to her family who were watching from the audience as she turned Biggie's song into lyrics about her entire journey. Both Diddy and Khaled told her she did a "great job," which made Sheraya very emotional, and Diddy followed up by saying she was "the one to beat."
Last up, was James performing Michael Jackson's "Rock With You," which received mixed reactions from the judges. Khaled felt James's song choice was off, but Meghan disagreed saying that her favorite performances of his were his Michael Jackson songs, and called this one his "best performance yet." Lastly, Diddy told him that he "didn't like it at all."
Finally, it was time for the audience to vote on who would win the first round, and they chose Sheraya, which gave her the opportunity to choose who she wanted to challenge in the next round, and she chose Whitney. That left James and Leah to face against each other (again).
Round Two
Sheraya J. vs. Whitney Reign
Kicking off round two was the first head to head battle of the night: Sheraya J. vs. Whitney Reign. Up first, was Whitney who performed Lady Gaga's "Million Reasons." The singer had been battling a sinus infection, and although her voice cracked in places, she got through it. Then, it was Sheraya's turn, and she meant business after she removed her coat before heading down to the stage, performing her version of Nas's "Cops Shot The Kid."
Afterwards, the panel gave their feedback. All three collectively told Whitney that they didn't believe that was the right song choice for Whitney, and although they believe she is talented, it wasn't her best performance. On the flip side, they thought that Sheraya's performance was solid. And after voting, the panel chose Sheraya as the winner of the battle, and she would move on to the final round.
James Graham vs. Leah Jenea
The next battle was James vs. Leah. Up first, was Leah who sang Jill Scott's "Golden," followed by James with an explosive performance of Adele's "Hello."
This was a tough decision for the panel, as they had positive things to say about both James and Leah. Meghan told James, "You sang that song like you were coming for revenge," referencing Leah taking James's seat just a few weeks prior. Khaled called both performances "incredible," giving them the airhorn. After the panel deliberated, the trio ultimately chose James as the winner who would move on to the final round to face off against Sheraya.
Before kicking off round three, Season one winner and iHeartRadio's newest On The Verge artist, Evvie, appeared back on the show to debut her new single "How Do You Feel," performing the song live for the first time.
Evvie is also set to take the stage in Las Vegas during the Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, alongside a lineup of incredible artists.
Round Three: James Graham vs. Sheraya J.
It was down to the final round, James vs. Sheraya. James and Sheraya both started out together as two of the original members of season two's The Four.
Up first, was Sheraya who performed her own original song "Say Less," followed by James with the final performance of the night singing Coldplay's "Fix You."
This was the toughest battle of the entire second season of The Four, for sure. Afterwards, the panel had nothing but amazing things to say about both James and Sheraya's performances. In fact, before Diddy got into his opinions, he asked Sheraya how she was feeling, having given her best every show while also battling breast cancer. And she revealed that after her last doctor visit, the tumor that was found in her breast was gone.
Finally, it was time for the panel to chose who would win this season of The Four, and they chose James! Congratulations to James!
Photos: 21st Century Fox