'The Four: Battle for Stardom' recap: Former 'The Voice' artist Ali Caldwell takes Whitney Reign's seat

The Four: Battle for Stardom's second season continued with one of the "Four" artists, Whitney Reign, losing her seat to former The Voice semifinalist, Ali Caldwell, during Thursday night's broadcast on Fox.


The show kicked off with the following artists representing "The Four": Whitney, a 25-year-old from Chicago, IL; Jesse Kramer, a 21-year-old from Nashville, TN; James Graham from Chelmsford, Essex, England; and Sharaya J. from Atlanta, GA.

Jesse, James and Sharaya all "secured the bag," as music producer DJ Khaled would say, but their challengers did not make it easy for them to keep their seats.

Whitney, however, was sadly eliminated when newcomer and powerhouse vocalist, Ali, a 29-year-old from Woodbridge, NJ, took the stage and blew the panelists -- and the audience -- away.

"This was the best night of battling in the history of The Four," said music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.


The goal for artists on The Four: Battle for Stardom, which is hosted by Fergie, is to hold onto their seats on the stage week to week as new artists attempt to challenge and ultimately replace them.

The winner of the show will have his or her career guided by the panel of hitmakers comprised of Diddy, DJ Khaled, and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Meghan Trainor.

The Four: Battle for Stardom's format features an artist trying to prove to the panelists he or she deserves and is worthy to challenge one of "The Four" through an initial performance. If the panelists all vote "yes" for that person to advance, he or she gets to select one of "The Four" members to battle for a seat onstage.

But even if one panelist votes "no" following the initial song, the challenger is sent packing. After a battle commences, the cheering crowd votes for the winner.

The episode kicked off with Felix Thompson, a 24-year-old from Monroe, GA, singing "Can We Talk" by Tevin Campbell. DJ Khaled thought Felix didn't show who he really is, but Diddy said he has "a beautiful voice" and did "an excellent job."


Felix received three yeses from the panelists and chose to challenge Jesse, who in turn sang "Hold On, I'm Coming" by Sam & Dave.

Felix then performed "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars. DJ Khaled felt Jesse defended his seat and knows what he's doing, but Diddy appreciated Felix's showmanship and asked Jesse to show more versatility in his voice.

With that being said, the crowd voted for Jesse to keep his seat, eliminating Felix in the process.

Alma Lake, a 21-year-old from Medellin, Colombia, who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, stepped onstage next and sang "Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King.

Meghan thought she was "so cute" but couldn't imagine her beating one of "The Four" onstage. Diddy, on the other hand, liked Alma's energy and performance.


Meghan ultimately voted "no," so Alma was unable to advance in the competition. DJ wasn't happy Alma couldn't challenge and sing her second song of "Alive" by Sia, but he respected Meghan's decision. 

Next up was Ali Caldwell, who previously auditioned for Season 11 of The Voice and finished as a semifinalist on coach Miley Cyrus' team.

Ali performed "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus & Chaka Khan. Meghan was left "speechless" after her vocals, and Diddy could sense a little fear in "The Four."

Ali was able to challenge one of "The Four," and she picked Whitney, who then sang "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Patti LaBelle. Ali followed that up with a performance of "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele.

"This was the first time I wish I had a special override vote to keep both of y'all," Diddy noted, adding that fear got the better of Whitney in this battle and Ali "came to eat" and "understood what this is about."


Meghan said Whitney came "with the passion and the chills," but the crowd named Ali the winner of the battle.

Next up was Dian Rene, a 28-year-old from Banes, Cuba, who performed "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias. His determination and nerves were both visible to the audience, but he impressed the panelists enough to be able to challenge one of "The Four."

Dian opted to face off against James. For the battle, James took the stage with "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson. Dian then sang "Flor Palida" by Marc Anthony. DJ Khaled said he "definitely" believed James had "secured the bag."

And the crowd agreed with DJ Khaled, as they voted for James to keep his seat and Dian to go home.

The last singer of the night was Brennan Villines, a 30-year-old from Dixon, KY, who belted out "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers while playing the piano.


Brennan made Meghan cry, and DJ Khaled said he "tore [that song] down." Diddy was proud of him, and the panelists agreed he deserved a chance to battle.

As a result, Brennan challenged Sharaya J., his only option given the other three people onstage had their seats "locked."

Sharaya J. rapped "Go Raya" by Sharaya, and then Brennan performed "Let It Go" by James Bay. DJ Khaled said Sharaya is "the definition of hip-hop" the way she performed, and he liked Brennan's first song better. Diddy said Brennan brought out "the beast."

Sharaya J. was ultimately named champion of this battle, sending Brennan home.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski