DC ExtraTime: AYTO Takes Over The Four

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

For now, the attention of those who follow the MTV Reality beat is on Floribama Shore, The Challenge, Catfish and Teen Mom. But soon, those who are anxious for something a little bit more wild will have something to look forward to when Too Stupid to Die debuts the night after the VMA's, the second Jersey Shore Family Vacation two nights later, and an extension of VH1's Mob Wives when Karen Gravano's daughter and her friends welcome the world to Staten Island.
   And there's television's guiltiest guilty pleasure: Are You The One? and Season 7. We'll offer our traditional preseason preview coming later this week, including a welcome to the next generation of those looking for love and $1 million. But to give you a little appetizer for what will come then as well as its August 15th premiere, there is a link between one of those who are ready to take on the task of finding their perfect match and one of this year's newest reality television hits.

When I joined social media six years ago, the reality TV slate was just as busy as it is today, with three shows on the 2012-13 network television schedules having musical singing competitions. American Idol was still on the air, but thanks to its bold concept The Voice was starting to take some buzz away… and an American version of British showcase The X Factor debuted, and introduced the world to a group who would become Fifth Harmony.

   Ultimately, it then became just one show when X Factor USA didn't garner a large following as that in the UK and Idol had run its course on FOX, leaving the iconic rotating chairs as the long survivor in the music wars. But in this 2018 year of TV reboots and returns, ABC brought the show back this past March with Ryan Seacrest once again at the helm, while up north Canada's CTV initiated a new original format called The Launch.

This winter, a FOX network which thrived during Idol's run -- and after it ended has since fallen to the cellar among the major networks -- decided to throw its hat into the musical talent ring again by launching something different. The Four: Battle for Stardom debuted in January, and with a format that was introduced in Israel it twisted this tried & true genre by forgoing the stage auditions altogether, and instead giving artists time to relax in a holding room as challengers before the big moment of getting to perform their hearts out in front of the judges.
   Sean "Diddy" Combs, Meghan Trainor and DJ Khaled (and before he was ousted from his Republic Records post by the #MeToo movement, music executive Charlie Walk) are the panel for which the singers get to perform in front of and get critiqued afterwards, and they hold in their hands the fate of these performers who decide who among the challengers then go up against The Four. Those are the top singers who consist of those from all musical genres, and they must be at the top of their game to keep their seat or see a challenger take their place as a member of the quartet.
   The format sees the singers perform in front of Diddy, Meghan and the big daddy himself as well as the reigning performers of The Four and the audience, and if the judges give a singer a unanimous Yes vote, they advance on. And in the second half of each episode, they go up against a member of The Four in a sing-off, and the audience decides who performed the best... and whoever emerges victorious gets to sit back, relax and prepare for the next week. In the end, the last one standing takes the crown, a recording deal and is named an "On The Verge" artist by iHeartRadio.

One of those who has been keeping tabs on this year's two seasons of The Four is one of those who will be heading to Hawaii for the Season of Fate that debuts a week from Wednesday: Asia Woodley will be joining twenty-one others who are in need in love for Season 7 with Terrence J. and friends. But as fate would have it, filming for AYTO 7 fell smack dab in between both seasons of the show, giving her the opportunity to "Win Together, Love Together" after Evvie McKinney was crowned Season 1's champion and before Season 2 debuted in June... all without missing a single song.
   As an entertainment reporter and on-air host for website MUSE TV, Asia has been covering The Four since its January premiere. Below are interviews from the red carpet as she got to talk with series host Fergie, Meghan and Season 1 Four members Jason Warrior, Tim Johnson Jr., Nick Harrison and Kendyle Paige. And then, Asia got to talk to all four finalists from last week's season finale: Sharaya J., Leah Jenea, Whitney Reign and the eventually champion, James Graham.

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Videos Embedded Courtesy MUSE.TV