On Thursday night (August 2), Essex’s very own James Graham was crowned the worthy winner of the second season of The Four: Battle For Stardom.
Each week, the former Stereo Kicks star won over the panel, made up of Meghan Trainor, Sean Combs and DJ Khaled, with his incredible performances. Despite being eliminated in week six, James made a stunning return the following week after being voted back as one of the comeback artists by the public. From there on in, he truly excelled himself with his pitch perfect performances, resulting in him winning the competition.
Looking back on James’ rollercoaster journey, it’s safe to say that we enjoyed every single one of his performances. However, to celebrate his glorious win, we thought we’d pay tribute to five of our favourites, which prove why he deserved to win this season.
1. ‘A Song For You’
James chose ‘A Song For You’ as his challenge song all the way back in episode one, and what a way to make his mark in the competition. He nailed the classic with ease, flexing his vocal cords to perfection.
https://youtu.be/3V_8RGd270s
2. ‘Human Nature’
Taking on a Michael Jackson classic, James slayed episode four with a slick rendition of ‘Human Nature’. He even demonstrated some sharp MJ style moves, whilst his falsetto stirred up excitement in the audience and caused Sean to get up on his feet.
3. ‘Writing’s On The Wall’
After being eliminated in week six, James returned in week seven and proved that getting rid of him was a huge mistake. His flawless version of Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ sent the audience and the panel’s hearts aflutter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBV0yIbL148
4. ‘Fix You’
James took on Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ for his final battle, which led to him winning The Four against Sharaya J. His take of the song was absolutely sensational; the captivating soft falsetto leading into his signature powerhouse vocals was a goosebump inducing moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRgJJP05ME
5. ‘Hello’
Earlier on in the finale, James took on Adele’s ‘Hello’, which is without doubt our favourite performance of his during the competition. Just when you think you’ve heard every rendition possible of the classic track, James pulls this spellbinding version out of the bag. Serving vocals for days, it’s impossible not to be completely sucked into this sensational performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_NT45dsiE
Honourable Mention – ‘Want To Want Me’
James might have been eliminated following his performance of ‘Want To Want Me’, but we loved it as it showed a different side to him as an artist. He proved that he was more than capable of delivering an uptempo offering, whilst also killing the vocals in a way that only James knows how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ3WhHjwoc4
Congratulations to James on an incredibly worthy win. We can’t wait to see you slay the music industry very very soon.