“The Four” found the one on Thursday night, crowning its first winner with Memphis, Tenn., native Evvie McKinney, and the judges are already planning for the next season.
To celebrate the end of Season 1 of the singing competition show, Fox hosted a finale party for “The Four” at Delilah in West Hollywood with judges Sean “Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled, and Meghan Trainor and host Fergie as the final episode aired live.
A celebratory vibe was in the air over the show’s renewal, which was announced Thursday. After thanking Fox executives, the cast and crew, and his support system during the screening, Diddy stated that the new season “would be built around” third-place Season 1 contestant Vincint Cannady, suggesting that he would be returning to the show to compete.
A representative for Diddy clarified that Diddy asked Cannady to come back as one of the four for the second season after his popular performance of “Creep,” but the network declined to comment.
The second season of “The Four” will air this summer.
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| Sean “Diddy” Combs and Vincint Cannady John Salangsang/Variety/Rex/Shutterstock |
“It’s only going to continue to get greater,” Khaled said of what to expect in the second season. “I’m sure we’re going to get together and do more greater things because this was our first time doing it and so many ideas are flowing and that’s what’s so good about this show, a lot of things that you’ve seen are just natural, honesty, the truth, organic and vibes just happening and the show just exploding. That’s how you’re supposed to do it.”
Trainor said that she would like to see “more genres for season two, more rapping, more rap for sure,” and Fergie added, “The second season has the pressure of bringing it just like the first season did. I feel like we’ve had amazing talent on the show, I was so impressed.”
One key figure who was absent from both the finale episode and the L.A. celebration was Charlie Walk, the show’s fourth judge and Republic Records president who was suspended last week by the record company as allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him. At the beginning of Thursday’s episode, Fergie said “Charlie Walk will not be attending tonight’s finale,” but did not explain why. He was also removed from all promotional images shown at the event and all season recaps. When asked if Walk would be part of “The Four’s” second season, Fergie said she didn’t know.
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| DJ Khaled shows the party on social media John Salangsang/Variety/Rex/Shutterstock |
After her victory was announced, McKinney told Variety that she hopes to become “the youngest but biggest entertainer in the world” and explained what sets “The Four” apart from shows like “American Idol” and “The Voice.”
“No other show is offering what this show offers,” McKinney said, citing Diddy, Khaled and Trainor. “Just being with the best in the business — it don’t get no better than this.”
McKinney was awarded a label deal with Republic Records and a partnership with iHeartRadio, whose “On the Verge” program promises swift national exposure to millions of listeners.
Diddy took over unofficial hosting duties at the event, sitting in the middle of the room and providing commentary on a microphone as the episode aired. During commercials, he led mini dance parties with his fellow hosts and the show’s contestants, and celebrated when the show became the top trending topic on Twitter.