Originally posted Thursday, August 2, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
British soul singer James Graham was crowned second season of "The Four" over Kennesaw rapper Sharaya J.
Sharaya was the only contestant who won every challenge entering the finals. Her fight over stage 2 breast cancer added a rich layer of drama to her journey. She was an automatic favorite going into the pre-taped final.
Graham, a fellow original contestant from the start of the season, was eliminated week six after making a poor song choice. But he got himself back in the game during the comeback episode just in time for the finals.
During the face-to-face challenge, she wrote an original rap. She clearly knew she was going to compete against him because many of the bars targeted him directly. “Even if you’re real good, you ain’t better than me!” she rapped in his face.
"She's what you call a self-contained artist," said judge P. Diddy.
“I’ve kept my hunger from day one,” she said on the show.
But she and Graham, a former “X Factor” contestant four years ago, became close friends. “There’s definitely a mutual respect between me and James,” she said. “We started as original members and we’re like brothers.”
“She’s like my sister now,” Graham said. “I have so much respect for Sharaya.”
Graham has "got gnarly fans," said judge Meghan Trainor. "They come and they cry."
Graham chose "Fix You" by Coldplay and he poured on the charm and emotion. He is clearly a marketable pop artist, a melding of Sam Smith and Charlie Puth.
And the fan reaction to him may have swayed the judges, who opted for his top 40 potential over Sharaya’s rap stylings. She sadly faces more obstacles in a still male-heavy rap world.
MJ Santilli, who follows the show for MJ's Big Blog, said the judges went for the artist they felt could become a real star and has potential. "As a 34-year-old artist, and former protege of Missy Elliott," she said, "Sharaya has been kicking around the music business to moderate success. It's horrible to say but her ship has probably already sailed. That's the youth-oriented music business unfortunately."
She thinks the judges would "prefer to work with somebody they can shape and mold," she continued. "With the right songs and production, James could be another Sam Smith or James Arthur. But it's not all bad news for Sharaya. She comes away from the show with a higher profile and could still work out a deal somewhere."
The other two contestants - Atlanta's Whitney Reign and 17-year-old Leah Jenea - had no chance against the two heavyweights.
During the finale, she revealed good news about her tumor in her right breast: the doctor said it was gone!
In an interview this week before the results were revealed, she noted that she had her final chemo session last Friday. “I’m just happy that part of it is over,” she said.
She had already been thinking of moving from metro Atlanta to Los Angeles even before ‘The Four.” It’s now more likely to help ride the wave of her near victory.
Sharaya enjoyed the entire time being on the show despite her medical challenges. “Every time I stepped out on that stage,” she said, “I felt a rumble in the building. Those fans, they go up for me. It sets up my whole mood every time.”
Besides her rap style, she was lauded for her bold fashion choices.
“I have always been a really big fan of fashion and thinking out of the box,” she said. “Before, when I did have hair, it was blue. It was a Gumby! I always liked creating things. When I lost my hair, instead of looking it as a negative, I looked at it as an opportunity to be creative. I’m thinking once my hair grows back, I may rock the bald look still!”
And while James ultimately won, she was fine seeing him make it back to the finals, fine facing her friend. “He’s a really great talent,” she said. “I knew if anything, him getting kicked off lit a fire in him. I knew if he came back, he’d be fighting for that prize. He wanted it.”
About the Author
