Idol Chatter & Voice Views

You see, here’s the problem with being suckered into becoming a contestant on The Four.

The show tends to bring out the worst in people.

And former The Voice standout Ali Caldwell seems to be falling right into that trap, just like Jason Warrior before her.

In her intro package during Thursday night’s Week 5 episode of The Four, Ali complained that the other three members of The Four weren’t really trying to get to know her because she had the audacity to defeat their friend, Whitney Reign, for a spot on the show.

Not that it bothers her, she added. “I really didn’t come here to make friends. This is battle for stardom, not battle for friendship.”

Hmm, so is that why she totally ignored James Graham when he seemed to try to congratulate her on a great performance Thursday night?

Earlier in the show, Ali, James and Sharaya J teamed up to demonstrate their collective pettiness, trash talking Noah Barlass when he threatened — and eventually succeeded — in taking the seat held by rocker Jesse Kramer.

Hey, it’s the type of behavior condoned — indeed encouraged — on this mess of a singing show.

But from my viewpoint, if a singer can’t be a class act when the TV cameras are rolling, they don’t deserve a spot on my Spotify playlist or in my iTunes library.

And someone might want to remind The Four that they aren’t stars yet.

On to this week’s video recap.

THE FOUR GETS A NEW MEMBER

Noah Barlass versus Jesse Kramer: This one made me chuckle. In his intro package, Jesse proclaimed he didn’t give a crap about Diddy’s demand that he show more versatility. He was going to do things his way because he was born to be a rock star. Then he went with a stripped down acoustic performance for the first time, doing just what Diddy suggested. His version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” would have been a great change of pace during a rock show. As a stand-alone performance … Jesse might have been better off ignoring Diddy. Noah, a 26-year-old from Oklahoma, showed more range and better enunciation skills during his cover of “Who You Are” by Jessie J. Noah won the audience vote, taking the seat that had belonged to Jesse.

THE FANS GOT IT RIGHT

Dylan Jacob versus Sharaya J: Dylan, 16, of Las Vegas, bravely challenged Sharaya, The Four’s most unique and polished performer. And while Dylan did just fine for a 16-year-old rapper, it was a mismatch. At this point, it’s hard to imagine a Four finale that doesn’t include Sharaya. Oh, and hooray, for the first time in weeks Saraya’s intro package didn’t include a camera with her in the doctor’s office as she battles cancer.

Kateri Bluford versus Ali Caldwell: A 23-year-old gospel singer from Milwaukee, Kateri wound up being matched with Ali by default because all the other members of The Four had already been challenged. And while the judges tried to make it sound like the match was close, it wasn’t. Kateri served up a perfectly fine performance of “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion. But Ali is a vocal force, and that was especially evident on her big ending to “Somebody Loves You Baby” by Patti Labelle. And so Ali successfully defended her seat in her first challenge on The Four.

A TOSS UP

Ronnie Smith Jr. versus James Graham: Ronnie is a 25-year-old pop singer from Miami and surprised me a bit by challenging James, who’s been around since Week 1 and is clearly a fan favorite. He sang “Let Me Love You;” James countered with “On Bended Knee” by Boyz II Men. It was more a matchup of vocal acrobatics than anything else, with both guys showing off their ability to hit the stratosphere in terms of range. James showed a bit more passion and successfully defended his seat for a fourth straight week.

DIDN’T EARN A CHALLENGE

Jade Milan: The only contestant we met Thursday who didn’t earn a challenge was Jade, 20, of Baltimore, who performed “Grenade” by Bruno Mars.