Four of Diamonds
Four of Diamonds were an English girl group composed of Caroline Alvares, Lauren Rammell, Sophia Saffarian and Yasmin Broom. In 2016, they competed in the thirteenth series of The X Factor, where they were the fifth contestant eliminated. In 2018, they were signed to EMI Records.
Four of Diamonds | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–2020 |
| Labels | EMI Records |
| Past members |
|
| Website | fourofdiamonds |
History edit
2016–2017: The X Factor edit
A week before their audition for The X Factor, the group chose their name in a rehearsal studio, inspired by a card game they were playing. They narrowed their options down to Four of Diamonds and Four of Hearts. They went with Four of Diamonds because of how popular diamonds are, as well as how strong the stones can be.[1]
Four of Diamonds auditioned for The X Factor in the third set of room auditions, performing "No" by Meghan Trainor. They then progressed to bootcamp and the six-chair challenge, gaining a seat and making it through to judges' houses, mentored by Louis Walsh. They were eventually sent home by Walsh.[2] However, on 10 October 2016, it was announced that Four of Diamonds would take Brooks Way's place for the remainder of the live shows, starting in week 2.[3] In week three, Four of Diamonds were in the bottom two against Relley C. They sang "Who Are You" by Fifth Harmony and were saved by Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell. Voting statistics revealed that Relley C received more votes than Four of Diamonds in the main vote, meaning if Cowell sent the result to deadlock, Relley C would have been saved. The following week, they were in the bottom two against Gifty Louise; they sang "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera and were saved by Walsh, Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne. Once again, Four of Diamonds came behind Louise in the main public vote meaning that if Osbourne sent the result to deadlock, Louise would have been saved. They were sent home on week 5, after a sing-off against Saara Aalto, when only Walsh voted to save them. In this sing-off, they sang "When You Believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.[4] However, voting statistics revealed that Four of Diamonds and Aalto received more votes than Sam Lavery in the public main vote; meaning if there was no lifeline vote, or if Aalto won the lifeline vote, Four of Diamonds would have competed against Lavery in the final showdown instead of Aalto. Additionally, in that scenario, if the result went to deadlock, Four of Diamonds would have been saved and Lavery would have been eliminated.[5] Following the conclusion of the series, the final eight contestants co-headlined The X Factor Live Tour around in 2017.[6][7] As part of this concert tour, Four of Diamonds performed to over 200,000 people across the United Kingdom.[8][9]
| The X Factor performances and results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Show | Song choice | Theme | Result |
| Auditions | "No" – Meghan Trainor | — | Through to bootcamp |
| Bootcamp | Unknown | Through to six-chair challenge | |
| Six-chair challenge | "Stop!" – Jamelia | Through to judges' houses | |
| Judges' houses | "Royals" – Lorde | Eliminated | |
| Live show 1 | — | Express Yourself | Through to live shows, as Brooks Way's replacement |
| Live show 2 | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" – The Supremes | Motown | Safe (6th) |
| Live show 3 | "Lady Marmalade"/"Bang Bang" – Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink/ Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj | Divas & Legends | Bottom three (10th) |
| "Who Are You" – Fifth Harmony | Sing-off | Safe (majority vote) | |
| Live show 4 | "Ghost" – Ella Henderson | Fright Night | Bottom three (9th) |
| "The Voice Within" – Christina Aguilera | Sing-off | Safe (majority vote) | |
| Live show 5 | "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips | Girlband vs Boyband | Bottom three (7th) |
| "When You Believe" – Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey | Sing-off | Eliminated (eighth place) | |
2018–2020: Single releases edit
On 14 June 2018, Four of Diamonds released their debut single, "Name On It", featuring Burna Boy.[10] In September 2018, they were signed to EMI Records, becoming the first girl group to be signed to EMI since the Spice Girls.[11] Following their signing, they released their second single, titled "Stupid Things", featuring Saweetie.[12] On 30 November 2018, their third single, "Blind" was released. The song samples "Too Blind to See It" by Kym Sims, and was produced by Jonas Blue. Blue has also been confirmed as the executive producer of their debut album.[13] Later that month, they held a three-date concert tour across England, visiting Birmingham, Manchester and London.[14] On 17 May 2019, the group released their fourth single, "Walk Away",[15][16] In an interview with Coup De Main, they revealed that both Rihanna and Zara Larsson recorded demos for "Walk Away", but the song was given to Four of Diamonds.[14] The single was supported by a concert held in London.[15]
In May 2019, it was announced that Four of Diamonds were set to support Rita Ora on the Phoenix World Tour across the United Kingdom.[17][18] After their performance at the O2 Arena, Philip Logan of CelebMix wrote that they "sparked an energy in the room", and that "commanding the audiences attention with immediate effect, the girls made the O2 stage their own – performing a strong set complete with slick choreography, tight vocal harmonies and killer tunes. With a confidence and chemistry that most girl bands can only dream of, there's a genuine and undeniable sense of camaraderie between the ladies as they perform, so powerful that it translates from the stage right into the audience creating a visceral connection between them and their fans."[19] On 30 May 2019, they performed "Walk Away" on Blue Peter, and the next day, they appeared as the musical guest on Britain's Got More Talent.[20]
In July 2019, they performed at Bristol Pride, and later headlined their first show at Borderline, London.[21] In August 2019, they performed as musical guests at CBBC's Summer Social event and Manchester Pride.[22][23][24] On 19 September 2019, Four of Diamonds released their fifth single, "Eating Me Up", accompanied by a music video.[25] Spindle described the song as "empowering, raw and relatable", and featured it on their playlist.[26] On 31 October 2019, the group released a single titled "Long Way To Go", accompanied by a music video.[27] Yasmin explains that the song has a double-meaning: it can be interpreted as describing being lied to in a relationship or about the importance of self-acceptance.[1]
On 7 February 2020, the group released "Let Me Love You",[28] which was followed by the release of "Superstar" in collaboration with Dutch producer Joe Stone on 27 March 2020.[29] On 29 May 2020, Four of Diamonds released "The Writer" featuring Nigerian singer Mr Eazi,[30] which Robin Murray of Clash described as "a neat pop burner with a taste of afrobeats".[31] In November 2020, they released the song "Never Learn My Lesson" via Fascination after parting with EMI.[32]
Members edit
Lauren Rammell edit
Lauren Rammell (born 18 June 1994) was born in Hersham, England.[33] At the age of eleven, Rammell portrayed the role of Little Cosette in a West End production of Les Misérables.[34] Before joining the group, Rammell attended the Italia Conti Academy, and worked as a dance teacher and at a supermarket.[35][36] Her favorite artists include Beyoncé and Lewis Capaldi.[1]
Caroline Alvares edit
Caroline Alvares (born 14 August 1996) was born in London, England. Before joining the group, she studied music at the University of Westminster.[37][38] Her favorite artists include Rosalía and J Balvin.[1]
Sophia Saffarian edit
Sophia Saffarian (born 25 November 1996) was born in Birmingham, England. Growing up, she attended Hallfield School and King Edward VI High School for Girls, both independent schools in Edgbaston,[39] and also sang in the Birmingham Gospel Choir.[40] Before joining the group, Saffarian was studying Bioveterinary Science at Hartpury University,[41] in the hope of becoming a vet.[42][43] Her favorite artists include Tory Lanez.[1]
Yasmin Broom edit
Yasmin Broom (born 25 November 1998) was born in Stretford, England. Growing up, she attended Flixton Girls' School and Access to Music College in Manchester.[44] She also performed at the Urmston Live festival.[45] She is also known as Yasmin Lauryn.[44] Her favorite artists include Cardi B and Jorja Smith.[1]
Discography edit
Extended plays edit
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Eastside + More |
|
Singles edit
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Name On It" (featuring Burna Boy) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Stupid Things" (featuring Saweetie) | ||
| "Blind" | ||
| "Walk Away" | 2019 | |
| "Eating Me Up" | ||
| "Long Way To Go" | ||
| "Let Me Love You" | 2020 | |
| "Superstar" (with Joe Stone) | ||
| "The Writer" (featuring Mr Eazi) | ||
| "Never Learn My Lesson" | ||
| "Your Problem" |
Music videos edit
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Name On It" | 2018 | Burna Boy |
| "Stupid Things" | Saweetie | |
| "Blind" | None | |
| "Walk Away" | 2019 | |
| "Eating Me Up" | ||
| "Long Way To Go" | ||
| "Let Me Love You" | 2020 | |
| "The Writer" | Mr Eazi |
Concert tours edit
Co-headlining
- The X Factor Live Tour (2017)
Supporting
- Phoenix World Tour (2019)
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Williams, Jazmin (31 October 2019). "Four Of Diamonds Chat to Us About Their Name, Who They'd Have to Perform at a Festival, and Their New Single 'Long Way To Go'!". The Honey POP. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ Darvill, Josh (22 October 2016). "X Factor's Louis Walsh faces 4 Of Diamonds over his 'dislike of girlbands'". TellyMix. from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "The X Factor: Four of Diamonds replace Brooks Way on live shows". BBC Newsround. 16 October 2020. from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ Newman, Vicki (6 November 2018). "Four of Diamonds eliminated from X Factor after sing off with Saara Aalto". Daily Mirror. from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "Revealed! Voting stats from The X Factor 2016!". from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "The X Factor Live Tour 2017: Final acts confirmed!". ITV. from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "X Factor Tour 2017: See who's confirmed and the tour dates for your diary". Metro. from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "X Factor Live Tour 2017 - Find Out Where To Get Your Tickets!". Capital. from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "X Factor's Four Of Diamonds set to drop debut album in 2019". TellyMix. 28 December 2018. from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ Lewis, Rhi (14 June 2018). "We sat down with Four of Diamonds to talk about their new single 'Name On It' and their X-Factor Journey". House of Solo. from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Interview: Four of Diamonds' Caroline Alvares discusses new single Stupid Things and teases what's to come from the band". Entertainment Focus. 12 October 2018. from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Four of Diamonds release new single Stupid Things featuring Saweetie - Entertainment Focus". Entertainment-Focus. 28 September 2018. from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Four of Diamonds' debut album executive produced by Jonas Blue". Female First. 18 June 2018. from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ a b Riddell, Rose (25 May 2019). "Interview: Four Of Diamonds on their new single 'Walk Away'". Coup De Main Magazine. from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ a b Darvill, Josh (18 May 2019). "Four Of Diamonds drop catchy new single and announce London gig". TellyMix. from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Four of Diamonds unveil new single 'Walk Away'". CelebMix. 17 May 2019. from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Rita Ora's UK tour support acts announced". Official Charts. from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "WHAT'S ON: Record-breaking popstar's tour includes the Welsh capital". South Wales Argus. 11 May 2019. from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "REVIEW: Rita Ora Live At The O2 Arena, London". CelebMix. 29 May 2019. from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "ANNOUNCEMENT! We'll be on your TV screens this week performing our brand new single #WalkAway! Catch us on Blue Peter at 5.30pm tomorrow @cbbc & #BGMT @BGT on Friday at 10pm where we'll be singing our other singles too!". Twitter. 29 May 2019. from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Stickler, Jon. "Four Of Diamonds Confirm July London Show - Stereoboard". Stereoboard. from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "BBC - BBC Summer Social announces new acts to mark 100 days to go! - Media Centre". BBC. from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Kirwin, Ellen (25 April 2019). "Pixie Lott and more confirmed for Liverpool's BBC Summer Social". Liverpool Echo. from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Ariana Grande and Years & Years to Headline Manchester Pride Live". Manchester Pride. from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Here it is, the first song from #FODSinglesClub - 'Eating Me Up' We recorded this song a while ago and have started putting it in our live set - so many of you has said it's your favourite, so here it is!! Enjoy!". Twitter. 19 September 2019. from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ "Spindle Selects: Tracks Of The Week". Spindle. 20 September 2019. from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ^ Künzel, Antonia (31 October 2019). "Four of Diamonds – Long Way To Go – Video Premiere". 1883. from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ @FourOfDiamonds (6 February 2020). "You may have caught our hints on the story this afternoon 😋 Soooo our next single 'Let Me Love You' is out TOMORROW!!! We've always absolutely loved the song and wanted to create something you can dance along to. Hope you LOVE!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @FourOfDiamonds (20 March 2020). "You may have seen some hints from @SpinninRecords & we can reveal that we've collaborated with the brilliant @joestonemusic and our next release is 'Superstar' out March 27th! A remix of the absolute classic by our girl @Jamelia 🌟" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Four Of Diamonds Take You Behind The Scenes Of Their Brand New Video 'The Writer'". CelebMix. from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Murray, Robin (29 May 2020). "Four Of Diamonds Link With Mr. Eazi On Phenomenal New Single 'The Writer'". Clash. from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ @FourOfDiamonds (18 November 2020). "You asked and we listened! We love performing this track at our shows and it's all yours this Friday - Never learn My Lesson! 🥳" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Pearson, Michael (14 October 2016). "They've been kept hangin' on for the X Factor live shows!". Get Surrey. from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Bastable, Bex (21 October 2019). "Four of Diamonds: What it's like to be in a band". Generation Tribe. from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Surrey girl to take to X-Factor stage". Eagle Radio. 10 October 2016. from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Pearson, Michael (11 October 2016). "Surrey star to feature in this year's X Factor after all". Get Surrey. from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Westminster student returns to X Factor and gets straight through to the next round of live shows". University of Westminster. Retrieved 22 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Westminster student through to Six-Chair Challenge on ITV's X Factor". www.westminster.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Young, Graham (26 February 2017). "Proud dad sees X Factor daughter shine in Four of Diamonds". Birmingham Mail. from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ Laws, Roz (3 November 2016). "Who is X Factor's Sophia Saffarian from 4 of Diamonds?". Birmingham Mail. from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ "GIRLS LEAVING FROM THE UPPER SIXTH FORM - 2015" (PDF). KEHS. (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Sophia from Four Of Diamonds was going to be a vet but she became a popstar instead, so if your pet dies it's her fault". Pop Justice. 14 June 2018. from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ Laws, Roz (29 October 2016). "X Factor: 4 of Diamonds star's Brummie life revealed". Birmingham Mail. from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Stretford girl bids for X Factor stardom". Messenger Newspapers. 28 October 2016. from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Stretford girl's X-Factor adventure continues as she survives the 'sing off'". Messenger Newspapers. 31 October 2016. from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
External links edit
- Official website