ET caught up with the season one singers during a rehearsal for the show's comeback episode, where they'll be performing in the opening number.
The Four: Battle for Stardom's Evvie McKinney and Zhavia Ward haven't been wasting any time.
Since making their debut on season one of Fox's new singing competition show earlier this year, the talented ladies have spent the last few months working on original music after landing major record deals with Republic Records and Columbia Records, respectively.
Now, Evvie, the season one champ, and Zhavia, the fan favorite, will be making their highly anticipated return to the show on Thursday, for season two's "Comeback" episode. The two will take the stage together during the opening number, performing a modern take on "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5.
ET caught up with Evvie and Zhavia during a rehearsal for the show, where they gave us an update on how their lives have changed, both personally and professionally, since their time on The Four.
"The year of 2018 is definitely my year," raved Evvie, who celebrated her 21st birthday last month with friends, family and a cake from the cast and crew of The Four. "I was 20 when I was on the show, and that was almost like my coming in and coming out moment. My life has changed tremendously and I say that because everything that I'm doing now I've always dreamt of."
"I have chills just thinking about when I'll get to hear my song on the radio for the first time," Evvie, who will have guaranteed airplay on iHeartRadio as part of her prize, continued. "It's just going to be a moment like, 'It don't get no better than this.' I've waited. I've built and I've prayed so hard to hear a good, powerful song of mine on the radio. So it's just going to be a moment where I say, 'Thank you, Jesus.'"
Zhavia couldn't agree more. Although she didn't win the show, the 17-year-old powerhouse R&B singer won the hearts of America with her soulful vocals, charming personality and rad style.
"It's been very busy, but everything's a blessing," she said. "I've just been working really hard."
In the short six months since Zhavia first appeared on the show, a number of opportunities have already come her way. In addition to her record deal, the Los Angeles native was featured on the Deadpool 2 soundtrack -- in a song titled "Welcome to the Party" with French Montana, Diplo and Lil Pump -- and has already reached an impressive 3.1 million followers on Instagram.
"It's pretty crazy," she said of her post-Four stardom. "It doesn't really hit you because it's just such a big number. But it's crazy to have that many people supporting what I love and just watching my every step."
"Working with French was also amazing," she added. "Columbia CEO Ron Perry thought I'd be perfect for that song because it's urban. So, I just laid down some vocals, and it happened! It was pretty crazy singing a French Montana song ['Unforgettable'] on the show, and then getting to do a song with him."
But even more exciting for Zhavia is the fact that she's currently working on her own original music. She confirmed to ET on the day of our interview that "Candlelight" (watch the official music video below!) is her first official full-length single, and an EP, featuring songs she wrote herself, is on the way.
"[The EP] is going to be out next month, in August," she teased. "It's about a lot of experiences that I've had in the past two years of my life. It's very special to me and I'm so excited to finally release original music, because I love to write."
It's an equally exciting time for Evvie, who revealed that her fans (whom she calls her "angels") will also get to hear her first single "sooner than soon."
"You are about to hear my single very, very soon," she said, also confirming that she's working on a full-length album. "So, please be on the lookout for that, because this is something you don't want to miss."
"To be honest, with the rate I've been going, my whole album can really come out in the matter of time," she added. "But it's really a group effort thing. We haven't really sat down and come up with a specific release date for the full album, but the single is already signed, sealed, delivered."
As aspiring stars from season two of The Four continue to battle it out on Thursday's "Comeback" episode, Evvie and Zhavia also shared their best advice for the challengers, while reflecting on their own time on the show with ET. Read more from our interview below:
ET: Congrats on all your success thus far! You're already working with so many amazing people, but who would you love to collaborate with within the next few years?
Evvie: From my label, I would love to collab with Drake. I would love to collab with Ariana Grande, but to be honest, I'd be grateful to collab with anybody who loves good music like I do. My ultimate dream collab would have to be Sean "Diddy" Combs. I think he's going to like that answer...
Zhavia: I definitely want to work with Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign. They are two of my favorite melodic rappers, and a lot of my stuff is in that genre, so I think that'd be a nice mix.
Who were you most surprised to learn was a fan of yours?
Evvie: To be honest, everyone surprises me! When famous people like my posts, comment... or even just sometimes Diddy will pick up the phone and call me and I'll be like, "Hold on." It's just amazing this is real.
Zhavia: Jessie J! She's my favorite singer in the whole entire world and she followed me on Instagram. She also DM'd me some hearts, so I was really happy about that. I hope to work with her someday. She actually stopped by the studio one day that I was working at. She was like, "Oh, if you're here tomorrow, let's hear all your stuff." We'll have to actually set something up.
Going back to your time on the show, explain to us what it's like being on that stage, getting ready to challenge one of The Four. And what advice do you have for the contestants leading up to the finale?
Evvie: I came on the show as a challenger, and I was a bit nervous because I didn't know what the fight was going to be like in the other person. I knew what the fight was going to be like in me, but you just never know what somebody else's monster feels like and looks like. So, I would just say, go up there and give it all you got -- just leave it up there on the stage!
Zhavia: It's very intense. But at the same time, I felt calm most of the time because I just felt like I was in the right place -- I was in my zone. It's amazing to feel the energy of the whole crowd. It makes you feel complete. So, I would definitely say, focus on that.
Z, you said during season one that you wanted to do whatever it takes to buy your mom, Bobbi Jo Black, a house someday. Is that still your No. 1 goal, and do you think it's now obtainable?
Zhavia: Definitely. I am working on that right now. Within the next year I know for sure that I'll be able to buy her a house.
And Evvie -- your late father was a big part of your storyline on the show. If he were here today, what do you think he'd be saying to you?
Evvie: Today, my daddy would probably be with me here on set, chilling, relaxing, eating all the snacks and taking all the cold drinks. But I think, at this moment -- this is not just a proud moment for me, but for my entire family and my city. So I think my father would really just be overwhelmed with joy.
Lastly, there are now multiple singing competition shows aspiring singers can audition for today. In the words of DJ Khaled, why is The Four "the best"?
Evvie: Working with people like Diddy, a music mogul, pop star Meghan Trainor, DJ Khaled, the best DJ on the planet? It really doesn't get any better than that. The Four is completely different from any other singing competition show because of the fact that the panel is going to help you -- it's guaranteed. Even if you don't win, they're still going to be there to support you and give you opportunities. The Four really focuses on creating a star and making sure you're not just a star for this year, but for forever.
Needless to say, if you're not a fan of Evvie and Zhavia already, it's time to familiarize yourself with these talented stars on the rise. Their star power is already shining bright, but they're just only getting started.
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