Kriti Mehrotra
As a music competition series moving away from the norm by giving individual artists a chance to form their own band sight-unseen, Netflix’s ‘Building the Band‘ is unlike any other. It can be described as a blend of ‘Love is Blind’ and ‘The Voice’, but it is also so much more, considering the focus is on the bands’ compatibility as well as chemistry with $500,000 on the line. Amongst those vying for it were Landon Boyce, Malik Heard, Shade Jenifer, and Bradley Rittmann, who went on to form Soulidified before ultimately changing their name to Iconyx.
Soulidified/Iconyx’s Efforts Took Them All the Way to the Finale
When 20-year-old Utah native Landon blind auditioned for his peers with Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” he really impressed them with not only his endearing vocal presence but also his bold song choice. Later on, when 27-year-old Texan Malik took to the stage and let his smooth R&B vocals shine through, the former couldn’t help but open a conversation with him. That’s when they realized that they were on the same page about not only wanting to be in a boy band but also having a strong work ethic while “letting creative chemistry lead the way.”
Therefore, of course, Landon and Malik decided they wanted to move forward together, following which they set out to find their fellow bandmates, with four total members being their ideal. It took them a while, but they soon found their perfect combination with Landon bringing on 22-year-old Massachusetts native Bradley and Malik bringing on 26-year-old Maryland native Shade. They came face to face for the first time as a foursome in episode 3 while performing together for the first time – their rendition of “Finesse” by Bruno Mars truly set their tone for the future.
While the initial meeting between Landon, Malik, Shade, and Bradley was a little awkward as they were gauging how they’d fit together, their chemistry was definitely there. In fact, that aspect continued to shine as the weeks and live performances went by, with them only having trouble with the choreography side of things as neither Landon nor Bradley had danced before. As for the judges’ critiques, apart from the name change suggestion that led them to go from Soulidified to Iconyx, they simply said their harmonies needed to be tighter on some notes. However, the efforts these boys put forth were evident at every step, resulting in them landing the finale and concluding their stint in third place.
All Members of Soulidified/Iconyx Have Experience in the Industry
It was back when Landon was merely a young boy that he realized he wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, driving him to immediately start working hard for it. Little did he know this would result in him evolving into not only a singer-songwriter but also a professional model signed under the banner of Wilhelmina Models when he was just a teenager. Then, he found himself in a 6-person boy band called Bout Last Night (BLN), formed by Realisator Media. They even released a studio album called ‘Chemistry’ in the summer of 2024, with Landon also having a few singles of his own. Yet, Landon didn’t think it was the right fit for him because he didn’t really get a say in choosing his bandmates, which is why he applied for ‘Building the Band.’ Little did he know he would actually find his people here.
If there’s only one way we can describe Malik Heard, it’s ambitious. Like his fellow bandmates, he has always known he wanted to be an artist, so he has been honing his skills and taking up every opportunity that has come his way to get his big break. In fact, he auditioned for ‘The Voice’ season 10 back in 2016 before also going on ‘American Idol’ season 21 in 2023, only to sadly be eliminated from further rounds before he could really leave his mark. He has since released original music while also performing at local bars and cafes to keep his skills sharp, all the while also dabbling in fashion modeling for exposure, but it wasn’t until he came on the aforementioned show that his spark came through.
Coming to Shade Jenifer, the Henry Lackey High School graduate has been trying to realize his dreams of being a singer and performer ever since he graduated in 2015. He did have a passion for engineering as well, but music has always had his heart, so he performed at local establishments and worked on original music as much as he could over the years. Despite releasing his debut album in 2016, he had to work as a Front Desk Staff at Planet Fitness as well as a Delivery Driver for FedEx, but he has never given up on his dreams. He actually developed work ethics and leadership skills through all his experiences, including releasing additional original music as an independent artist, with his most recent single being “I Love You” in 2025.
Last but not least, we have Bradley, whose passion is music, but his motivation is his family, especially considering the tough financial times they have faced. He actually wanted to win to help them retain his childhood home, but he is still proud of everything he has achieved, and continues to follow his dreams. He is actually a German-American singer-songwriter with skills that landed him a spot at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, from where he graduated in 2024. During this period, he not only honed his natural abilities, learned significant skills, and even got to perform on ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show,’ with his tone making him an immediate audience favorite.
Soulidified/Iconyx Has No Intention of Parting Ways
While it’s true that Soulidified/Iconyx came third, they evidently have no intention of parting ways because they know that what they have is actually a great thing. They are actually not only a band but also a brotherhood that is stronger than anyone can even imagine because they understand, respect, and care for one another at a deep, innate level. In fact, this much was evident to them while they were still on the show, which is how they were able to keep on improving every single week without any stagnation. The way they complemented each other’s strengths and weaknesses, always to be the best version of themselves as a group, made this much evident, alongside the way they unwaveringly supported one another in times of stress.
Soulidified/Iconyx’s chemistry and unflinching honesty with one another have persisted over time, which is backed by the members’ interactions on social media. Therefore, it’s clear that they are sticking together for as long as possible, which is why they recently also took to Instagram to ask their fans to help them finalize a name for good. They can either stick with their original idea of Soulidified, or they can go with their new name, Iconyx (this is derived from Icon + Onyx, an unreadable black and white gem). They are fine with either; they just want to finalize one so that they can move forward with their plans for the future, including possibly an album, a tour, and much, much more.
Read More: SZN4: Where is the Building the Band Runner-Ups Now?
