Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Diccon Ramsay, Netflix’s ‘Building the Band’ lives up to its title in every way conceivable by revolving around a group of individual artists as they come together sight unseen. They actually form a group all by themselves while in separate booths until 6 are created, following which they finally meet, and aspects like aesthetics, choreography, as well as style come into play. Aaliyah Rose Larsen, Cameron Goode, Donzell Taggart, and Katie Roeder were the first to realize they wished to work/sing together based on innate chemistry alone, unaware it would take them to the finale.
SZN4 is a True Vocal Powerhouse
The moment we first encountered 22-year-old Aaliyah Rose Larsen, she was clear about wanting to be in a unique mixed band because she believed there was a possibility of it being much more familial. Therefore, when 24-year-old Donzell Taggart opened up a conversation with her just to compliment her sheer abilities after her auditions, and it naturally turned deeper, she brought up the idea to him. By this point, he had been set on a boy band, but something about their connection made him change his mind, resulting in them even making a pinky promise to move forward together.
Donzell almost wavered when he spoke to 20-year-old Landon Boyce, yet another conversation with Aaliyah made the choice very clear to him, and that’s when things turned upside down. Their conversations with 22-year-old Cameron Goode and 23-year-old Kartie Roeder after their respective incredible auditions clicked a vision into place, especially as they all personally clicked too. Therefore, without any overthinking, they locked in to become the first band to be formed in this show’s history – a 4-member mixed group comprising one powerhouse vocalist after another.
Their subsequent performance of Hozier’s “Too Sweet” brought the stage down as their compatibility shone despite them never even having practiced together before, and it only continued. They actually raised the bar higher with each of their performances, bringing to light the way they incomparably understood one another’s ambitions, insecurities, strengths, as well as weaknesses. That’s why their last-minute song change in the semi-finals worked, giving them a chance to be vulnerable during the finale, but alas, it wasn’t enough as 3Quency just passed all expectations.
Music Has Been the Saving Grace for Every Member of SZN4
Aaliyah was merely 8 years old when she developed a passion for music and began dreaming about being a professional singer when she grew older, so she has always solely focused on that. She has worked undeniably hard to hone her skills, performed small gigs at local bars as well as cafes, launched a YouTube channel in the hopes of getting the right exposure, and much more. That’s how she ended up on stage at the Stadium of Fire in front of 75,000 people in 2017 before going on to sing the National Anthem at the beginning of 3 NBA games in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. However, things changed when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, as she willingly decided to press pause on her ambitions to take care of her, only for it to rejuvenate her all over again once her mom went into remission.
Coming to Donzell, the Arkansas native did not have a comfortable or ordinary childhood at all since he grew up knowing his father was in prison, which almost led him down a dark path too. He actually believed he would end up there too as nothing but a “failure,” yet when someone suggested he start singing at church, it saved him to the very core, as it gave him another path to follow. In fact, he subsequently not only embraced himself as an artist but also started working with the troubled youth in his area to help guide them the way a well-wisher had selflessly done for him. This is why music means so much to him, driving him to release 2 EPs as well as several singles, with the most recent being Flames, before he even came on ‘Building the Band.’
As someone who has dealt with being misgendered his entire life owing to his voice and physique, Cameron knows what it feels like to be bullied for being the “odd” one out in every situation. Thankfully, though, he was able to find solace in his family and music quite early on, which gave him the freedom to be who he truly is and give off his “androgynous vibes” as much as he wanted. This resulted in him getting many opportunities over the years, including roles in regional theater productions, singing the national anthem before several NBA as well as NFL matches, catching the eye of Rihanna, releasing singles, and even auditioning for ‘American Idol.’ However, it wasn’t until he found himself in this production that he truly found his footing, thanks to his bandmates caring for, loving, and respecting him unconditionally, which has since also boosted his confidence to such an extent that he is finally sharing his real self with the world.
Last but not least, we have Katie, a plus-size woman who didn’t think her dreams of being a part of the entertainment industry would ever really pan out owing to her looks, but things have changed. She actually went viral on TikTok around the early 2020s, following which she landed several opportunities that she embraced with open arms, resulting in her becoming a fashion model. She took her moment and ran with it in the hopes of one day evolving to such a level that she could begin dabbling in her true passion for music, which she gradually did. It is this passion of hers that has helped her carry herself through all ups and downs of life, including her past struggles with confidence, mental health, as well as internet trolls. Nevertheless, she knows that although her look is unconventional, she is worthy of everything that has come her way, including her found family in SZN4, who have unequivocally embraced her.
SZN4 Could Possibly Be Releasing Original Music Soon
Although SZN4 did not win the aforementioned competition series, they knew their connection, their talent, and their skill, and were encouraged by the judges’ comments and criticisms to continue on. Therefore, from what we can tell, they remain a band to this day, and one that is determined to work together for the foreseeable future, possibly even the rest of their lives. That’s because, as Aaliyah hoped, they have indeed formed a familial connection, which has only grown stronger over time and as they have gotten to know one another outside of the competition. This much is evident from the way they interact with one another on social media too. Their core values, their vision, and what they hope to be as artists all seemingly align to a tee as well.
Thus, it appears as if SZN4 is gearing up to possibly release new, original music soon. They recently performed at the Netflix Summer Break Special and have been posting covers as well as videos of them simply hanging out on social media platforms. However, it is their individual time in the studio, their continued bond, and their secrecy regarding whether they are still based in their separate home states or together that makes us believe they are planning something big. Aaliyah actually hails from Utah, whereas Donzell is an Arkansas native, Cameron is from Illinois, and Karie is from Massachusetts. The fact that most of them are singer-songwriters only makes us even more optimistic because they have always maintained that they wish to be original, vulnerable, and authentic to themselves in everything they do, and this is the best way for them to do so. SZN4 has a fresh overall unique selling point that no one else currently has, so there is already a market present for them, and we can’t wait to see how they navigate it.
Read More: 3Quency: Where Are The Building the Band Winners Now?
