Mason senior Brandon Showell and his group '4Shore' creating buzz on FOX's 'The X Factor'

Mason student Brandon Showell and his goup 4Shore are competing on FOX's primetime TV show "The X Factor" hoping to land a $5 million recording contract. L-R: Daijreous Poole, Allynn Walker-Bey, Brandon Showell and Jessie Munn. (Photo used with permission from 4Shore)

Mason senior Brandon Showell arrived on campus a few weeks late this semester to assume his position as a Resident Advisor in Commonwealth. That’s because Brandon was finishing auditions for FOX’s performance competition “The X Factor” with his group, 4Shore.

4Shore has since passed the audition stage and advanced in the contest hoping to become winners of the TV show competition and grand prize—a $5 million recording contract.

Debuting this year in the US, “The X Factor” has been the #1 program in the U.K. since it began in 2004. The show has been adapted in over 30 countries around the world.

4Shore formed in Virginia Beach in 2008 when high school friends Brandon Showell, Jessie Munn, Allynn Walker-Bey, and Daijreous Poole decided to put together a local entertainment act to make money over the summer.

After attracting attention from tourists on the boardwalk and a growing YouTube following, the band decided to take their act more seriously, culminating in the decision to audition for “The X Factor” in July.

The band flew to Seattle to make the final audition for the show, performing Katy Perry’s single “Firework” and Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.”

The performance was judged by a four-person panel comprised of former “American Idol” judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, music producer L.A. Reid, and pop-artist Nicole Scherzinger.

4Shore’s selection of the Boyz II Men ballad was a risk since L.A. Reid wrote the song. It paid off, however, since the band received a chorus of approval from the judging panel.

Even Simon Cowell, a famously harsh vocal critic, said the band was just what he had been looking for.

“I always wanted to find an artist who would be a success all over the world, for Americans to be proud of,” Cowell said. “I think America would be proud of you.”

Asked what it meant to receive such high praise from Simon Cowell, Showell said “It meant a lot to hear from Simon and L.A. [Reid].”

“Even after we received the three ‘Yes’s’ from the other judges, we wanted to hear from Simon,” Showell said. “That was a huge confidence booster.”

While the band has been waiting for the show to air for months, Showell’s residents didn’t hear about their Resident Advisor’s stardom until a “floor meeting” a couple weeks into the semester.

“I had no idea” said Sophomore Joey McDermott, one of Showell’s residents.

“After our floor meeting, he [Showell] asked if we could hang around because he was on the next show,” said McDermott.

McDermott said he didn’t know what that show was until it came on.

“I think they were excited,” said Showell.

4Shore actually didn’t appear on the show until the following week when their audition aired this past Wednesday.

With the show just beginning to air, Showell has to remain tight-lipped on 4Shore’s progress in the competition.

Showell did make sure to inform his residents he might have to leave campus for a weekend depending on how the competition progresses.

In his fourth year at Mason, Showell is pursuing a double-major in Music and English. He is also a Resident Advisor for the Commonwealth residence hall, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and Co-Director of the Mason Gospel Choir.

Showell and 4Shore will now compete in second stage of the show, set to air beginning Wednesday at 8 p.m. on FOX.