Fans Are Torn About SZN4’s Fate On Building The Band

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The first season of Netflix’s innovative music competition series, Building The Band, has finally come to an end. The ten-episode season showed six bands competing against one another to be crowned the victor of the reality TV show—and the winners of a $500k prize pot.

In the end, the last-standing girl group, 3QUENCY, was the band who was officially decided as the winner, edging out rival group SZN4 by just a hair. Since SZN4’s elimination, fans have been split about whether it was right for them to come in second place.

Fans Were Split About SZN4 Being Voted Off

Many viewers of the show thought that, right from the start, self-made band SZN4 was the one to beat. The group consists of two men and two women, making them the only mixed-gender group to make it that far in the competition. Their vocal talent was undisputed, and many of the other cast members, by their own admission, thought that SZN4 would be the band to win.

That’s why, when SZN4 was eliminated in the finals, it came as a shock to many. In a Reddit thread discussing the last episode, fans debated whether it was right for them to be the runner-up. Some viewers pointed out the judges’ comment, which was that 3QUENCY progressed more throughout the short span of the competition than any other group.

Image via Netflix

One user cited how, while talented, SZN4 wasn’t able to pinpoint their specific genre, which may have resulted in their elimination:

It felt like SZN4 could never really figure out their “genre” or what they should be singing towards the end, especially the last episode. They even changed songs last minute at one point, and it just shows they were unsure. It feels like if they could have actually figured it out, they would have won. But no qualms with 3Quency winning, they seemed to have had an upward trajectory the whole time and their style and look was on point. For a finale, they just seemed to be the more finished, more deserving winner at that point.

Liam Payne, Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger smiling — Via: Isntagram/@nicolescherzinger

“I agree SZN4 could not figure out their sound,” wrote another person in the thread. “They covered so many styles! 3frequency stayed in their lane and showed excellent choreography and showmanship–well deserved,” they added.

Others Remain Adamant That SZN4 Was Robbed

On the other hand, there remains a cluster of fans who remain adamant that 3QUENCY should’ve taken second place. Another post within the aforementioned thread posed an entirely different theory about the result—that the judges, two of whom were in all-girl groups themselves, favored the all-girl band over SZN4:

Still think SZN4 should’ve won. They had consistently great performances from the start. Wondering if they’d left it to audience if they would’ve won. I think the judges have their own biases—girl bands (2 judges), boy band (Liam) and they don’t know what to do with a mixed band. They spent all their time telling members to “connect with the audience and feel the music”. SZN4 made them cry for goodness sake and then they handed it to 3Quency. Short memories. If SZN4 had gone second they would’ve won.

Indeed, judge Kelly Rowland noted more than once throughout the season that the three women in 3QUENCY reminded her of her own musical group, Destiny’s Child. That said, judge Liam Rowland did comfort the runner-ups that his own group, One Direction, came in third place on The X Factor, then went on to find massive success outside the show.

Network: Netflix
Cast: Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Rowland, Liam Payne, AJ McLean
Genre: Reality TV
Premiere Date: July 9, 2025

Building The Band is a music competition reality series that takes a unique approach to forming the next big pop group. Premiering July 9, 2025, on Netflix, the show begins with 50 solo singers auditioning in blind, isolated pods, where they can only hear each other’s voices. Contestants swipe “like” or “pass” as they listen, focusing purely on vocal chemistry rather than looks or personality. From there, selected musicians join forces to form six separate bands, moving through a series of challenges including live performances, songwriting workshops, and branding exercises. The show emphasizes not just vocal talent but also teamwork, versatility, and group cohesion, with the goal of launching a real, fully developed music act by the end of the season.

Guiding the competition is a high-profile judging panel made up of music industry veterans: Nicole Scherzinger, Kelly Rowland, and the late Liam Payne, with hosting duties handled by AJ McLean. Each judge brings personal experience from global groups—Scherzinger from The Pussycat Dolls, Rowland from Destiny’s Child, and Payne from One Direction—offering both critique and hands-on mentorship to the contestants. Their feedback isn’t limited to vocal performance; they also focus on interpersonal dynamics, branding, and long-term career viability. Liam Payne’s participation adds an emotional layer to the series, as Building The Band marks his final project before his passing in 2024. Throughout the show, viewers witness not just the formation of new bands but also honest, often vulnerable conversations about fame, pressure, and what it takes to truly succeed as a collective rather than as a solo act.