| Emblem 3 | |
| |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Names | Drew Chadwick Keaton Stromberg Wesley Stromberg |
| Age(s) | 17-21 |
| Hometown | Washington |
| Category | Groups |
| Mentor | Simon Cowell |
| Elimination Information | |
| Place | 4th Place |
Emblem 3 are an American hip-hop/alternative rock/reggae group from Huntington Beach, California who finished in 4th place on season 2 of The X Factor USA. Their mentor was Simon Cowell.
Members
Current members:
- Wesley Stromberg (born December 6, 1993; age 22)
- Keaton Stromberg (born July 16, 1996; age 20)
- Drew Chadwick (born October 1, 1992; age 23) (2012-2014; 2015-present)
Background
Emblem3 are originally from Washington, but moved to Huntington Beach, California. They consisted of brothers Wesley and Keaton Stromberg and their friend Drew Chadwick. Unlike what people may think, they are not and don´t want to be considered a boyband. Their musical style is unique-- a mix of hip-hop, alternative rock and reggae, and they are also known for writing, arranging, composing and singing their own songs. Wesley, Keaton, and Drew also play their own instruments in addition to bringing their music to their fans, who clearly love them.
X Factor History
Emblem 3 originally auditioned in San Francisco, California, with an original song Drew wrote called "Sunset Blvd.". They immediately impressed the judges, receiving a yes from the four of them.
They passed task 1 of bootcamp, and were called back to Judges' Homes in the Groups category after task 2.
At Judges' Homes, the guys met their mentor, Simon Cowell. They performed for him and his guest advisor, Latin music superstar Marc Anthony, and managed to pass to live shows where they wowed the public with their strong performances, earning them a strong fanbase especially with the ladies. However, critics accused the guys of coming across as jerks despite their laid-back personalities. The guys were also frequently accused by Demi Lovato as coming across as "manufactured" mostly due to them having Simon Cowell as a mentor. Many of the group's fans wound up accusing Lovato of being rude and unfair, and many even went so far as to accuse her of personally hating the guys.
Emblem 3 were eliminated on December 13, 2012, finishing in 4th place.
Post X Factor
After their elimination from X-Factor, Wes Stromberg said that they were looking forward to going back home and "making some badass music"! Here's hoping that they have the most amazing careers!
Simon Cowell has also admitted in multiple interviews that he intends to sign Emblem 3, which should make their fans very, very happy. Drew Chadwick later confirmed in an interview that the group has been signed to Columbia Records.
The guys announced on a Ustream chat on February 4, 2013 that they will be playing three shows: February 3 at The Roxy in Los Angeles, March 2 at The Glass House in Ponoma, and March 3 at the House of Blues in San Diego.
They now have a site where you can see what's happening with them and buy merchandise. The site is called emblem3.com.
Post-X Factor single and album
Emblem3 - Chloe (You're the One I Want)-0
The guys released their first post-X Factor single, "Chloe (You're The One I Want)", on April 16, 2013. Their post-X Factor album Nothing to Lose was released on July 26, 2013. They opened for pop star Selena Gomez on her Stars Dance Tour, which kicked off on August 14, 2013 in Vancouver, Canada. Their first national headlining tour, "Bandlife", kicked off in 2014. In the meantime, the guys kept busy with other stuff including touring. Drew Chadwick even mentioned in an interview that he had even wrote a song that he intended to give to season 3 X-Factor winners Alex & Sierra to record for their debut album. The guys also released an EP, Songs from The Couch Vol. 1, on June 2, 2014. The EP, released independently, debuted at number 53 on the Billboard 200.
Departure of Drew Chadwick
On June 20, 2014, Wesley and Keaton Stromberg announced that Drew Chadwick had left the group in order to pursue a solo career, an announcement that greatly upset their fans. They also announced that they were no longer signed to Columbia Records and Syco Music. Wesley and Keaton, however, did let fans know that they plan to continue on as Emblem 3 and even posted a new song called "Love WIll Be There" on SoundCloud.
New EP
While they were touring, Wesley and Keaton made time to record their second EP, Forever Together, which is their first without Drew Chadwick. The EP was released independently on October 26, 2014.
Hiatus
In July 2015, Wesley and Keaton Stromberg announced they were going to be doing separate musical projects, leaving the future of Emblem 3 in doubt.
Return of Drew Chadwick and new album
On November 3, 2015, Wesley Stromberg announced via Twitter that Drew Chadwick had rejoined Emblem 3. The reunited trio released their cover of the Adele hit "Hello" on their YouTube channel. The guys are also working on a new album, which they hope to release sometime in 2016.
Discography
Albums:
- Nothing to Lose (2013)
- TBA (2016)
EPs:
- Songs from The Couch Vol. 1 (2014)
- Forever Together (2014)
