For all the criticism leveled at the first season of The X Factor – which resulted in the dismissal of Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and Steve Jones last week – no one took issue with the show’s champion. Melanie Amaro can seriously sing. And Super Bowl viewers will find out for themselves on Sunday, as the 19-year old teams with Elton John for a 60-second Pepsi commercial. Said the latter: “Pepsi wanted to make me ‘King for a Day’ on Super Bowl Sunday. How could I possibly pass that up?” What, exactly, is he talking about? Watch the spot now and see for yourself: Pepsi Super Bowl Commercial (Ft. Melanie Amaro and Elton John)
The future starts now for Melanie Amaro. Fresh off an X Factor victory that netted her $5 million and a spot in a Pepsi commercial during next month’s Super Bowl, the talented artist has officially signed a deal with Epic Records. Melanie Amaro – Man in the Mirror “I joined The X Factor to be able to discover undeniable talent such as Melanie,” judge L.A. Reid said in a statement. “I am pleased that she is now signed to Epic Records because I believe we have only scratched the surface on uncovering her talent and her inevitable journey to super-stardom.” Elsewhere, all indications are that three of Melanie’s main competitors from season one – Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene and Astro – will also sign record deals in the near future. Best of luck to each one!
Melanie Amaro, the teen-age powerhouse cast off early in the debut season of the U.S. The X-Factor, tonight won the show’s grand prize, a $5 million recording contract and an appearance in a Pepsi ad that will during next year’s Super Bowl. The results, read on the air one night following Amaro’s the star-studded final … More » Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Idolator Discovery Date : 23/12/2011 04:20 Number of articles : 2
It all boiled down to talent (Melanie Amaro) versus heart (Josh Krajcik) versus energy (Chris Rene) on the first-ever American finale of The X Factor , with a major recording contract, $5 million and serious bragging rights at stake tonight. So, who took home the largest grand prize in reality show history? Following an electrifying set of performances by Justin Bieber, 50 Cent, Leona Lewis, Pitbull and Ne-Yo, host Steve Jones announced the winner as … … Melanie Amaro! Obviously stunned and emotionally overwhelmed just after Jones made the expected announcement, a choked up Amaro said only “GOD IS GOOD!!” And half a million thank yous. Simon Cowell said simply, “We came here to find a superstar, and we found a superstar … congratulations and thank you to all who supported this show.” Chris Rene got the chop first, leaving Melanie and Josh Krajcik in the final two. Before the results were unveiled, the two dueted on David Bowie’s “Heroes.” The first season finale then closed out with a performance by Melanie. She sang “Listen,” a perfect choice as it was arguably her strongest effort all season. What do you think? Did Melanie Amaro deserve to win?
19-year-old from Florida receives a $5 million recording contract and a spot in a Pepsi commercial that will air during the Super Bowl. By Adam Graham Melanie Amaro performs on “The X Factor” finale Photo: FOX From early reject to grand-prize winner, Melanie Amaro was crowned champion of Fox’s “The X Factor” on Thursday (December 22), winning a $5 million recording contract and a spot in a Pepsi commercial that will air during next year’s Super Bowl. Amaro, a 19-year-old from Sunrise, Florida, beat out 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio, contestant Josh Krajcik for the title of “X Factor” winner. Chris Rene, the 28-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, came in third place. When the results were read, an emotional Amaro exclaimed, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” She was swarmed by members of her family, and “X Factor” host Steve Jones struggled to get a word from her. After performing Beyoncé′;’s “Listen,” Amaro said, “God is good,” and thanked her fans. “Thank you so much, thank you. I’m just, I’m so happy and I don’t know what to say,” she said. “This is something I’ve wanted for all my life!” Amaro’s victory was espzaecially sweet considering she was technically eliminated from the competition after Simon Cowell sent her home following one of the early rounds. Deciding he had made a mistake, Cowell paid a personal visit to her home and invited her to rejoin the competition. In the end, Cowell was pleased with his decision, as well as America’s choice of Amaro as its first “X Factor” winner. “We came here to find a superstar, we found a superstar. Thank you to everyone who supported the show,” Cowell said. He called Krajcik “a worthy runner-up.” Krajcik, the husky, self-described burrito slinger, congratulated Amaro on her victory. “Melanie deserves it, she has a wonderful voice,” he said. “I’ve had such an incredible experience here. I got to be myself and sing what I wanted to sing. I couldn’t be happier.” Earlier in the show, third-place finisher Rene said he felt “amazing” for getting the chance to participate in the competition. “I got to touch a lot of people’s hearts out there, and I just gotta say thank you,” he said. Rene’s mentor in the competition, L.A. Reid, called Rene — a recovering substance abuser who celebrated his eighth month of sobriety earlier this week — a “gentleman” and a “talent.” “This is how it turned out, it doesn’t matter,” Reid said. “This is my man.” “The X Factor” was one of the year’s most anticipated shows. It debuted in September with lofty expectations, with Cowell — who abandoned his judging position at “American Idol” to bring “X Factor” to these shores — predicting the show would attract 20 million viewers per episode. Instead, it pulled about half that, averaging 11.1 viewers over the course of the season, and criticism from viewers who questioned the show’s over-the-top production and the awkwardness of host Steve Jones. Thursday’s results show followed Wednesday’s performance episode, when the three finalists performed duets with superstar acts: Amaro with R. Kelly, Krajcik with Alanis Morissette and Rene with Avril Lavigne. Following the show, Cowell heavily endorsed Amaro to be the winner. Thursday’s two-hour episode featured a host of musical acts. Justin Bieber performed on the show, dueting with surprise guest Stevie Wonder on “The Christmas Song” and later with “X Factor” finalist (and Biebs superfan) Drew Ryniewicz on “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” 50 Cent also appeared on the show, performing his new single “Wait Until Tonight,” as well as his 2003 smash “In da Club” alongside Tony Yayo, “X Factor” rapper Astro and several members of the Los Angeles Lakers. Pitbull, meanwhile, appeared and did a quickie version of his single “International Love” and was later joined by Ne-Yo and “X Factor” contestant Marcus Canty on “Give Me Everything.” A countdown of the show’s top five most shocking moments rightfully named Rachel Crow’s December 8th elimination as the season’s biggest shocker, and Crow herself was brought out and joked about stealing host Jones’ job. She introduced Leona Lewis, who covered Snow Patrol’s “Run” over a package of the season’s most memorable moments. The top 12 finalists opened the show with a group performance of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory.” The top three contestants also performed holiday songs, with Amaro doing “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Rene crooning “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Krajcik taking on the Eagles’ “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Prior to the reading of the results, Amaro and Krajcik shared the stage together and performed David Bowie’s “Heroes.” What did you think of the “X Factor” results? Let us know in the comments!
It’s never easy being the favorite. Just ask the Miami Heat or the Boston Red Sox. But Melanie Amaro has been considered The X Factor front-runner since her very first audition, never faltering under the pressure, giving stellar performance after stellar performance every week on Fox. That didn’t change last night. The talented crooner belted out two covers – one chosen by America, “Hero,” the other on her own, “Feeling Good” – and only cemented her status as the contestant to beat. “You’re the greatest female that ever graced this stage,” L.A. Reid told Melanie. “You are the truth.” Melanie Amaro – Hero Melanie Amaro – Feeling Good
Melanie Amaro also shines, while Marcus Canty’s take on George Michael is dubbed ‘grotesque’ by Simon Cowell. By Adam Graham Josh Krajcik on “X Factor” Photo: FOX With the images of a broken-down Rachel Crow still fresh on everyone’s minds, “The X Factor” continued Wednesday (December 14) with its final four contestants pushing toward next week’s finale. Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik came out looking the strongest, seemingly leaving L.A. Reid’s two remaining contestants — Chris Rene and perpetual bottom-dweller Marcus Canty — vying for the final spot in next week’s three-way finale. Each singer was given two songs apiece to strut their stuff for America. Beginning with a switched-up version of Mariah Carey’s “Hero,” Amaro was able to overcome her cheesy staging, which made her look like she was performing in a community theater’s version of heaven. The song was called “bloody fantastic” by Cowell, while her second song — a rendition of the classic “Feelin’ Good” — was dubbed by her mentor her best performance yet in the competition. Reid agreed, calling Amaro “the greatest female that’s ever graced this stage.” Burrito maker Josh Krajcik flexed a little of his Krajcik Magic, starting with the Beatles’ “Come Together” and closing the show with a piano-and-vocal take on the Leonard Cohen standard “Hallelujah.” “I think it would be a massive shame if you don’t make the final next week,” Cowell told the 30-year-old, while a nearly-in-tears Paula Abdul remarked, “If it were the finals, you’re the one to beat.” (Reid was not as sold, and told Krajcik his “Hallelujah” “lacked excitement.”) Chris Rene somehow took on both Mark McGrath and Alicia Keys on Wednesday, diving into Sugar Ray’s “Fly” and Keys’ “No One” in the span of the show. In both, his spirit was trumped over his abilities, and the judges said he made them feel good, calling that just as important as vocal prowess. “Stardom is not about singing,” Reid told him, “it’s about lovability, and you have lovability. Am I right?” Well, McGrath would certainly agree. That left Canty, who has landed in the bottom two each of the last three weeks, a fate Reid tried to spin by dubbing him “three-time Save Me Song champion Marcus Canty.” Canty’s first song was a routine spin through Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You,” while his final performance — a clubbed-to-death take on George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” — prompted Cowell’s most stinging evisceration of the entire season. Cowell called it “horrific” and “grotesque” and compared it to a Las Vegas show in 1983. “It’s not your fault, but this was a joke. An absolute joke, and you deserve better than that. That was as bad as I’ve ever seen.” Reid, on the other hand, praised his contestant, telling Canty that rather than an underdog, “Tonight, you look more like a champion.” But it’s not up to Reid or any of the other judges, for that matter; this week, voting is entirely in the hands of the viewers. One singer will get sent home during Thursday’s results show, which is set to feature performances by Florence and the Machine and “X Factor” judge Nicole Scherzinger. Who do you think is going through to next week’s final? Let us know in the comments!
You don’t often see an X Factor contestant compared to both chicken soup and the world’s most famous vampire. But those were both descriptions bestowed on Josh Krajcik last night, following a strong rendition of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” What engendered such responses, the former from Paula and the latter from Simon? Josh’s growls. His faces. His overall expressive demeanor. Does Krajcik remind you of Dracula, too? Check out his latest audition now: Josh Krajcik – With a Little Help From My Friends Among other impressive movie-themed covers last night: Rachel Crow on ” I’d Rather Go Blind ” and Drew Ryniewicz on ” Fix You .”
Give Melanie Amaro credit: The X Factor front-runner is unafraid to tackle history’s most iconic artist. For the second time this season, the aspiring singer belted out a Michael Jackson cover, following last month’s ” Will You Be There? ” with last night’s “Man in the Mirror.” How did she fare? Simon Cowell found his protege to be “bloody fantastic,” though L.A. Reid was a bit more pointed in his critique. He praised Melanie’s voice, but referred to the song itself as not “that inventive.” Watch the rendition now and then sound off: is Amaro still the favorite? Or is Rachel Crow making major progress? Melanie Amaro – Man in the Mirror
Wait, Mariah Yeater: who’s the daddy?!? This 20-year old has been in the news all week because she’s filed a paternity lawsuit against Justin Bieber, alleging he knocked her up after a concert in late 2010 ( which he has denied ). But a woman named Frances Lippe has now come forward with major scoop related to this claim. Lippe tells TMZ that Yeater once dated her grandson, John Terranova. In December, about one month after she says Bieber got her pregnant, Yeater reportedly showed up at Lippe’s house and got into a major altercation with Terranova, stemming for her assertion that HE was the father of her child. Lippe says Yeater broke a window in the home and slapped her grandson three times in the face. Police were called to the scene and Yeater was booked on charges of battery. The family never heard from Mariah again. On July 6, she gave birth to a boy – and did NOT list anyone as the father.
