Third-place ‘Factor’ finisher will be working with L.A. Reid again. By Gil Kaufman Chris Rene Photo: Mark Davis/ Getty Images You might be hearing “Young Homie” on the radio soon. Santa Cruz garbage man turned “X Factor” third-place finisher Chris Rene has signed a deal with Epic Records, where he will be reunited with his “Factor” mentor, Epic boss L.A. Reid. “I’ve dreamt about this moment my whole life,” Rene told Entertainment Weekly . “And now its here. Working with L.A. Reid — ‘Big Homie’ — is a dream come true; he’s a great man.” Rene will be label mates with another “Factor” finalist, fourth-placer Astro, the teenage rapper who revealed to MTV News on Tuesday that he would also be teaming with Reid at Epic. Rene was one of the breakout stars in the first season of “Factor,” winning both hearts and minds with his falsetto singing/laconic rapping and a compelling backstory that followed his rise from crippling drug addiction to a near-win on the Simon Cowell-created show. The singer carved a new path in the suddenly crowded reality singing competition world by honestly detailing his drug struggles and performing two original songs during the show’s run. Just 70 days sober when he came in for his first audition, Rene charmed the judges, who agreed to let him continue in the competition as long as he promised to keep on the straight and narrow. As the season unfolded, viewers learned that his sister Gina — who also tried out for the show — was also a musician who had landed songs on the a number of soundtracks, including 2004’s “Mean Girls.” One of the high points of Rene’s run on the show was during Michael Jackson week, when he shared the story of how his grandfather, Leon Rene, wrote the Jackson 5 hit “Rockin’ Robin” and stared the first black-owned R&B label on the West Coast.
Selena Gomez has received numerous death threats from misguided Justin Bieber fans who apparently don’t want their favorite singer to be happy. Is the artist scared in the moment sometimes, when such nasty messages are sent her way? We’d have to believe so. But asked about her boyfriend’s enthusiastic supporters during an interview with Baltimore radio station Z104.3 this week, the 19-year-old came across quite mature and understanding. Selena Gomez Speaks on Beliebers “It’s a little odd, but I understand it completely,” Selena said. “It’s amazing to me to see how many passionate fans there are. So obviously, you’ve just got to think of the fans first, and that’s okay.” Gomez and Bieber both rang in 2012 from Times Square, with the former belting out a performance as soon as the clock struck midnight. Selena admits it’s “kind of” annoying that she and her young man can’t share the same fans, but added it’s “kind of cool we have our own individual [fans].”
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!
Welcome to the Tournament of THG, where fans vote on the most popular star of 2011! The concept is simple: Pick your favorite of the two stars in each poll. Done. The final round begins right here, right now, with two young stars having emerged from a field of 16 to be the last women standing: Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato! Miles beat Robert Pattinson fairly handily in the semifinals, while Demi dusted Katy Party . Now they meet each other. Who will be THG’s top star, Miley or Demi? You tell us. The winner will be revealed January 1. VOTE below!
The X Factor may have crowned Melanie Amaro as its first champion, but that talented singer isn’t the only contestant to benefit from her time on the show. Sources confirm that Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene and Astro will all sign recording contracts with Sony Music, encouraging news for the second, third and seventh place finishers, respectively. Astro – Show Me What You Got Krajcik, of course, quickly became a fan favorite after viewers both heard his soulful voice and learned he had been working at a fast food Mexican restaurant. Rene, meanwhile, earned a large fan base due to his dancing and energy on stage, while Astro – real name: Brian Bradley – was the most controversial crooner on the show, a rapping savant with a cocky attitude that turned off many viewers. We wish all the very best of luck!
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?
Top three contestants Chris Rene, Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik rehearse duets, holiday tunes and final performances. By Jim Cantiello Chris Rene, Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik Photo: Ray Mickshaw / FOX It’s finale week at “The X Factor,” and for the first time all season, rehearsals went late. Like, really late. Like, “I guess I’m not watching ‘Conan’ tonight” late. But nobody’s complaining. Each contestant is performing three songs Wednesday night (December 21), and the final three singers are eager to get as much practice as possible. Between the competition and the massive surprise-filled two-night finale, you will not find Chris Rene, Melanie Amaro or Josh Krajcik without headphones on, lyric sheets out, stress lines on their foreheads. Part of the added pressure is that the producers are making the top three prep a “top two” duet. But because the results are unknown, every potential top-two configuration is being rehearsed. By the end of Monday’s epic rehearsals, everyone was sick of the duet song. Despite the high stakes, a moment of levity will enter Stage 36 every now and then. On Tuesday, the background singers presented Chris Rene with a holiday-themed rewrite of his original “Young Homie.” (Think “Young homie, what you eatin’ on?” and swap out lyrics about sobriety with verses about greens and cornbread.) Speaking of the holidays, the top three will be getting viewers in the mood to celebrate with some familiar tunes, although one contestant who shall remain nameless couldn’t quite grasp the lyrics or the melody of a song everyone knows, which drove their mentor to bark, “That’s not a $5 million rehearsal.” Bah humbug! Judge Simon Cowell told the press Monday that he switched one of Amaro’s songs because it was “too British.” I can’t reveal what the song was, but I can say it would have been a very unexpected choice for the resident diva. (On the original recording, there’s an extended flute solo. There, I’ve said too much.) Cowell ultimately decided it was too risky. Will his picks get criticized for being “too safe”? Spotted: Krajcik in a crew headset carrying equipment backstage. What a hands-on dude! (Turns out, he was just shooting a silly video for the wrap party.) Behind the scenes, the crew is buzzing about how unpredictable Thursday night’s results will be. From the stage hands to the talent handlers, everyone shrugs when asked, “Who do you think will win?” Unlike other talent shows they’ve worked on, everyone agrees this might be the first finale in a long while where the winner is not clearly telegraphed. One thing is official: The top three are being treated like celebrities. How do I know? They finally have their own stand-ins for results rehearsals! All season long, only the judges have had stand-ins, but this week, the crew also worked with faux-Melanie, faux-Josh and faux-Chris. Personally, I wish the stand-ins resembled the contestants more, but I suppose it’s also fun to imagine Krajcik as a 6’4″ dude with a buzzed head. And now, I’ll end my final backstage report with a tidbit from the files of my favorite: craft service! As a thank you to the crew, “The X Factor” producers treated the staff to a massive steak lunch, big enough for a Flintstones family reunion. It gave the final week in “X”-land a very “end of summer camp” vibe. Lots of hugs, lots of email addresses being exchanged, and then there was Cowell himself, who told me off-camera that this is the first series he’s worked on in a while where he hasn’t burned out by the finale. “I’m a little sad the season is ending,” he said. You and me both, Simon. Off you go, “The X Factor.” Until next fall … Who should win “X Factor”? Sound off below!
Josh Krajcik, Melanie Amaro and Chris Rene will face off in next week’s two-part finale. By Adam Graham Marcus Canty on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Marcus Canty’s luck finally ran out on Thursday’s (December 15) “The X Factor,” as the 20-year-old from Bowie, Maryland, was voted off the show one week away from the finale. That leaves Josh Krajcik , Chris Rene and Melanie Amaro to battle it out for the $5 million recording contract in next week’s finals. Canty found himself in a familiar position on Thursday’s results show when he was among the last two to have his fate read by host Steve Jones. Canty had landed in the bottom two each of the last three weeks but had pulled through each time, including last week’s dramatic finish when he triumphed over cutie-pie contestant Rachel Crow after a controversial decision by Nicole Scherzinger to put the final results in the hands of America’s votes. Canty didn’t have a chance to sing for his life to the judges this week, as votes were decided by America and America only. Krajcik and Canty were the last two standing on the stage, and Krajcik was put through, sending Canty home. The singer, who was compared early on to Bobby Brown, took the news in stride. He was at a disadvantage coming off Wednesday’s episode, after Simon Cowell called his performance of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” “grotesque” and “an absolute joke.” His version of Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” didn’t fare much better. “It’s not over, just trust me. This is not the last time you will see Marcus Canty,” Canty said after the vote was read. “I gave it my all, and that’s really, at the end of the day, that’s all you can do.” L.A. Reid, who mentored Canty in the competition, expressed sadness at his contestant’s elimination and told Canty he has his support going forward. Some 30 million votes were cast by viewers this week, according to host Jones. Earlier in the episode, Chris Rene was the first act put through to the finals, and Melanie Amaro followed. Jones stressed the results were read in no particular order. The show also saw Florence and the Machine performing “Spectrum” and Nicole Scherzinger debuting her latest single, “Pretty.” Afterward, Cowell weighed in on the performance and mocked Scherzinger’s cosmic judging style by telling her, “I believe in you, you believe in me, you transcend the universe, God is smiling on you, life is a waterfall, and you are the ultimate rainbow.” Krajcik, Rene and Amaro will face off on Wednesday’s 90-minute performance episode, and a winner will be crowned at the conclusion of next Thursday’s two-hour finale. What did you think of the results? Let us know in the comments!
Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to end their ongoing feud with Jersey Shore star The Situation, asking a judge to dismiss his lawsuit against the clothing retailer. If you recall, the ongoing war between Sitch and A&F began back in August when A&F publicly offered to pay The Situation NOT to wear its overpriced duds. A month later, Sitch (real name Mike Sorrentino) sued them, claiming it ripped off his “GTL” and “Situation” trademarks on a line of guido-mocking t-shirts. Now, A&F is trying to put an end to the back-and-forth, claiming he had no right to sue them in the first place because he doesn’t own those very trademarks. He has applied for them, but doesn’t own them. Big, legal difference there. Moreover, A&F claims The Situation’s application for “Gym Tan Laundry” has actually been suspended, because MTV already owns “Gym Tanning Laundry.” The US Patent & Trademark Office thinks they’re too similar. Makes sense. Trademarks aside, A&F insists its shirts are still protected under a law that allows parody as free speech … in other words, the shirts are a harmless joke. Their legal argument is basically that Sitch is full of crap and can’t take a joke. The Jersey Shore star has yet to respond … but watch the Season 5 trailer : Jersey Shore Season 5 Trailer
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
