And the ‘X-Factor’ winner is…. Melanie Amaro! Yes, you’ve heard me! Among from the 12 finalists, the teenage diva that was from Sunshine, Florida brought home the $5 million recording contract and a spot in a Pepsi commercial that will air during next year’s Super Bowl, among her rivals Josh Krajcik, who came in second place, and Chris Rene in respectable third place.
Early in the show, after Amaro had slain it with “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and Rene stepped out and stumbled through “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” I was a little worried about the possibility that Rene might win. My fears only escalated after Krajcik turned in a terrific “Please Come Home for Christmas.”
Right then, the three made their one-of-lifetime song and Melanie performed Beyonce’s ‘Listen,’ a song that was perfectly suited to her gigantic, pitch-perfect, incredibly supple voice, and thanked her fans saying “God is good,” while Krajcik performed Etta James’ ‘At Last’ and Rene made his mark with his original song ‘Young Homie.’
Melanie’s victory was especially sweet considering that 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.”
The 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.
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. When Amaro won, though, well, her relief, joy and surprise were unmistakable. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t sing. She couldn’t even think. (We know because we saw her mouth the phrase “I can’t even think.”)
In the last few seconds of the finale, after the hugs from the contestants she beat for the crown subsided and Jones doggedly thrust his microphone into her face, begging for a word from her, Amaro managed to say:
“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!”
Congratulations Melanie! You did a great job in achieving your dreams!
‘X Factor’ Melanie Amaro Sings Beyonce’s Listen
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB1AkrF2B3E[/youtube]
ew…! she doesn’t deserve the prize! just because she sang beyonce’s listen, then she reigned as the winner! chris rene must have the $5 million knowing that he originally wrote the song he performed… melanie is nothing but ugly!