Melanie Amaro: 'X Factor' Winner Shares Stories of Strength and Survival During In House Chat (PHOTOS)

'The X Factor' winner Melanie Amaro is our latest In House guest. After inking a $5 million record deal with L.A. Reid's Epic Records, the 19-year-old singing sensation stopped by AOL Music's New York office for an exclusive interview and photo shoot as she begins her journey from reality TV star to chart-topping artist.

During our conversation, Melanie admitted that she'd considered trying out for reality competitions like, 'American Idol' and 'The Voice' -- but they did really seem like a good fit. However, when she heard about 'The X Factor,' "I thought 'Oooh, I have 'the X Factor,' I can do this!'" the teen shared.

Since breaking out on the show, Melanie has been compared to iconic divas like Mariah Carey and Beyonce, but the rising star wasn't always so self-assured. She felt abandoned when her family's financial struggles forced her to move away from her native Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to be raised by her grandmother in the British Virgin Islands at age 3. And again, when she moved back to the states as a teen and was treated like an outsider by her peers.

Check out Melanie's thoughts on overcoming these obstacles, not always seeing eye-to-eye with mentor Simon Cowell, geeking out in front of 50 Cent and more in our Q&A below!

How did you celebrate when you found out that you won 'The X Factor'?

I went home and got the rest that I needed! I got some sleep, but I also celebrated with family. I went back home and they had this entire thing when I arrived at the airport with posters there and lots of people were there and they took pictures and were like, "We love you!"

And on the flip side, you mentioned during the show that all this love and support wasn't really there when you first moved from the Virgin Islands to the U.S. and you were picked on for your accent. Are there any people who once made your life hard who are trying to get in contact with you now that you're famous?

There are a few! I just kill them with kindness. I say, "Thanks for supporting," and treat them like a fan. You can't try and push your way into my future now, if you haven't been there for me in the past. I don't think that's right.

Besides trying to hide your accent, what other hard adjustments were you forced to make when you first immigrated here?

I'd say the food -- I gained like 15 pounds. I discovered McDonald's and the rest is history! The school system, too. I didn't know what the heck a cafeteria was. I got in line and saw people picking up food and walking out with their trays, so I did the same and the lady was like, "Hey! You have to pay for that!" Having different periods and different classrooms and teachers for each subject, that was weird. It used to be one teacher and she teaches you everything in one classroom, so I had to adjust to that.

Which contestants on the show did you become closest friends with?

Before she got eliminated, I was close with Jazzlyn Little. I was also close with Rachel [Crow] and Drew [Ryniewicz]. Shockingly, I kind of got close to Josh [Krajcik]. He was really nice. He's an "over" [a member of the "Over 30" category on the show], but he was really cool, really down to earth. A lot of the time me, him and his girlfriend would go out to dinner and we're all just laughing and joking around and having fun.

Who did you think was your biggest competition?

Everybody was my competition. Everybody had something over me -- they all had a certain something that gave them that "X Factor" in the competition. You'd see someone do something one week that made you say, "I didn't know they could do that ..."

Which celebrity guest were you most excited to meet and watch perform on the show?

I think Jessie J was really good. I enjoyed Justin Bieber. Kelly Clarkson was good, but I was the most excited for Ne-Yo and 50 Cent.

Did they give you any good music industry veteran advice?

Ne-Yo told me to continue doing my thing, so I'm going to continue to do my thing. 50 Cent told me he was a big fan, which kind of shocked me, because I was about to go up to him and say "I'm such a big fan!" And before I could, he said, "Oh my god, I'm such a big fan!" That's a dream come true for me.



What did you learn about Simon on a personal level after spending so much time together?

Simon drinks a lot of ginger tea! And he tried to get me to taste it and it tasted like hot wings juice! He loves rock 'n' roll and he likes to sit in his home theater and watch things on his big screen for hours and hours. These are the kinds of things we got to know about Simon from spending time with him, the girls.

How did you resolve your creative differences with Simon while working with him on your performances every week?

To be honest, if I truly didn't feel good about something I would just flat out say, "No, I'm not doing that." I trusted my gut and said no when it didn't feel right, and I stayed around each week. And Simon was very good, saying, "Whatever will make you comfortable on stage and when you sing, go right ahead." He listened to what I had to say and I appreciate him for that. At times it wasn't a quick yes or no. He would say, "Let me sleep on it." It was team effort.

Where do you think you would be now if Simon hadn't brought you back into the competition?

Sitting behind a desk on a computer and answering a phone saying, "Hello, this is The Music Center. How can I help you?" Still be doing that, still going to school and still doing my other job, which is taking care of my little sister.

How do you think your relationship with your sister and the rest of your family will change now that your life is about to change so drastically and get so busy?

Now my sister is doing just fine. She's making friends all over the place now, like "I'm Melanie Amaro's sister!" But my family is adjusting. I think it's weird for my mom when she walks out to the car and everyone's like, "Ms. Amaro, Ms. Amaro, Ms. Amaro!" So, they're adjusting, but I think now they'll be in a better financial position.

Speaking of your new financial position, now that you've got a $5 million recording contract under your belt, what will your first big splurge be?

I'm going to definitely buy a foot massager. Seriously, my feet are killing me -- they're working! And then right after I buy my foot massager, then I'll buy my mom her house.

Did you have a say in what record label you were going to sign with, or was it pre-determined that it would be Epic because of L.A. Reid's relationship to the show?

I don't think it was, because of L.A. I knew that I would fit right in at Epic and that it's a good label for me. I'm happy that's the label that I'm going to be with, and I know that I will progress and go far with them.

Your signature on the show was the R&B and pop power ballads. What will your debut album sound like?

I'll definitely have that same sound, but I'm going to surprise people with what's on the album and who is on the album. You've got to stick around and wait, I'm not going to give anything away! I would like to work with Mariah Carey, and you know, whatever artists who wants to do a song with me and thinks they can stand up to my voice!

What advice would you give to future 'X Factor' hopefuls?

If you're going to come, come strong and believe in your gift. If this is something that you really want, you've got to fight for it. It's not going to just come and fall on your lap. I think I proved that if you put your mind to something, you can do it. I want to inspire people. If I can do it, coming from where I'm coming from with my past, anyone can do it.

For more on Melanie Amaro, watch her interview with Entertainment Tonight.