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Melanie Amaro is doing her thing. What started out as a dream landed her a $5 million dollar prize and a recording contract with Sony! Under the tutelage of Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid she is about to take the music world by storm. 

EXCLUSIVE: The Winner Of X-Factor Revealed!

We caught up with Melanie Amaro and got the scoop on her rise to fame. 

PHOTOS: Simone Battle Steals The Show On X-Factor

Check out our interview below!

How has that 5 million dollar check changed your life?

Mel: It changed my life because now I’m able to go into the store and go grocery shopping and just do what ever I want. And check out and I feel awesome putting everything into my car. I’m able to help my family now, I’m able to do things I wasn’t able to do before, do something better for my life and I’m very happy about that.

You seem like you have a very tight knit family. But with your whole journey to winning X-Factor, was it more rewarding being that you got sent home, came back and won?

It was because I think, in a way, I needed to be sent home to really get my mind set around (it) … You’re going into the music business and it’s not going to be easy. There are going to be times when your heart can be ripped out of your chest, thrown on the grown, stomped on, but then there’s going to be people who are going to come pick up, wash it off and put it back in your chest and say here, I’m giving you another chance. I really needed that to be the best I was on the show. It made me very much stronger.

When you first got onto the show you hid your accent. Why did you do that?

The reason I hid my accent was because I was always teased about it. It was so strong, it was so thick. It would be hard for people to understand it. And constantly people would react to me when I speak in my accent: ‘HUH what did you say? I can’t understand you. What?’ From there they started to make fun of me. And I started to catch on to them making fun of me. I would sit and repeat myself like 25 times. 

Are you still in the same house or did you move to a bigger house now?

I’m trying to work on a house right now for my mother. Moms, you know, they’re amazing. I love her and she right now is in this phase where, ‘No, I don’t need a big house’ and I’m like, Mom you work so hard throughout your life, I just want to able to give back to you and say thank you for all you did for me. 

Do you still talk to Rachel or any of the other contestants from X-Factor?

I keep in contact with almost everyone. I spoke with Rachel a few weeks ago. She’s amazing, the sweetest girl ever, like my little sister. Her and Drew are amazing. I love him and miss him so much I speak with all the groups. I speak with Josh, Chris, Marcus I speak with everyone. I get along well with everyone and I just think everyone is doing their thing right now and I miss everybody.

Was it difficult to record the song “Respect”? Was it a lot of pressure because that’s such an iconic song?

I was saying to myself, ‘Oh my god, this is Aretha Franklin.’ If I’m going to do this song, I really got to sing my butt off. To do that song, I felt honored. I was like, ‘Let me really give this my all.’

What’s the theme or tone for the album?

There are lots of different genres of music on my album. I want do something that makes you get up and dance, move around. I’m definitely going to work hard to bring something new to everyone and still be the same that everyone enjoyed. 

What does Melanie enjoy in her down time?

I like to just listen to music in my down time. Believe it or not. I like to swim.

I love to swim. I was always like a little fish in the Virgin Islands down by the beach. I just love being in the water, that’s just something that’s always been me. 

Now that you’re a super star do guys try to holla at you? Do guys approach you? What type of guys do you look for?

Right now I don’t have any guys! I can’t say I don’t have any guys. But they’re always around saying, ‘Oh my god I love you so much, you’re awesome.’ But I’m not looking for any one right now.

Season 2 auditions for THE X FACTOR are now open and all information can be found on www.thexfactorusa.com. You can audition online, in MyStudio booths across the country, or at the open calls starting March 14th in Kansas City.