‘The X Factor’ Winner Melanie Amaro (Finally) Releases Debut Single “Don’t Fail Me Now”

Becky Bain | August 1, 2012 4:28 pm

The X Factor‘s inaugural US winner, Melanie Amaro, has been relatively quiet since her December 2011 win — save for a pretty high profile Super Bowl commercial with Sir Elton John. The 20-year-old singer has finally gotten around to releasing her debut single, “Don’t Fail Me Now”, which we guess means her dancey-yet-lacking cover of Aretha Franklin‘s “Respect”, heard in her Super Bowl Ad, was just to build buzz. (Yeah, that didn’t really work out.) So, was it worth the 9 month wait? Listen to Melanie’s brand new tune below and see for yourself.

“I’ve walked the longest road, so don’t fail me now, feet don’t fail me now,” Melanie sings on the tune, written by Livvi Franc (who has penned tunes for Kelly Clarkson and new X Factor judge Britney Spears) and produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.

The song isn’t terrible, which is the highest compliment we can pay it. It just lacks any sort of distinct personality, a techno breakdown thrown in for absolutely no reason other than to poorly follow the current trend. It also doesn’t seem to know whether it’s a love song or a self-empowerment anthem. Is Melanie singing about a lover, or herself? The message is muddled.

Amaro really can belt it out, so we’re disappointed seeing all her talent buried in an overproduced, generic club banger. She gets a few moments for her powerful voice to shine, but not nearly enough.

What do you think of Melanie’s single? Throw your thoughts in the comments.