The British-Irish boy band and the Latin American rapper headline the star-studded finale of the popular TV reality competition.
- Dec 21, 2012
AceShowbiz - The "The X-Factor (US)" grand season finale Thursday on CBS Television City in Los Angeles was filled with Christmas numbers and finalist retrospectives. It went on for an hour or so before bringing out the first of its special guest performers. Rapper Pitbull livened up the show with his energetic performance of his new track "Don't Stop the Party". He also went on the show to promote his latest album, "Global Warming".
The other of the show's highlights came from British-Irish boy band One Direction. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne performed their new song "Kiss You" to the delight of the audience. One Direction rose to international stardom after placing third on the UK counterpart of "The X-Factor" in 2010.
The two-hour special ends the show's second season, with 37-year-old country music man from Missouri Tate Stevens winning over the other finalists with his consistent performances of country songs. "You know what? Congrats to you," mentor L.A. Reid told Tate. Reid spoke about Tate, "This was a well-deserved win. I still don't find Tate that spectacular, but let's be honest -- it's hard to seem glamorous when you're sharing the stage with break-dancing toy soldiers and big-ass sculptures of reindeer."
Tate beat fellow finalists, Fifth Harmony and Carly Rose Sonenclar. He won a $5million recording contract as his prize for winning the popular TV competition.
One Direction perform "Kiss You" :
Pitbull performs "Don't Stop the Party" :
