'She would give me that pop I need,' last season's fourth-place finisher tells MTV News of rumored addition to judges' table.
By Christina Garibaldi
<P>During his final appearance on <a href="/news/articles/1676110/x-factor-marcus-canty.jhtml">"The X Factor," Marcus Canty</a> promised his fans it was "not over" for him yet, and he was right. The fourth-place finisher, who wowed viewers with his energetic stage presence and smooth R&B style, recently signed to Epic Records and has released his debut single, "Won't Make a Fool Out of You." </P><P> </P><P>Yet at one time it seemed like we might never have heard his music at all. Before "X Factor" Canty tried but failed to get through the audition rounds for <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/topic/american_idol/">"American Idol."</a> </P><P> </P><P>"I tried 'American Idol.' I got in front of the judges, I sang my little heart out, but I guess I didn't make it," Canty revealed to MTV News. "I guess they didn't want me." </P><P> </P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:754173/cp~vid%3D754173%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A754173" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed> </P><P> </P><P>"Idol" may not have wanted Canty, but "The X Factor" did. With help from his mother, Canty reluctantly decided to step in front of the judges, hoping to get his chance to go to Hollywood. </P><P> </P><P>"The funny thing is that I didn't want to do 'X Factor' at first. I was just like, 'Man, I'm gonna do it myself,' then I look on the bill and I see L.A. Reid, and I'm like, 'Wait a minute, that's L.A. Reid!' " Canty said. "For so long I've been trying to get music to him. When it came that time, my mom was like, 'Look, you should just try it." </P><P> </P><P>With Reid as his mentor, Canty battled his way to a fourth-place finish with some show-stopping performances that gained him comparisons to Al Green and Bobby Brown. </P><P> </P><P>Canty also developed relationships with the other judges on the show, including former mentors <a href="/news/articles/1678191/paula-abdul-exits-x-factor.jhtml">Paula Abdul</a> and <a href="/news/articles/1678186/nicole-scherzinger-steve-jones-leaving-x-factor.jhtml">Nicole Scherzinger</a>. </P><P> </P><P>"I actually was kind of surprised," Canty said of the departures of Abdul and Scherzinger. "I thought it was a lot of drama on the show with Paula and Nicole, but they were so nice." </P><P> </P><P>Canty was no stranger to drama himself. The R&B crooner found himself in the bottom two during several episodes, most notably edging out <a href="/news/articles/1680940/rachel-crow-simon-cowell.jhtml">Rachel Crow</a> in an emotional and <a href="/news/articles/1675936/x-factor-rachel-crow-elimination-reaction.jhtml">controversial finish</a>. </P><P> </P><P>"I feel like Paula was honest. I feel like Nicole was honest — even in certain situations on the show that they got into, with me and Rachel and at one point, me and Drew," Canty said. "If I was in that situation I probably wouldn't know what to do." </P><P> </P><P>With Scherzinger and Abdul out of the judges' seats, rumors have been swirling that pop star <a href="/news/articles/1680782/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-offer.jhtml">Britney Spears may fill</a> one of the vacant spots. </P><P> </P><P>"Oh wow, I haven't heard that one. Britney Spears, wow. That should be interesting," Canty said in response to the news. "Britney Spears can be my mentor because, first of all, I was the entertainer. I know she would give me that pop I need. That's definitely a great fit."</p>
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