Carly Rose Sonenclar wows judges on 'X Factor'

Wednesday November 14, 2012 6:30 PM By Anne Machalinski

Photo credit: Fox | 13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclar considers Bruno Mars an influence and admires former "American Idol" contestants Jennifer Hudson, Constantine Maroulis and Kelly Clarkson.

Carly Rose Sonenclar, the teen superstar from Mamaroneck, wowed fans and judges alike on last week's episodes of "X Factor," easily advancing to the top 12 with the second-most votes of any contestant (only Tate Stevens topped her on the leaderboard). Tonight, she'll take the stage for another high-stakes performance. Also slated to perform? Taylor Swift, who recently ended her relationship with Conor Kennedy of Bedford.

Carly Rose, who sang a rendition of Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain" last Wednesday night, got emotional after the song ended, erupting into a small sob. After a mediocre performance of Etta James' "Something's Got a Hold On Me" while wearing a schoolgirl uniform the previous week, Carly Rose's "stripped down" performance of Mars' song from the "Twilight" soundtrack was a huge step in the right direction.

L.A. Reid called the performance “heartfelt” and “honest,” and Demi Lovato, who had been been critical of Carly Rose in the past, called her “incredible.”

PHOTOS: Carly Rose Sonenclar | Fans watch Carly Rose on 'X Factor' in Larchmont | Reality stars from the Hudson Valley
MORE: Carly Rose Sonenclar ready for 'X Factor' final 6 | Carly Rose of 'X Factor': Before she was a star | Carly Rose Sonenclar finds stardom on 'X Factor'

Simon Cowell said that “the difference between last week and this week is such a huge improvement,” and added that “I got a feeling with you, Carly, that we’re watching a star in the making.”

Spears only had one thing to say: “I feel like you should have closed the show, because no one can follow that.”

Can't wait to see what Carly Rose performs next? We've got five clips of Carly Rose before she was a star, performing everything from "America the Beautiful" at the 2009 U.S. Open tennis tournament to "Castle on a Cloud" in Broadway's "Les Miserables."

You can follow Carly Rose Sonenclar at facebook.com/carlyrosesonenclar and twitter.com/@carlyrosemusic. "The X Factor" airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox.

Tags: Mamaroneck , Carly Rose Sonenclar , The X Factor , Westchester , TV , reality TV