Rachel Crow has gone from bawling tears of sadness to crying tears of joy.

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The former The X Factor finalist -- who was inconsolable and had an emotional breakdown following her elimination from the show, which determined its Top 4 finalists -- has signed a recording contract with Sony Music's Columbia Records and also landed a talent deal with Nickelodeon.

"It's been amazing," Crow told The Hollywood Reporter.

"A couple days after the elimination I just found myself sitting home asking myself, 'What am I going to do now?' And I never would've thought that this is what I was going do now. So, it's pretty amazing. I'm very thankful and I feel very blessed to have all this."

Crow, who inked her Sony deal in partnership with The X Factor creator and judge Simon Cowell's Syco Music, will be recording her debut album under the same label that has signed stars including Celine Dione, Beyonce, Barbra Streisand, and Adele. 

"Columbia was awesome for me. This is the top, which is really cool," Crow, who will begin working on her first album later this year, told The Reporter. "Beyonce and Adele. And I'm in the same family as them, which is really awesome."

The 14-year-old said she wants her debut album to be "spunky and there's definitely gonna be some high notes in there. And it's just gonna be me."

Crow's Nickelodeon contract will give the young performer a pilot for her own musical comedy series as well as a recurring role on the network's new comedy series Fred: The Show. She has already started shooting her Fred: The Show role of Starr, an "eccentric" yet talented singer and actress who desires fame, for the series and will appear in at least a handful of episodes airing this spring, according to the network.

"Rachel is an original," Nickelodeon executive Paula Kaplan said in a statement. "She's funny, genuine and has raw talent and a passion for performing. We're delighted to be home to her first acting project and think she is poised to join the ranks of our next generation of Nick stars."

During Crow's run on The X Factor, rumors had circulated that the talented teen was already in talks to work with ABC's Disney Channel network, and judge L.A. Reid had even acknowledged Disney's alleged interest in her during the season.

"It's definitely going to come as a surprise for a lot of people," Crow added. "I get asked on a daily basis from all my wonderful friends, 'So, Disney, huh?' It's hard to keep a secret, but it's really cool because now I'm happy to be able to share it with everyone."

Crow joins Chris Rene, "Astro" Brian Bradley, Marcus Canty and first-season champion Melanie Amaro as former The X Factor finalists who have all recently inked record deals with Sony Music. While it has not been formally announced, runner-up Josh Krajcik has also reportedly landed a recording contract with the label.

Although Crow has already faced disappointment at such a young age, she said she learned a lot about the entertainment industry and herself by appearing on The X Factor and has every reason to remain optimistic about her future.

"I'll remember to stay true to who you are and just be yourself, because if you don't, then you'll lose sight of the reason that you started," Crow told The Reporter. "All the experiences that I've had and all the things that I had to go through just to be here today, it makes me who I am. I think there's a song that says 'All your scars make you who you are,' you know, all the bad scars and the good scars."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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