Rachel Crow, a native of the small Colorado town Mead, auditioned at age 13 to appear on The X Factor. Not only did she compete on the first season of the U.S. program; she placed fifth, after performing Duffy's "Mercy," Whitney Houston's "Run to You," and Beyoncé's "If I Were a Boy," among others. Crow subsequently signed to Simon Cowell's Columbia-affiliated Syco label and also inked a deal with the television channel Nickelodeon. The first product of her music deal was a self-titled, five-track EP -- featuring the anti-bullying song "Mean Girls" -- issued in June 2012. As an actor, she appeared in episodes of the Nickelodeon programs Fred: The Show and Big Time Rush. ~ Andy Kellman