‘The X Factor’ USA: Synergy with Fifth Harmony, Emblem3, and James Arthur

When you consider that the British “X Factor” has already produced such stars as Leona Lewis, Cher Lloyd, and One Direction, it only makes some sense that Simon Cowell and the producers would want to create as much of a link between this show and the American version as possible. With that in mind, you really just have to chalk up what went down with some of the U.S. contestants this weekend on Twitter as a rather brilliant marketing move on the part of the producers.

What happened? Basically, each one of the final four acts (Emblem3, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Fifth Harmony, and Tate Stevens) each tweeted out a congratulatory message to James Arthur following his victory in Manchester on Sunday, a move that was probably done at the request of someone behind the scenes. For the contestants, this makes them look well-versed when it comes to world music, and it also helps to create the sense of family that has formed between the two separate shows over the past two years.

As for James, this simple message is already a subtle way in which Simon already may have fans of the American contestants interested in James’ music. Considering that in our mind he is one of the best singing-show winners since Little Mix on the British show last year (and quite possibly Carrie Underwood on “American Idol” season 4 before that), anyone who checks out some of his covers is probably going to like what they see. Just for that, we’re going to attach his version of “The Power of Love,” which is our favorite performance on any talent show in the past year when it comes to originality and artistry. (Amanda Brown’s “Someone Like You” on “The Voice” earlier this season is a close second.)

Do you think this is a smart idea for Simon to pull off, or something that really does not matter at all? If you want to see where all of the top four contestants stand in our current contestant rankings, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: Fox