'X Factor USA' Star Elaine Gibbs Releases Single, 'Last Vegas'

Credit: FOX

Former X Factor USA finalist Elaine Gibbs has released her first single, "Last Vegas". But the journey in getting there has been an arduous one.

Acclaimed songwriter/producer Richard Niles -- who has worked with such artists as Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Cher, and James Brown -- was approached by CBS Films to write the title song to the movie Last Vegas starring Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline. However, the studio ultimately decided not to include a title song in the movie, and so the song was cut. But Niles didn't want to let the song die.

Enter Gibbs, who was introduced to Niles by his manager Gerry Pass. Upon hearing her sing, Niles immediately felt Gibbs was the ideal voice for the song, calling her "a modern Tina Turner - a raunchy, soulful woman with a killer voice and a massive sound behind her".

And so a successful Kickstarter campaign was launched to come up with the money to record the track with some of LA’s finest musicians. The track was ultimately completed, and it's now available on iTunes. As Niles says, “Last Vegas rocks like the Grand Canyon and is catchier than measles. Elaine Gibbs shreds the song like a gospel tornado. A hit by any other name is still a hit – and this one is named Last Vegas. Buy it now before it comes over to your house and whoops your ass!”

Download on iTunes: Elaine Gibbs – “Last Vegas”

Kind of an old-fashioned track, but I'm actually really feeling it! Gibbs really does have an amazing voice, and I can definitely hear the Tina Turner comparisons Niles was hearing. Of course, I could be a little biased since I think it was a little ridiculous that she didn't go farther in season 1 of The X Factor USA than she did. Still, this is a pretty fun track.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments!