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Excerpted from The Examiner - Sources say that "The X Factor" U.S. has been such a humiliating failure for Cowell that he has essentially lost interest in signing all the show's Season 3 contestants whom he had originally planned to sign. If the show had been renewed for a fourth season, the contestants he had chosen as his favorites probably would have been signed by now. Cowell had high hopes that Fox would renew "The X Factor" U.S. for a fourth season in 2014, and he even told the media that the show would be renewed in 2014. But in the end, Cowell was wrong, and so his plans to sign contestants from the show's third season have changed. Given the dismal sales of other former "X Factor" U.S. contestants, don't expect Alex & Sierra to become a platinum-selling act in America. If Alex & Sierra's album goes gold, then it will be a minor miracle. The reality is that even though Alex & Sierra hit No. 1 on iTunes in the U.S. with cover versions of A Great Big World's "Say Something" and Sara Bareilles' "Gravity" when Alex & Sierra were contestants on "The X Factor" in 2013, the sales for Alex & Sierra's versions of those songs weren't enough for Alex & Sierra to make it onto Billboard's Hot 100 chart, the official singles chart of the U.S. Many other former "X Factor" U.S. contestants who were signed to Sony Music had flop sales for their music in America (such as Chris Rene, Josh Krajcik, Marcus Canty, Rachel Crow) or have not yet released any music with Sony (Carly Rose Sonenclar, Beatrice Miller). Teen rapper Astro from the show's first season was signed to Sony Music's Epic Records, which parted ways with Astro before he ever released an album with Epic.   On Feb. 9, 2014, country act Restless Road and Colton Pack announced that he has quit the group to pursue a solo career. Restless Road came in fourth place on "The X Factor" U.S. in 2013. Restless Road was formed when Simon Cowell put together three teenage contestants — Pack, Andrew Scholz and Zach Beeken — who originally auditioned as solo singers but were rejected by the show as solo singers. It was obvious that Cowell (who was Restless Road's "X Factor" mentor) had hoped that Restless Road would be a country version of One Direction (the boy band that Cowell created and mentored on "The X Factor" U.K. in 2010), but now Restless Road looks like it will become yet another reality-show contestant that will fade back into obscurity. In a separate statement, Beeken and Scholz said they will continue as Restless Road but have not announced if they will replace Pack or if they will just remain a duo. (See the statements from Pack and Restless Road at the end of this article.) Meanwhile, the cancellation of "The X Factor" U.S. (which was officially announced on Feb. 7, 2014) has led to Sony Music backing off from signing the non-winning contestants from the show's third and final season. As previously reported, Syco Music (the record company that Cowell co-owns with Sony Music) and Sony Music were looking to sign Season 3 contestants Restless Road, Jeff Gutt, Ellona Santiago and Alex & Sierra before Alex & Sierra were named "The X Factor" U.S. winners in 2013. As for Restless Road, it's anyone's guess how long that act will last. Pack was consistently singled out by "The X Factor" judges as being the best singer in Restless Road and the one with the most charisma on stage. With Cowell losing interest in Restless Road, it's clear that Pack felt he was better off trying to make it in the music business as a solo artist.