Marcus Canty Shows He’s ‘Down’ With Crooning on ‘X Factor’

Marcus Canty, the R&B singer from Baltimore, Md., showed his impressive crooning skills tonight on 'X Factor' with a stunning version of 'I'm Going Down,' a Rose Royce tune from the soundtrack to the movie 'Car Wash.'

"Tonight you're gonna see a different side of Marcus," said Canty's mentor L.A. Reid prior to the performance. "We've shown Marcus as a performer, now it's time to show Marcus as a singer."

Canty took the stage wearing a fly silver sequined jacket (does anyone know where a hip cat can pick up one of those puppies?). Seriously, that jacket was sweet (despite what Simon Cowell says - see below).

As much as that jacket shimmered, it was Canty's voice that was the shining star of the night. Equal parts cool and old-school, Canty's performance was stellar, proving that his vocals are equal to or better than his groovy dance moves.

Nicole Scherzinger chimed in first with, "Two words: Ma-gic."

Simon Cowell praised Canty's performance, but thought the aforementioned jacket made him look like a cabaret singer. This is coming from someone who goes through life wearing too-tight T-shirts. C'mon, man!

Like the other judges, Reid was blown away by his mentor, calling Canty a "massive star."

Watch Marcus Canty Perform 'I'm Going Down' on 'X Factor'