Katharine McPheeKatharine McPhee
Outside of Kelly Clarkson's meteoric rise to the top of the pop crop--and Jennifer Hudson's dazzling take on Broadway bombast in Dreamgirls--American Idol hasn't cultivated a bonafide showstopper for the teenyboppers. Past alumni of the show have either fallen victim to stereotypes that belie their talent (Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood) or have become modern-day versions of Barry Manilow, all covers and makeup (Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino).
Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee is the latest in the line of American Idol finalists to release a full-length album. With the support of heavyweight producers (Babyface, Chad Hugo of the Neptunes) and a heavyweight budget to burn McPhee sounds a bit swallowed up by glossy production yet still does an admirable job on her debut. The signature vocals of her A.I. salad days are still in attendance but only reserved for the slower numbers ("Home," "Ordinary World"), which showcase her Christina Aguilera-like ability to electrify without fizzling out. Electro-cute!
But worst things first: The producers that surround McPhee doll her up with sexed-up, tasteless R&B that is solely reserved for all-game/no-shame artists like Gwen Stefani and Kelis (even Fergie to a much, much lesser extent).
