When Katharine McPhee's debut came out early this year, "American Idol" regulars were shocked. This was the 22-year-old with the shimmering smile, long gowns and showstopping renditions of "Over the Rainbow"? On the cover of the self-titled CD, McPhee affects a come-hither Mariah Carey pose, with shiny, black, thigh-high boots and a sweater pulled down between her legs.
Inside there's nary an "Over the Rainbow" - just whooping foot-stompers such as "Love Story" and "Open Toes." But McPhee, who performs tomorrow at Z100's Zootopia at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, was never the Celine Dion-style balladeer she seemed to be. She may have built such a reputation on "American Idol," but that decision was "I was more comfortable doing the pop ballad, but it doesn't mean that's the only kind of music I like," she says.
"On 'Idol,' it's a little bit harder singing and performance abilities. That was not really what I was comfortable "The up-tempos can be great, but they have to suit you," McPhee, continues, by phone from her Los Angeles home, where she says her 3-pound Chihuahua, Nena, keeps threatening to follow her out the door to a vocal lesson. "You can feel like an idiot, dancing around, if it doesn't suit you.
" McPhee's strategy, as millions of "Idol" viewers know, proved shrewd - she smash. As a result, she became sort of an America's underdog, talking of her put out and market a CD. McPhee didn't want to sing just pop ballads, although "Each Other" and "Ordinary World" show up on her album.
"Chris Daughtry, who songs. You knew you were going to get a rock record," she says. "That's great, but I had so many different genres I listened to.
" Carrie Underwood notwithstanding, "American Idol" debut albums tend not to be masterpieces, and "Katharine McPhee" has the feel of a young singer who isn't quite sure where she wants to go. While it's nice that she avoids "Idol"-style oversinging on "Ordinary World" and other ballads, she doesn't quite make them her own. Which she acknowledges.
"It's my first record. Everything you do the first time, it's not exactly the way you want it to be," says McPhee, now 23. "You try to not step on any toes or anything.
I was like, 'I guess this is how it goes. The producer tells you how to sing it, and if I don't like it, this is how I have to sing it.' When the CD comes out, you feel like, 'I could have said, "No.
This is not how I want to sing it."' Your name is on it..
.. This is 'in control.
'" Z100's Zootopia comes to Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale, Also performing: Daughtry, Fergie, Dashboard Confessional, Rihanna and more. Tickets are $65-$250 at Ticketmaster.
Call 631-888-9000.
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