GenQ - For the not so straight individual

In her self-titled debut album release (released January 30th, 2007 on RCA Records), fifth season American Idol runner up Katharine McPhee doesn't dissapoint (as long as you weren't expecting anything revelutionary!). Her CD has a lot of the attitude that her fans were calling for during her time on AI, but doesn't necessarily stand out from the crowd of Top 40 artists. That being said, if you want a good mix of music ro rock out to and well done love ballads that really showcase McPhee's talent, then this album fits the bill.

Even though this debut has a lot of similarities to many popular artists like Christina Aguilera, Ciara, and others, it's still really enjoyable and shows a lot of promise for McPhee's future. Opening with the fun and energetic song "Love Story," the album's stage is set. There are a number of other similarly catchy songs done in other generes as well, like the pop-rock "Not Ur Girl" and the hip-hop flavored "Open Toes" (a song a bout shoe shopping, which is a subject I think most of us can get behind!). My personal favorite was the 7th track on the disc, "Dangerous." It has a lot of autright attitude and a beat you can really dance around to.

Overall, this first release by Katharine McPhee is very enjoyable, but nothing especially flooring or suprising. She gives a lot of energy to it, letting everyone know just why she made it as an American Idol finalist. I really wouldn't be suprised to see some of her songs cropping up in clubs across the nation, if they haven;t already. McPhee obviously has a lot of talent at her disposal and uses her debut to showcase her versatility well. However, if she doesn't want to fade into the background like certain other previous AI finalists (*ahem*justinguarini*ahem*), McPhee really needs to explore her own musical style and get more of herself intoher music rather than sticking to the safety of what's currently on the charts.