Katharine McPhee – Unbroken
by Tysa Banks
I think that certain members of American Idol Alumni are sometimes forgotten about after their season has ended. They go on to make a few albums and may be mentioned a few times over the years but, for the most part, they fade away having already achieved their fifteen minutes of fame. Katharine McPhee (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook) is one of these underrated artists.
Luckily, she had the bright (literally!) idea to dye her hair blonde this time around so that seemed to fix the problem of being unnoticeable. It’s like these overlooked singers have to go to the extreme just to get a hit played on the radio. It honestly shouldn’t be this way for this particular 5th season runner up. Considering how phenomenal Katharine’s voice is, it’s quite shocking to me that she isn’t more popular. Her voice has this stunning effect on me, with its smooth and intoxicating sound. When I hear her voice, I feel like an insect that has just gotten trapped in a spider’s web for the first and last time. This is what happens to me in every song that is on her newest album, Unbroken. The only difference is…I like it.
Unlike her first album, Katharine allows herself to be more honest in this one. She co-wrote most of the songs on this album with the help of a lot of other talented artists such as Paula Cole, Ingrid Michaelson, and American Idol’s very own Kara DioGuardi. Cole helped to write the powerful and heartfelt title song “Unbroken,” which is about going through difficult and scary moments in life but learning from them, thus making you stronger in the end. I’d say this song hits home for Katharine, as she has definitely been through some difficult times if you are familiar with her background.
If you watch CSI: NY then you will probably recognize the breathtaking song, “Say Goodbye.” If you can suffer through the sadness of it and really listen, you can hear one of the most emotionally charged voices in the world. If you have just endured a painful breakup with a significant other, this song can definitely penetrate to your wounds. Perhaps the catchiest and definitely the most creative songs she sings is “Brand New Key” which is a remake of the 1971 Melanie Safka hit. Katharine speeds up the beat and puts her own vibe into the funky song.
Kara Dioguardi, Mitch Allen, and David Hodges wrote, “Had it All” and “McFever,” as she was nicknamed on American Idol really makes this song her own as she belts out the vigorous words. It’s a song that makes anyone realize that sometimes we just don’t realize how good we have it until we’ve ruined it by wanting more or being scared that it wouldn’t work.
My favorite song on Katharine’s new album is “Keep Drivin’”. Katharine co-wrote this with Chris Tompkins. It perfectly captures the feeling of failure in a relationship and how it makes some of us so scared that we run away and never look back. Perhaps the most motivating and inspirational song on this album is “How,” which questions how to move on from a devastating moment in life. It urges us to stop focusing on the past and the reasons why things went wrong but instead to simply live in the present moment. Focusing on the good things that are right in front of you can lead you to happiness again.
All of the songs on Katharine’s new album accurately convey the theme of Unbroken, about getting through tough times with perseverance, inspiration, and a lot of heart. Her voice is perfect for every single song. Being the daughter of a mother who sang Cabaret style, McPhee has that as a strong influence, as well as her own favorites, ranging from Sarah McLachlan to Nina Simone. She can sing pop, jazz, blues, it doesn’t matter. Her voice is conditioned for just about any genre of music. In her first album, she showcased her pop and r & b style but in Unbroken she illustrates her softer and more heartfelt side. She’s a lot more serious in this album because she took a few years to really find herself as an artist. It seems to be this way quite often with former American Idol contestants. Their first album is very catchy yet sometimes comes across as generic; whereas their second album they have more freedom to make it their own. There is definitely more than meets the eye with this woman. She definitely personalizes Unbroken and I hope that people will give her a chance to prove herself in the years to come.
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