Katharine McPhee voted off by RCA

Friday, January 11th 2008, 4:00 AM

 

Katharine McPhee

Has the star-making machinery of "American Idol" grown rusty?

 

RCA Records just confirmed that it's dropped fifth-season runnerup (from 2006) Katharine McPhee.

 

The adorable songbird is the latest "AI" finalist to be ejected from the BMG nest - following Season 2's Ruben Studdard and Season 5's Taylor Hicks.

 

McPhee's first CD entered the charts at No. 2 in February 2007, but failed to go gold. Her defenders grouse that RCA didn't give her the time or promotion she needed.

 

"Winning 'American Idol' is no longer a guarantee that you're going to make it," says one industry source. "Katharine was hot for a few months. But audiences are fickle."

 

But one top BMG exec insists: "It's preposterous to say this franchise has lost its luster. It's the envy of the music industry. We've sold over 50 million albums by 'AI' artists since the show started.

 

"We put millions behind Katharine. Many of us at the label still love her songs. But we're in the major leagues. We didn't think she could break into the mainstream. We would rather be honest." (McPhee is talking with another label and is due to star in the movie "I Know What Boys Like.")

 

The exec noted that Studdard (above, right) put out three albums, "but there comes a time when we have to recognize the market for adult-oriented albums is tough. We allowed him to be a free agent, to make the record he wanted to make.

 

"The same thing with Taylor Hicks (above, left). We didn't want to shove any songs down his throat. We wanted to make an album in the style he was comfortable with. We mutually agreed that he'd work on an album [on his own], we'd listen, and we'd see where we go from there. There's no acrimony."

 

The BMG group still counts eight "AI" contenders on its roster, including Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry (both of whom delivered top 10 albums in 2007), Blake Lewis (with one album), Fantasia (with three), Jordin Sparks (working on her second), and Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson (both working on their fourth albums).

 

And though she was signed nearly three years ago, execs at BMG's Arista label are still looking forward to Jennifer Hudson's album, due out in May or June.

 

"We understood that her appearance in 'Dreamgirls' would only make her a bigger star," says the exec. (Indeed, it won her an Oscar.) "We are always willing to be patient with people who have the goods."

 

Source - http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/01/...off_by_rca.html

 

bring on the pop/rock-ness!!!!

Hmm

I hope Dr Luke is on board ;)

I hope she takes a completely different approach with this album, and goes in a totally different direction.

 

I hope the next album is more like breakaway. Her last album was awful.

Her last album wasn't awful! it just wasnt as commercial as Breakaway was, MD was very personal to her. There were some really good songs on there too. But i do hope that her next album has more of a marketable sound, because she really needs something big to comeback with.

I really prefer MD to breakaway, but I think she needs to do summin else. Not summin she's had already though

I hope it's the good kind of pop rock she delivers.

<_<

 

This is such a big mistake and such a waste of an amazing album :(

 

I hope the next album is more like breakaway. Her last album was awful.

 

I suggest you have another listen..

 

;)

I agree in that MD is an amazing album, and hope that she at least has something more commercial on the next album that makes it sell well... However i do doubt the validity of this article. It says that Jordin Sparks is working on her follow up, when she only just released her first! The only way I see this being true is if they are writing songs, potentially for another record, which Kelly has said she has been doing. I personally don't see new Kelly material until late 2008 at the earliest.

I hope its not 'Country Rock' that was originally rumoured coz that will completley flop in UK

I think that style suits Kelly well, and I actually think thats what its going to end up being... She's just doing a tour with Reba, where they sing each other's songs so I reckon there will be a bit of influence there tbh

Country rock sounds good :]

Precisely, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood [granted she's not country rock] are two of the biggest selling acts on the planet, Im sure it would be great!

Ye but it won't work in most countries apart from USA will it? Europe like pop music ?

I think that the USA is her main focus tbh... Australia also has a good country market. You never know it might go down quite well here, we will have to see.

Precisely, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood [granted she's not country rock] are two of the biggest selling acts on the planet, Im sure it would be great!

 

Plus Carrie is always #1 on the UK Country chart. :]

Precisely, and whilst there isn't a huge market for country acts to break through into the UK, Kelly, with her status and general popularity could possibly expand this market for others.