So I just finished watching the premiere of Katharine McPhee’s “Love Story” video on Yahoo! Music. (Click here to see for yourself.) It’s all pretty standard-issue: Kat wears a Beyoncé-ish dress; a wind machine makes her hair do pretty things; she strutsacross the floor, crawls across a table, and makes out with a dude who looksdisturbingly similar to K-Fed. And since it’s also my first time hearing the accompanying song, Ifeel it’s only appropriate that I present my thoughts Idol-style:
Inner Randy: Yo!Dawg, how you doin’? So, check this out, dawg… it was just OK for me. [Note from actualself: I may have an inner-Randy,but I would never say "dawg."]
Inner Paula:You look really beautiful, Katharine! Pretty girl. Pretty dress. That was your best performance as a female.
Inner Simon: I don’treally get it. I just wish you could sing better.
Inner Ryan: So Inner Simon, you don’t think Katharine can sing?
Thing is, Inner Ryan (and McPhee fans), I do think Katharine can sing. Butthere’s something off about this song (and every other song I’ve heard from herself-titled debut). And it’s not just that the track — with its doo-wop-meets-Broadway-meets-Stevie-Nicks feel — is weirdly schizophrenic. I also get the strange sense that Katharine is holding back vocally. (It’s like Mandy Moore’s Scrubs character, with her "It’s so funny, but I’m notlaughing" shtick.) Why isn’t Katharine belting her lungs out on this one? Why so blasé about it all? If the Idol alumnus can’t bring herself to get excited about "Love Story," then why in the world should I? Are you with me, PopWatchers, or do you think this is the video that’ll help change Katharine’s pop-chart trajectory from Justin to Kelly?
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I agree completely! I wish she’d put as much enthusiasm into the singing as she did in the flinging herself about in the yellow dress. And he does look like K-Fed. Gross. The most I can say about this video is very Paula like, boy, you sure look pretty.
This girl has the IT factor. Awesome hot vid. Enjoyable to watch.
WHy the bashing. That video was HOT HOT, and shes great in it. Im tired of everyone bashing her. Where is Taylor hicks these days?
Katharine has a unique mix of hot looks, talent, great personality. Something you dont find in alot of people. Katharine has all these qualities.
Why should Kat have to “belt her lungs out”? She sang the song great, she danced and she definitely looked like she was having fun. It was a hot video!
The video is HOTT! The end.
I liked “vampy” Kat better than ingenue-in-a-gold-dress Kat. And BTW -she’s an alumna of Idol, not an alumnus.
I think the video is awesome. Katherine is super gorgeous. I hope she does movies.
Mark my words: in a year, nobody is going to remember this chick. Everything about her is bland.
That video does suck, what was she thinking?
Her song “Love Story” is FLOPPING on Pop radio. It is tumbling down the charts. It fell from #66 to #83 with a negative bullet of -80. Horrible. Check it out:
66 83 KATHARINE MCPHEE Love Story 2007 RCA/RMG 123 203 -80 0.314
There is a schizo quality to the video and her pop image. She’s too sexy/too vanilla/not sexy enough/too odd. Something is off but it’s hard to know what. Main problem is her voice is not all that and a bag of chips.
Her album sales are even worse. Check this out:
Katharine sold 1,500, down from 1,900, to inch up to a rounded-off 342,000 total.
Jane, I agree. It is something about her that is not clicking with public, but it is hard to put your finger on it. I want to say it is because her music sounds like dated pop music. Most Pop songs these days are more urban driven, if not that then it is more rock driven. Kat’s is like 1998 pop – and that is played out.
The guy is actually a dead ringer for a young version of her 40-year-old boyfriend! And, sorry but it was a fun song — no need to tart it up the way they did. Kat could have gotten the young crowd, like Kelly Clarkson has, and build from there. But, not with this image. Too bad.
I’ll be the fan with the Kat poster sitting behind the judges and booing them. WHAT IS DEFINITELY NOT STANDARD ISSUE IS KATHARINE MCPHEE HERSELF. What she brings to the table, before crawling on it — her singing talent, drop-dead-gorgeous looks, dance ability, flexibility!, an irrepressible goofy sense of humor … ooh, birthday cake… and an almost retro showgirl/ Broadway Baby vibe — is a unique combination that stands out in the pop music landscape. As a performer, she can do so many things, why would you want to confine her to power ballads? After singing Over The Rainbow 1,000 times in a ball gown, you’d want to doo-wop in a sequined mini too.
This video is fun and exciting, and if you can’t see that, it must be your inner guest coach Stevie Wonder.
Kat is going far, and I’m sure she’ll belt out a few rafter-shakers along the way. You’ll see… after the break.
That video is way too similar to Amerie’s superior “One Thing”.
Her 1995 Mariah stylings are played out. She should have either gone more Neo-Soul with her music or more Urban. It’s either that or take the Clarkson rock-lite route which I feel her voice can’t handle.
http://www.youarenotthefather.net
Well it seems the same tired Kat haters who are more obsessed with her than her fans are, have been lurking on her fan sites again and found this blog. They post the same tired arguments and the same numbers because that is all they have. Whereas Kat has everything, talent, great looks, great choreography, and a great personality. This video shows them all in spades. I really wonder if you were watching the same video as I was. It is fun, sexy, upbeat and just a great performance video of a great song!
And to all you haters again and you know who you are and so do we, recite your dribble some more because this girl is a “STAR” and you can’t accept the fact that she is the one everyone wants to talk about!
Inner Audience member, What would you say about Love Story flopping along with her album? Would you say it the “haters” fault?
good post uplink. Agree!
Uplink, if she is the one everyone talks about…why is her album flopping? Why is Love Story bombing?
I thought people were “Over IT” Season 5 is long gone.
Katharines new video is great, fits the song well, and she is absolutely gorgeous as usual. The nay sayers and haters will never stop criticizing this very talented and pretty young lady.
BTW/ Where is Taylor ?? LMAO
Thank you for writing this. I found myself thinking the same exact thing. The girl can sing and the girl is pretty. It seems she is only using the pretty lately and no singing ability. This song and the video are very weak. Very disappointed fan.
DJ, it is pointless to discuss anything with you. I find it incredibly disturbing that you are so obsessed with hating Katharine. You monitor her fan sites so that whenever an article is posted about her you can run and post your venom and hatred with your number and banter. I feel sorry for you that you feel you must act this way. If you don’t like her, then why do you follow her everywhere?
Hmmm…seems like Katharine only has sexy hair going for her. Her fans are delusional, the only place she is showing up is on magazines. This video just showcases that sexy hair ad. LOL Her music has flopped. Her fans need a serious reality check. The only thing she has going for her is looks.
I am thinking that you are my long lost twin. You expressed what I was thinking in this review.
She needed to release “Not Ur Girl” instead. It’s a better song IMO.
http://www.youarenotthefather.net
HOTT Video, great song. Forget CD sales in this time and age. Only Country fans are CD fanatics. Thus why Carie and Kellie do well. NO arguement that Daughtry is the big success, taylor is Platinum b/c BIG stores lost alot of money HOPING he would sell well. Sorry, Taylor is a Xmas sales success only. Eliott, congrats to him, if not for his AI appearance, he would be singing in bars right now. Katharine has done GREAT with digital downloads and a top 25 with a so-so song with Over it. Love Story should do better.
The writer of the article above should hold on to her Taylor poster tightly, cuz thats the last you will see of him.
Ummm yeah can you say desperate to get a pickup in sales since nothing else is working.
Sadly this is just that..a snap judgement. Belting is great, but only when the song calls for it and this isn’t that kind of song. To be honest I don’t hear Rhianna belting under her “Umbrella-ella”, or Gwen or Nelly, Ciara etc. in any of their latest hits. Maybe the author should check out some Ethel Merman videos to get your fill of belting. I’m not sure why Katharine’s vocals/CD are so criticized when we’re subjected to “Soooo-icdal” songs that are “tryin’ to make us go to Rehab…no no no”! Maybe our ears are used to mediocrity and the lack of connection is from our ears to our brain… not with Katharine. The video is solid, artsy like Katharine’s style and well peformed. After 37 years of being in Music..I give it 2 thumbs up! Congratulations Kat fans! Your favorite has gone from reality show singer to R&B Diva!
hey Uplink, that DJ is NOT me..
Kat is super, this is a super song and video. Get ready to see Kat in theatres near you too. Kat is the highest profile Season 5 contestant, get OVER IT
Taylor has proven once again that he is the winner and katharine is not. His sales are over double hers. His tour is selling out everywhere and he’s getting the best reviews out of anyone. How high has Katharine made it and how much has she sold? Yay that’s what I thought. And you are kidding yourselves if you think sales don’t matter. She’s barely holding on and it shows.