Katharine McPhee is a bit of an anomaly. As an American Idol runner-up, she is in the minority due to having actually gone on to have a great career. Many Idol finalists are relegated to the dustbins of history.
Katharine McPhee, however, starred in a Spielberg-produced musical drama series on television, has appeared in numerous films, and is about to drop her fourth album in July. That’s a big deal for a runner-up.
The new album is called Hysteria, and Katharine McPhee says it’s going to be a lot different from what you’ve seen out of her before. She told Rolling Stone:
“[With earlier albums] I found it difficult to find inspiration of things I wanted to sing about. I think I was also shy; I wasn’t sure of myself as a writer. I really didn’t feel like I had that much to say, had that much to write about. So I think the overall theme [of this record] is that, yes, there’s been searching, there’s been heartbreak, there’s been longing, I think finally, for the first time, I felt motivated to find stories within my own life to write about.”
The first track off the album is called “Lick My Lips.” McPhee is already positioning the song as a summer hit.
“It’s probably my most summer-y, carefree song that I have on the album,” McPhee said. “It’s a fun thing for me to come out with because it’s really a representation of me.”
McPhee’s following on Twitter was all, well, a-twitter with news of the new release. They’ve taken to their feeds with the hashtag #LickMyLips.
@katharinemcphee @Vevo The song #LickMyLips is good I forgot how good your voice is
— MikeM (@MikeMoguel1) May 27, 2015
This is what summer sounds like #LickMyLips @katharinemcphee pic.twitter.com/Xm7A7AcsF3
— Guillermo González (@bill_gonarr) May 27, 2015
Including Katharine’s mom:
@katharinemcphee Mama loves your new single ! #LickMyLips ! You go baby !! xox
— Peisha McPhee (@PeishaMcPhee) May 27, 2015
The new music brings to an end a five-year hiatus from music for the star. Her previous album, Unbroken, featured the hit single “Had It All.” She has spent most of her time on the screen in the years since her last album. Her latest is the hit CBS series Scorpion.
Here is McPhee’s latest hit. It must be summer.