Katharine McPhee - Over It

LONGEVITY: 2/5

I am not an avid American Idol fanatic, and I first discovered Katharine McPhee when "Over It" hit the airwaves.

Initially, I was not overly impressed with "Over It"; for some reason, I associated the chorus with a country song. Unaware that she was an Idol contestant, I thought some of the harmonies and Katharine's vocal techniques were reminiscent of Martina McBride or Shania Twain. Case in point: the portamento she applies in "that ain't" and the second "now I'm". Nevertheless, as is the case for most pop songs, the more airplay they get the more the songs grow on you. This song was stuck in my head for at least a couple days, and in the music video Katharine was kind of cute, er, hot!

Another aspect of the song that caught my attention was its striking similarity to JoJo's "Too Little Too Late". The introductory guitar riffs in both songs, along with similar beats and background effects, were the dead giveaway that the two were written and produced by Billy Steinberg. Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham.

This song is far from a masterpiece, but Katharine's singing fits right into the mainstream pop mold as did her Idol predecessor Kelly Clarkson at the outset of her career.