'Idol' sweetheart undergoes makeover

LOS ANGELES — You might not recognize Katharine McPhee, "American Idol" runner-up, as Katharine McPhee, the recording star.

The "Idol" sweetheart has undergone a complete makeover, from the way she sings to the way she looks.

Instead of syrupy ballads, you're more likely to hear McPhee singing pop-flavored dance tunes. The prom-worthy gowns she wore on the show have been replaced with a playful, sexy new look. On the cover of her self-titled debut CD, in stores Tuesday, a curly haired McPhee wears a slinky minidress with thigh-high boots.

It's been a whirlwind year for the 22-year-old Los Angeles native, who spent the summer on tour and fall in the studio, where she learned the art of recording during a two-month crash course. The experience taught her new ways to use her voice, she said, and expanded her repertoire beyond traditional ballads.

Between bites of a grilled-cheese sandwich at Mel's Diner in Los Angeles — and a pause for an autograph-seeking fan — McPhee talked to The Associated Press about her new album, newfound fame and why she's enjoying indulging her "girly" side.

Associated Press: You're single just came out, your record is next. How do you feel?

McPhee: I am so excited. I just look back to a year ago, at this time I was getting ready, preparing for "Idol" and I wasn't able to tell anybody I was going to be on "Idol." It's a pretty miraculous thing that I'm now promoting my first single, "Over It," which I'm just loving. ... It's just a fun pop, uptempo record. It gives you a little bit more of an insight to who I am, a different side of me. I dance in my car to it and have a great time. It's kind of a celebration of young girls coming together and a lot of those kinds of tunes.

AP: How has your sound changed since you left "Idol"?

McPhee: I always wanted to just sing the kind of things that were a little bit more challenging, rhythmically challenging, like different syncopated kind of beats and stuff like that I didn't get a chance to do on "Idol."

AP: What should fans expect from this record?

McPhee: It's not a record that I'm just trying to be like, "Oh, I want to be like everybody else." It's something I really relate to, and it's something that is a part of me. I think when you walk away from this record you're going to feel like you know a part of me better — the girl who was in college or the girl who was in high school versus the girl who was on "Idol." You just get to know a little bit more which is important for a new artist.

AP: What was the songwriting process like?