Unbroken (Katharine McPhee album)
Encyclopedia
Unbroken is the second album
from American Idol season five
runner-up Katharine McPhee
. The album was released on January 5, 2010 by Verve Forecast Records
, her first album on the label. It debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200
, selling 15,000 copies in its first week. As of January 2011, the album has sold 45,000 copies in the US.
, she was signed to Verve Forecast Records
, part of the Verve Music Group
under Universal Music Group
. Verve Music Group president/CEO Bruce Resnikoff told Billboard
, "The album she is working on will show many new sides to her talents as an interpreter and a songwriter, and show everyone just how special she is."
For her debut album, McPhee co-wrote three songs. She has had much more involvement in the writing process of this album, with writing credits on six of the songs.
After months of recording, the album process was completed on August 21. When asked to describe the album, McPhee has been quoted as saying that an "organic," "edgy," and more "adult" sound will be prominent on the album.
Inspired by the new label and new album, McPhee traded in her long brunette hair for a short blonde do and made it part of the promotion for the album, with an exclusive "First Look" in People Magazine.
Behind the scenes videos from recording at the Village
have been posted on McPhee's MySpace
.
The album was set for release on October 6, 2009 but in September, it got pushed back to Jan 5, 2010 due to scheduling conflicts (McPhee confirmed the new date and explanation in a video on her website).
.
iTunes
bonus tracks
Deluxe edition DVD
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
from American Idol season five
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
runner-up Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
. The album was released on January 5, 2010 by Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records is a record label specializing in cutting-edge material which was founded in 1967 by Verve Records and since been revived twice....
, her first album on the label. It debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 15,000 copies in its first week. As of January 2011, the album has sold 45,000 copies in the US.
Background
After McPhee was dropped from RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, she was signed to Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records
Verve Forecast Records is a record label specializing in cutting-edge material which was founded in 1967 by Verve Records and since been revived twice....
, part of the Verve Music Group
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
under Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Verve Music Group president/CEO Bruce Resnikoff told Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, "The album she is working on will show many new sides to her talents as an interpreter and a songwriter, and show everyone just how special she is."
For her debut album, McPhee co-wrote three songs. She has had much more involvement in the writing process of this album, with writing credits on six of the songs.
After months of recording, the album process was completed on August 21. When asked to describe the album, McPhee has been quoted as saying that an "organic," "edgy," and more "adult" sound will be prominent on the album.
Inspired by the new label and new album, McPhee traded in her long brunette hair for a short blonde do and made it part of the promotion for the album, with an exclusive "First Look" in People Magazine.
Behind the scenes videos from recording at the Village
The Village (studio)
The Village is a famous recording studio in Los Angeles, California.Since the 1960s, The Village has been the home to recordings by artists such as Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, The Beach Boys, Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, The Doors, Bob...
have been posted on McPhee's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
The album was set for release on October 6, 2009 but in September, it got pushed back to Jan 5, 2010 due to scheduling conflicts (McPhee confirmed the new date and explanation in a video on her website).
Singles
"Had It All" was released as the first and only radio single from the album. It was released on McPhee's MySpace page and to iTunes for purchase on August 25, 2009, and to AC and Hot AC radio on September 21. It peaked at #22 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. The official music video premiered on the music video site Vevo on October 13, 2009. "Had It All" has sold 29,000 downloads to date in the United States.Promotional singles
- "Say Goodbye": The song was released on September 15, 2009 on McPhee's myspace page and for purchase on iTunes and was not released to radio. On October 4, 2010, the official music video for the song premiered on the music video website VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
. "Say Goodbye" has sold 7,000 downloads in the United States - "Lifetime": The song was released on November 10, 2009 on McPhee's myspace page and for purchase on iTunes and was not released to radio. "Lifetime" has sold 5,000 downloads in the United States.
- "How": The song was released on December 21, 2009 on McPhee's myspace page and for purchase on iTunes and was not released to radio. "How" has sold 9,000 downloads in the United States.
- "Terrified" became known nationally when the song was used by finalist Didi BenamiDidi BenamiVered "Didi" Benami is an American singer/songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee, who was the tenth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
during the Hollywood round of the ninth season of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on February 10, 2010 to much praise. As a result of Benami's performance, downloads of McPhee's track increased by nearly 10,000 percent, from a couple hundred the week before to nearly 20,000. On May 4, 2010, a new version of the song featuring actor Zachary LeviZachary LeviZachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
premiered on Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's website and was made available for purchase on iTunes. On May 7, 2010, an accompanying music video for the new version premiered on the music video website VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
. The album version of the song (featuring Jason Reeves) has sold 41,000 downloads in the United States.
Appearance in media
- "Lifetime" was used in an episode of the CBS series Ghost WhispererGhost WhispererGhost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
, in the Season 5 episode "Dead Eye" that was broadcast April 9, 2010. - McPhee was shown singing part of "Lifetime" for an appearance on the NBC reality show The Biggest LoserThe Biggest LoserThe Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....
, in the 9th season episode broadcast January 19, 2010. She appeared in the show's Pound for Pound Challenge segment, where she talked about the importance of helping fight hunger in America and was shown meeting with children at a Boys and Girls Club and singing the song to them. - "Lifetime" was used in promos for the TLCTLC (TV channel)TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
special episode of their reality series 19 Kids and Counting titled "Josie Comes Home" that premiered on Mother's Day May 9, 2010 - "Lifetime" was used in the CW drama HellcatsHellcatsHellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011...
, in the episode The Match Game that was broadcast October 27, 2010. - "Say Goodbye" was featured on the CBS drama CSI: NYCSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
, in the episode Prey that was broadcast April 8, 2009. McPhee guest-starred as a singer and stalker victim turned murderer and sang a partial version of the song during the episode. - "Say Goodbye" was used in the Christian-themed indie movie "I Am - The Movie", which premiered in churches in October 2010 and is set to be released on DVD November 2, 2010. It is also on the movie's soundtrack, which became available online October 26, 2010 and will be available in stores November 9, 2010.
- As stated above, "Terrified" was sung by Didi BenamiDidi BenamiVered "Didi" Benami is an American singer/songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee, who was the tenth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
on the 9th seasonAmerican Idol (season 9)The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
during the Hollywood Round. "Had It All" was also used in the background during one segment during the audition rounds. - "Had It All" was a bonus track on the Now That's What I Call Music, Vol 32Now That's What I Call Music! 32 (U.S. series)-Downloadable content:Until November 4, 2010, Now! 32 offers free downloadable MP3s for those purchasing the CD. Included in this volume are the following artists and songs:# The Cataracs – "Club Love"# Tyrone Wells – "More"...
compilation CD that was released November 3, 2009. - "How" was used in a segment during the audition stages of season 10American Idol (season 10)The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Track listing
Last Letter was coproduced by Martin Bishop, Daniel Lloyd, and McPhee; Lifetime was produced by Ottestad; the rest were produced by John AlagiaJohn Alagía
John Alagía is an accomplished music producer. He is best known for his work with the Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer. Alagia is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and a graduate of Georgetown University...
.
iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
bonus tracks
- "Takes a Lot of Love" (Richard Harris) – 4:15
- "Help Me" (Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
) – 3:28 - "I'll Be Home For Christmas" – 3:18
- Had It All music video
Deluxe edition DVD
- Had It All Music Video
- Making of album
- Making of HIA Music Video
- Behind the scenes of album photoshoot
- Photo Gallery/Montage
- Track by Track commentary by McPhee
Critical reception
Unbroken received generally mixed reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 58, indicating "mixed or average reviews".- Allmusic stated: "On Idol, McPhee always favored middle of the road over modern, and Unbroken returns her to that course, bringing her somewhere within the vicinity of Paula Cole (who co-writes the title track), Rachael Yamagata (who co-writes “Keep Drivin’”) and Mandy Moore’s stylized ‘70s throwback, flavored with the slightest traces of modern sounds, including a vague borrowing of Beyoncé phrasing."
- BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
stated: "McPhee sounds much more comfortable amid Alagia's rootsy singer/songwriter settings than she did surrounded by the shiny R&B beats of her self-titled debut." - Boston Globe said: "Unbroken is a conventional set, at times too much so, with a stripped-down musical backdrop of acoustic guitars and piano. McPhee has smartly reined in her vocal approach to find the nuances of the lyrics without trying to raise the roof."
- Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said: "The Idolrunner-up's pleasant-but-unremarkable vocals can't elevate this tepid collection."
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
27 |