Ferrera hopes Leslie will write and produce tracks for the debut album by Katherine McPhee, last season’s American Idol runner-up. When Leslie arrives, Ferrera hands him a picture of McPhee. “As you can see,” says Ferrera, “she’s obviously extremely hot looking.” (Leslie nods.) “If I put a piece of crap on a CD, it will guarantee a million sales,” Ferrara continues. “But if we get this thing right, it’s Kelly Clarkson. It’s 15 million records.”


Ferrera slides in a CD of a demo song McPhee has already recorded. “I want to see how urban she can go. Believably.” The music begins. “This song is called ‘Open Toes,’ ” shouts Ferrera over the deafening beat. “It’s about hot shoes with open toes,” he yells. The only lyric I manage to make out goes “ ’Cuz I know that boys, they like these open toes.”

This is the real Tin Pan Alley side of the business. A new star gets designated by the label and then later, someone has to write the songs for her. In this case, Ferrera hopes to set up McPhee with Timbaland (perhaps the most lauded hip-hop producer of our time, who recently lent his talent to the new Justin Timberlake album), Babyface (who twice set the record for longest run at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart), and Leslie. All three will end up working with McPhee; Leslie’s doing two songs. “The biggest thing to come out of that meeting,” Leslie tells me later, “is that apparently I’m now getting put on a level with those guys. That’s huge.” A producer like Timbaland can command up to $250,000 for a single track. “And if Timbaland can put himself on the Justin Timberlake record and the Nelly Furtado record, it seems like I could put myself on this record and raise my profile.”

Wow! What a hat trick Kat scored for her first album! This gets more and more interesting all the time!

What's the source for this info, Amanda?

Found it on the "BLENDER MAGAZINE BLOG"

This came from New York Magazine, http://nymag.com/news/features/24094/index2.html

VERY COOL! Thanks for the find!!!

Awesome !

The news just keeps getting better and better!

I for one is very happy for Katharine that these producers are looking to work with her. There is something there that they see her making it big....big like 15 million copies big....big like Kelly Clarkson big....so I have to have the McFaith that these Mcproducers will make my McPhee a Mchit!...

Katharine's album will sell many copies because Katharine has something very special. She has what is called the "IT" factor. The "IT" factor is very special and can mean many things but to me it means that She can do anything she sets her mind to and when she does she comes out successful.

WAY TO GO KATTHARINE!  YOU"VE GOT  "IT"

“If I put a piece of crap on a CD, it will guarantee a million sales,” Ferrara continues. “But if we get this thing right, it’s Kelly Clarkson. It’s 15 million records.”

So can we infer that Kat needs to sell at least one million albums to be retained by the label? Crap - isn't Clay the only runner-up to beat that, let alone get close?

Kewl!!

I have no idea what any previous "Idol" has sold, but I bet my own life and the life of any of my potential future children on the following statement:

Katharine's debut album will sell over 2 million copies!

Mark....TWO million?  I wonder if you offered Katharine that number right now if she'd take it or not.  I wonder how many she thinks she's going to sell.  I think she needs at least TWO million though to make a mark.  Kelly, Ruben, Clay and Carrie are the only ones to make it to that mark with their debuts.  Fantasia got close at 1.7 million.

awesome!!!!

2 million, lofty numbers. After watching the AMA last night and noticing the crap that's out there selling platinum, Katharine's talent should be at least up there with the best of them; Clarkson included.

That's the point, though. Seeing what's actually selling tells you that it isn't about talent. it's about
manufactured sound, beat, and attitude. And sex, evidently. Well maybe that's part of the attitude.
So we just have to be glad she's got producers who know how to produce what record buyers want.

Well the Pussycat Dolls have sold 2.2 million albums so far and all they do is put out one catchy song after the other.

I'm not sure what I think a good number is.  I think 2 million is probably what she needs to get to in order to be viewed as a "success".

Does anyone wonder why so much money gets spent on these producers these days?  It's all about the sound, the beat, etc, etc.  The voice is an added bonus.  That doesn't mean the voice doesn't matter.  The better the singer, the more you can do with them but...it isn't a requirement to do pretty well.  Is that kinda sad?  Yeah, it is.

I'm stunned when I see the Pussycat Dolls perform.  And you'd think that would be a strong suit for them but I prefer to hear them on the radio over watch them.  Which sounds absurd.  I just don't think they work the song with what they do very well.  They don't dance as well as I would expect them too.

But yeah if they can do 2.2 million...with Katharine's talent and the producers she's working with...you'd think she could top that but I almost don't want to jinx it.