Katherine McPhee dispenses advice to the gays and dishes on her "Rainbow Connection" in the lastest issue of NightTimez, a LGBT Nightlife and Entertainment Guide serving the New England area (my old stompin' grounds).
Do you have a celebrity girl-crush?
Oh, yeah. It might be kind of cliché, and it's taken me some time to fully admit it, but Megan Fox is definitely my female crush just for physical appearances. Sometimes she's a little too vulgar for me with the things she says, but she's a gorgeous woman.
Since your debut album was released, two other American Idol runners-up have come out of the closet. Do you think gay contestants will feel more comfortable coming out during the competition now that there's an openly lesbian judge?
You don't need to wear your religion on your sleeve. The competition is not about your faith or your sexuality but about you as an artist. Look, I think everyone knew Adam Lambert was gay. I don't feel it was a big surprise, and I think Adam did the right thing by coming out with that Rolling Stone cover. He was just as flamboyant on the show as he is now, but anytime you say too much about your personal stuff, it can hinder you in the competition.
When did you first become conscious of your gay following?
I grew up in a very theatrical family, and my mom was a cabaret singer who trained a lot of gay students, so I was always around gay people, and it was a very natural thing for me. I also went to a musical theater program at Boston Conservatory, and all us girls had little gay followings even then. The musical theater boys had girls they called “fierce,” but they'd call me and my sister “McPhierce.” And years later when I performed at the gay club TigerHeat in L.A., the crowd was so awesome and high-energy that you would've thought I was Britney Spears!
Which track on Unbroken will your gay fans enjoy the most?
I know they'll love the one cover song, “Brand New Key.” It's by Melanie from the early '70s. It's a kooky song that's really fun to dance to, and it's the sort of song that people who weren't born before the '80s discover and say, “When did this ever exist?”
Are you aware of that song's alleged double meaning?
Yes, but it took me a little time to figure out. When we started working on it, I was like, “Yeah, there's definitely a sexual undertone here.” And that's fine with me!
Full interview at NightTimez.
