NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Former "American Idol" standout Katharine McPhee says new amateur singers on the U.S. TV series should realize who they are as artists beforehand.
McPhee, who finished second on the fifth season of "Idol," admitted her career goals before her "Idol" appearance were focused around a possible acting career instead of a place in the music industry, the New York Post reported Sunday.
"Know who you are as an artist," McPhee said. "I just really went on the show because I wanted to be an actress. I thought it would be a vehicle to make a name for myself."
Now McPhee has recently released her second album since her "Idol" days and the 25-year-old says the album, "Unbroken," includes songs about personal aspects of her life.
"It was definitely a journey, this record," McPhee told the Post.
McPhee said the second album comes after she fell into a slump after signing with Universal subsidiary Verve Forecast.
"I had this incredible label and this incredible support, but I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do," she admitted of her time after parting ways with RCA.
