NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Although Kellie Pickler’s first album garnered three hits, went gold and made the singer a certified country star, it wasn’t the debut she would have crafted had she had her own way.
“Small Town Girl,” released in 2006, was put together in a hurry to capitalize on her sudden fame from being one of the finalists on “American Idol.” Pickler was working on songs over the phone with Nashville co-writers while on an “Idol” tour and didn’t have much input on the CD’s direction.
“It was so rushed and, honestly, now that it’s out and I can be honest about it, there are songs on there I would never even cut,” said the North Carolina native She doesn’t have those concerns with her new self-titled sophomore effort — an album that is arguably the introduction to the real Kellie Pickler. The 22-year-old picked the producer, the songs and even the cover art of the new CD. She also co-wrote half the 10 tracks.
“It’s so good to finally say ‘Here I am! This is the real me, the real deal,’ ” said Pickler.
While Pickler’s first album may not have been all she wanted, it was a pretty impressive debut nonetheless. It went to No. 1 on the country chart and established her as one of the more successful “Idols.”
Of course, one of country music’s biggest superstars is “Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, who took the crown in 2005. When Pickler made her debut a year later, there were plenty of comparisons. Her sound is country-pop, not unlike Underwood’s. Both women are also petite blonds with powerful voices.
But David Scarlett, senior editor of “Country Weekly” magazine, said Pickler has shown she has her own sound. “Some comparisons are hard to escape, but they sing different types of songs in many respects,” said Scarlett. “And when you hear one on the radio, you know who it is.”
Pickler has grown up during her short time in the limelight. Before “Idol,” the former waitress lived a relatively provincial life — she’d never been on an airplane or traveled far from home.
Suddenly, the private details of her life — her father going to prison, her mother abandoning her as a baby — were very public. And while she had a bubbly charm, she also became defined as ditzy, thanks to a litany of memorable, Jessica Simpson-like gaffes.
Today, she says she was just being herself — a young woman of 19 who’d never had much opportunity. She’s been trying to make up for lost time by traveling, meeting different people and getting more comfortable in the limelight.
“It was very hurtful at first. I couldn’t believe that people would say such harsh things,” said Pickler, who has a habit of speaking before thinking. “It’s like people forgot I’m a normal person.”
