FOX
Kady Malloy is working on a demo of original songs.
Kady Malloy still gets asked to “do Britney.”
The Houston singer appeared on the seventh season of American Idol and quickly made her mark with dead-on impersonations of pop superstar Britney Spears, down to the breathy voice cracks. Malloy is also able to mimic Shakira, Rascal Flatts’ Gary LeVox and Cher — but Spears is the one that naturally stuck.
“It does come up a lot. Whenever somebody realizes who I am, they always go, ‘Do Britney!’” Malloy says with a laugh.
“I’ll do Britney. I don’t care. Now I have more songs to choose from. I love (Circus, Spears’ new album).”
But impersonations weren’t what got Malloy into Idol’s top 24. Simon Cowell said he had “a feeling” about her after the first audition. He dubbed Malloy “the best so far” and “super, super talented” after a smoky reading of Unchained Melody.
Things eventually took a downward turn. Malloy struggled with song choices, and the judges cited her lack of personality. She was cut one week shy of making the top 12. The new season premieres tonight on Fox.
“I think about it, of course. But I’m still just so shocked that it even happened. Now that it’s over, it really does seem like it was just a dream,” she says.
“I don’t regret making the choices that I did, but sometimes I wish I would’ve picked something else. I wish that I would’ve just gone with my gut a little bit more.”
Today, Malloy is back in town after a six-month stint in Oklahoma, and her hair is a darker brown. (She returned home during the holidays.) She graduated in 2007 from James E. Taylor High School and is still living by a longtime do-or-die attitude. No day jobs at Katy Mills Mall for her — though she loves partying at Rich’s nightclub, where her brother works as a doorman.
Malloy’s MySpace profile reads, “I’ve never had a backup plan, and I never will.”
“I didn’t have a job before Idol, so I didn’t get a job after Idol,” she says. “I decided not to go back to college. I would probably just be wasting my money. This is all I want to do.”
After leaving Idol, she met with reps in Nashville and New York but didn’t sign a deal. Malloy also tried her hand at country music alongside Alaina Whitaker, another Idol castoff, but decided the genre wasn’t for her.
There have been “a lot” of offers from indie labels, but Malloy is considering them carefully before jumping into a contract. She has more meetings next month in Miami. She has also scored opening gigs for Air Supply and Travis Tritt; performed at parties with Keith Anderson (“He’s really hot”) and Brooks & Dunn; and met Alice Cooper (“He’s really cool.”)
“I’m just exploring my options. I’m going to try and get the best (deal),” she says. “I’m trying to figure out what kind of sound I want. That’s the main problem I had (on Idol). I think I’m on my way.”
To that end, Malloy has taken to her MySpace page (myspace.com/kadymalloy) on her musical journey. She updates it regularly with original songs and pop covers recorded to karaoke tracks at West Side Recording Studio in Bellaire.
“Kady always brings in a positive attitude, (and) her voice is truly amazing,” says Tan Truong, who owns West Side.
“The first time I heard her on the mic, I was completely blown away and had goose bumps. She was not just recording, she was performing. I knew the potential in her abilities as an artist.”
Malloy previously worked at West Side as a digital graphic artist. Her latest addition is a cover of OneRepublic’s Apologize. The output has kept Malloy current for her “Kadettes.” She filmed a sweet video last summer for a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time as a gift for her fans. It features fellow Season 7 semifinalist Colton Berry, who is now living in Houston and performing with Masquerade Theatre.
Her MySpace page has racked up more than 1 million profile views and song plays. (By comparison, third-place finisher Syesha Mercado’s page has fewer than half as many hits.) Malloy is assembling a demo of original tunes she hopes will catch the right ears.
“I really want to make a really good album like Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway. Kind of pop but more on the rock side,” she says. “I really am just a rocker at heart, I think. I’m just going to embrace it and let it show.”
But not, of course, before catching her own idol onstage. Malloy’s best friend bought her tickets for Spears’ concert in March at Toyota Center.
“I’m so excited,” Malloy says, her voice rising into a squeal. “Wow — pretty much all I listen to is Britney Spears. I love Led Zeppelin a lot. Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen. I either listen to really old stuff or Britney Spears.”
joey.guerra@chron.com
Koraline is now 1 year old!!!
It has been a crazy time this month!
