Idol Chatter & Voice Views

We’re only two days into October, and one former American Idol finalist already wants us to think Christmas.

Katharine McPhee announced the release of her new Christmas album Friday. You can pre-order the album now at Amazon.com. When I checked this morning, the price was $8.99.

Of course, Kat is just the latest in a pretty long line of Idols to release a Christmas album. Last year, we were treated to one from David Archuleta.

In her announcement of the album — which comes out Oct. 12 — Kat says the title track is a rarely-covered song originally recorded by Billy Squier in 1981 called “Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You.”

But she says the album will also include Christmas classics like “O Holy Night,” “This Christmas” and a medley of “Away In A Manger”/”O Little Town Of Bethlehem.”

Oh, and she also has an original on the album.

Hey, and check out Kat’s hair on the album cover.

That’s right, guys. After going blonde for her underwhelming second album (“Unbroken”) earlier this year, Kat is back to being a brunette, albeit with a much shorter hair style.