However, Kelly Clarkson has been my platonic lover since her days on AI. I only ever watched that season, to be honest. It just got painful after that. But Kelly was cute and likable and accessible right from the start. Plus, um, HELLO the bitch can sing! Its just simple talent. Its...goosebumps when she hits her high register or when she warbles down in the gutter talent. Love her.
I have loved all her albums to date; although the previous, My December was not well received, I think I was only slightly fond of three songs. The rest I thought were brillaint and I was glad she got to make the album because it spoke to me and likely a lot of others and obviously, Clive Davis was attempting to keep that silenced. LOSER. It did not have the commercial success that Breakaway did however I thought it had more in way of range and maturity, more selection. I missed the tour because of all the shenanigans that Davis pulled at the time, but this time it shall not be missed.
Kelly came roaring back this year with a new single, My Life Would Suck Without You, that while sounds akin to Since You Been Gone, I feel is even better. I loved it and it was one of the most added singles all year. Way to prove em wrong, Kell.
Album, All I Ever Wanted, released in the spring and was even more diverse than the last. Normally a good thing, however I was sort of lost on about a quarter of the album. It was hit and miss for me; thankfully when it was hit, it was a hard hit and I loved it and wanted to keep the song on repeat. Let's break this down, shall we?1.My Life Would Suck Without You.
Um..yes best song this year, I think. I effing loved it and the video that accompanied it. Kelly was at her sassy best from the very first line and she doesn't let up until the last kicking bar. The beat is layered with lots of stuff to hear and of course her upper register is always killer. I love, love, love this song!
2.I Do Not Hook Up.
Sounding much like a prequel to My Life...Kells lets her man in waiting know that he's met his match, again from the first line. She always lets you know whats up one or two lines in. The fun guitars and synths, paired with her even more fun melody is completely awesome. Again as is the video. Kells is a badass here, pure and simple. An honest badass with killer pipes.
3.Cry.
No Kelly album is complete without a self deprecating heart wrenching ballad. Evident in Cry. She always sings of long gone wrong, even sometimes right, but she's never the heroine that so many other rock tarts are; she keeps it realistic and almost masochistic and takes most the blame. Guitars again and soaring vocals make me want to cry as I listen to her. I just dig the humble self-loathing because its so real.
4.Don't Let Me Stop You.
Guitars kick it up a notch here, with a steady catchy Rhythm and a fast paced melody. Kells kicks it up vocally too however while I love the song, she loses me with some of the lyric breaks and the choice to sing over herself. However I do LOVE the song and it's likely in my top 3 of the album. Its not her at her feisty best but its catchy and you love her for being brave and blunt.
5.All I Ever Wanted.
The title track always seems to let me down. The beat is unlike anything I've heard Kells sing along to before so that might be it; its spunky and kind of metallic. Its almost too bouncy and I feel like the vocals are just overdone. Even the content is a little drab here. Also mentioning the title track; the packaging itself was annoying at best; I think Kells is b-e-a-utiful and I thought the too-glossy packaging was just not right for her, although she claims she wanted everything to look bright and fun like candy. Moving on.
6.Already Gone.
Loves me some meloncholy Kells, I do. She just speaks the truth, she preaches it. In Already Gone she's letting her s/o know that their relationship is fairly doomed and they both know it. Always wanting to bear the burden she lays it out and then decides to be the one to make the choice no one ever has to make. Loves it. Her voice is haunting on this track and I feel some of her pain, literally. The arrangement is lofty and airy and light and for me, it works. It could have gone wrong, but it works.
7.If I Can't Have You.
A frantic danceble track that to me hardly belongs anywhere near a Kelly Clarkson album. I just don't buy into it, knowing her influences, knowing her previous work; it just doesn't quite seem to connect here. Also the content is so anti-Kells its nearly laughable because she's hardly ever the needy, latch on girl unlike so many others.
8.Save You.
Haunting. Just haunting and again the arrangements here are sky-high airy and just so different than anything else on the radio. Which makes me love it. Its Kells the self sacrificing savior here, wanting to ease another's pain, their worry and I buy it, I believe it which is what makes the song work.
9.Whyyouwannabringmedown.
Odd title choice aside, I give her credit for trying something entirely new. I love the lyrics, actually and I want to love the song. But I don't. Its too messy and unfocused for me to really enjoy, but I feel like she had a good time making it, and that nearly makes up for it. Nearly.
10.Long Shot.
Best. Song. Ever. Not only is this me to a T, in spades mind you, but it's just a brilliant piece of work as far as I am concerned. The frantic pace of her delivery and the overwhelming layered vocals and the strings and the guitar...and yes. I efffing love it, everything about it. The content, the soulnesess of it. I just adore it and am right now listening to it for the third time. In as many minutes. HAH!
11.Impossible.
I am not against her branching out in totally different ways and Impossible is my proof. Its another song that sounds unlike anything on the radio right now and that in itself is refreshing. Kells still mildly self deprecating but just enough that you aren't tired of it yet and instead you find yourself wanting to do nothing but reassure her that it is possible. It has so many layers to it, I can't even get into it.
12.Ready.
It's a jolly frolicking number. Her vocals are swoon worthy. Its all I can really say about this track because I simply do not connect with it. Not sure why, I just don't.
13.I Want You.
Fun, if nothing else, I Want You allows Kells to let her guard down and seek that which she wants most: Love. She lets herself enjoy something as superfluous as a silly boy and we enjoy it with her. Not a strong track overall, but really with a voice like that she could sing anything and I personally would enjoy it. Seriously. Write a song about Popcorn, Kells and I'll adore it I'm sure.
14.If No One Will Listen.
Penned and played almost entirely by Kells, you feel almost as if you're reading her journal. For that personal touch and her heartbreaking vocals, I adore it. It's just this side of sappy though and so its almost a fail, but again..POPCORN, folks. As long as she's singing it, pretty much I adore it!
Overall its a stellar album, a melting pot of style and delivery and likely will be successful enough to erase the supposed weak performance of My December [it sold over 2 mil. bad performance, really?]. I highly suggest everyone go pick it up. I mean now. It's the PERFECT album for summer, for driving around with the volume cranked or for those long road trips we all want to take this summer. Enjoy!
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