Artist of the Week- Kelly Clarkson

With the recent announcement of the new judges on American Idol, what a better way to celebrate than naming Kelly Clarkson our Artist of the Week. Clarkson made headlines by winning the first ever American Idol. American Idol recently announced Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler as the new judges.

Clarkson was born and raised in Texas and gained fame as the first winner of the American Idol contest in 2002. Idol gave Clarkson a platform for her voice as she won over fans all across the US. At the time, Idol was a phenomenon and gained much popularity. Clarkson was the underdog and won over the hearts of Idol’s loyal fans.

After winning the prize, Clarkson went into the recording studio to work on her solo debut. In 2003, Clarkson released her debut album Thankful. The album was a hit on the pop charts, selling over three million albums worldwide. The album featured the same bubble gum pop sound that made Clarkson a household name. The pop sound wasn’t really what Clarkson had in mind, but hey, when you go from being broke to an overnight music sensation, you’d probably do the same. The album featured new material and covers. “Miss Independent” and “Moments Like This” were the singles released from the album. The album was favorably received amongst music critics.

Wanting to shed her bubble gum pop image, Clarkson hit the studio and in 2004, she had more control over the music and later that year she released her sophomore album Breakaway. The album was appropriately titled because it was a far cry from her last album. The album tackled some deep issues, and it was thought by some that it was the wrong direction for the American Idol. The fans spoke and overwhelming approved of the album. To date, Breakaway is Clarkson’s highest selling album, selling over six million albums worldwide. “Since U Been Gone,” “Breakaway,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Because of You” were all Top 10 hits for Clarkson. The album also won two Grammy’s. Not too shabby for a farm girl from Texas.

In June 2007, Clarkson released her third album, My December. With having more control than the second album, the album was much darker than her previous albums. This album came with some controversy. Record Exec Clive Davis disapproved of the album and wanted to make significant changes to it. Clarkson, who was a very marketable singer, insisted on keeping the “dark” side of the album. She had every intention of releasing the album, even if it meant she had to fight her own label to do so. Clarkson has never been afraid to speak her mind. She is passionate about her music and will defend it to the end. Although the album wasn’t as successful as the first two albums, My December did fairly well, selling nearly three million records.

In 2009, Clarkson released her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted. This is probably her best effort of her three previous albums. The album had a mixture of pop, ballads and rock. It showed off Clarkson’s versatility as a singer and as a writer. Although the album has sold less than one million albums here in the U.S., the album is one of her finest works! Currently Clarkson is in the studio working on her fifth studio album.

What is in store for this talented singer? What will her next album sound like? Will it be a success? Who knows? One thing is for certain, Clarkson will have full control over every inch of her next record. Whatever happens, Clarkson will be satisfied to know that it will be on her terms, and not the terms of others! This week we salute Miss Independent for her insistence to express HER voice!

Top 5 Songs

1. Since U Been Gone

2. Chivas

3. Already Gone

4. Break Away

5. Behind These Hazel Eyes

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