Thanks to the Idol deal, her early career unfolded under the stewardship of legendary label head Clive Davis. In real life, though, Clarkson started chafing at the impositions of the RCA label, and the constraints of being a “sweetheart” started showing. In 2005’s “ Behind These Hazel Eyes,” a worthy entry in the “ruin a wedding gown” genre, she plays both a bride falling into the mud and a rocker advising the bride to run, in what felt like an echo of her role as breakup guru. Her image drew mostly on the girl next door: from the cozy sweater on the Thankful cover to music videos that helped bring together the everywoman and the rock star. Her ballads became ubiquitous mood setters in movies: from gospel-flavored “The Trouble With Love” in 2003’s Love Actually, to the hummably nostalgic “Breakaway,” which appeared in the 2004 franchise blockbuster The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.Ī youthful edge came from Clarkson’s uptempo kiss-off bangers, like “Miss Independent” and “Since U Been Gone.” She rocked out on them, becoming an avatar of the "fine without you" sentiment that women the world over could sing along to at karaoke bars. While TRL’s teen queens were having fun marking their entry into womanhood with ass chaps and phallic snakes, Clarkson was accruing the biggest honorific this country gives a demure white woman: America’s sweetheart. The Idol launch - watched by 20 million people - put Clarkson in a slightly different lane, because the show was such a wholesome throwback to pre-MTV musical stardom. The generically inspirational lyrics felt timeless in a way that makes it easy to forget that Clarkson is a contemporary of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Yet the song, the musical equivalent of a Hallmark card - designed to fit in at weddings, graduations, beauty pageants - did its job: showcasing her range, from an airy upper register to growling bluesy undertones. “It’s not what I wanted to make a record like, and I didn’t want to confuse people. “That’s not a song I would’ve been like, ‘Can’t wait to sing that,’” she explained. “A Moment Like This” wasn’t Clarkson’s choice for a first single, as she recently told Howard Stern. Throughout, she’s stayed remarkably on brand as the people’s celebrity. She has traversed several different eras: adult contemporary ballad queen, premier purveyor of breakup anthems, musically versatile one-woman jukebox, and reviver of the era of the singing talk show host. And just being a finalist could be a boost: Neither Jennifer Hudson - who recently EGOTed - nor Queen vocalist Adam Lambert won their year’s contest.īut Clarkson has been the most adept alum, managing the peculiar mantle of being designated a mass appeal pop star without coming off as a trend-chaser or try-hard. 2005 winner Carrie Underwood went on to break records as a country act. There have been multiple Idol success stories, with other talented contestants parlaying their exposure into entertainment careers. But Clarkson’s own success has remained surprisingly long-lasting.
Twenty years since that debut season, the show has faded. 1 upon its release that September, and her album Thankful did too, establishing the Idol brand as a force to be reckoned with. Her voice caught on the line “I can’t believe it’s happening to me,” and it was like the then-small-town Burleson, Texas, server was telling her own story directly to the audience. As she performed “A Moment Like This,” the song designed to launch her career, the cameras focused on her teary-eyed parents. Her coronation that fall felt preordained.
“Cool beans,” she said repeatedly - to the judges and to herself, almost calming herself down as she went off to the finals.Īs a contestant, Clarkson delivered on the show’s promise: obvious vocal talent, versatility, relatability. Looking oddly club-ready in black pants and a top she had made out of old jeans, the 20-year-old hit every note of Etta James’ classic love ballad “ At Last.” Producers liked range, and she followed up by turning Madonna’s empowerment bop “Express Yourself” into an a capella showcase for her buttery vocals.
#BREAKAWAY KELLY CLARKSON LYRICS TV#
Bush was president, and that June, his fellow Texan Kelly Clarkson auditioned for a brand-new TV show called American Idol. 2002 feels like eons ago: The country was still in shock over 9/11, George W.
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