Grammy winning pop superstar Kelly Clarkson is currently on the summer leg of her fantastic Stronger summer tour and she has picked up where her spring tour left off by playing fan requests each night. The Duets star has tackled everyone from Coldplay to Barbra Streisand, the Foo Fighters and Heart and in her recent concerts, she took on two of her contemporaries, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. The results were naturally astonishing as Kelly utterly destroyed the other two ladies with brilliant versions of their hits “Everytime” and “Wide Awake” that showcased Clarkson’s amazing vocals. Check out both tracks below and Katy and Britney, please take note, this is how you sing live! … Also, head to Kelly’s website here for more deets on her tour and I’ll fill you in on my experience seeing her tonight at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl. I can’t wait!!! My life would suck without Kelly Clarkson!
Grammy winning former American Idolwinner Kelly Clarkson is having a banner year. She just finished the first leg of her incredibly successful Stronger tour and is prepping a summer/fall leg now. Her album, Stronger, is nearing platinum status and yielded two top ten multi-format smashes, “Mr. Know It All” (which is now in the country top 30!) and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”. The latter single hit # 1 on the Hot 100 Singles Chart, Pop Chart, Radio Songs Airplay Chart, Digital Songs Chart, Hot AC chart, Dance Club Play Chart and is currently at # 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It has also become her biggest selling digital download single of her career with over 3 million units shifted and growing. Congrats Kelly! Now, she is prepping the third single from her hit recored entitled “Dark Side”. This mid-tempo song contains another beautiful vocal and a wonderful empowerment theme that should resonate with her fans. She just performed it on the Billboard Awards and the Dancing with the Stars finale and it goes to radio next week. Now, the new video has hit the internet. Check the wonderful and moving clip below, and don’t forget to watch Kelly on her own new singing competition Duets Thursdays on ABC.
Tonight, another singing show hits the airwaves with ABC’s Duets. I have high hopes for this one which pairs singing superstars with regular folk in an ultimate competition to get one of their duet partners a record deal. I’m excited for several reasons:
1. The judges are also in on the competition and will be singing for their lives!
2. The judges are awesome Grammy winners Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland and John Legend.
3. The concept is great as there are no stupid spinning chairs, ridiculous producer manipulation and it’s only a 6 week run.
4. You know the performances are going to be amazing based on the first taste below…
Check out the 4 judges/competitors singing Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You” below. It’s awesome and they all have wonderful chemistry with each other that is natural and genuine. Looks like they will be leaving the egos at the door (hello Voice judges, you might want to try that)…. As for who might win, I’d give the edge to American Idol‘s Clarkson who knows a thing or two about winning a reality show. But check it out for yourself and see who your favorite is tonight at 8pm on ABC.
Tonight I have the distinct pleasure of attending the Kelly ClarksonStronger tour. I am so excited, it’s kinda ridiculous. This will be my fourth time seeing Kelly live and she’s just incredible. Her vocals are as astounding as ever going all the way back to winning the inaugural season of American Idol. Since then, she has sold over 21 million albums worldwide with all of them hitting the top 3 on the Billboard200 Album Chart. Her singles have sold over 19 million downloads in the U.S. alone and she has 10 Top Ten Singles and 3 # 1 Songs on the Hot 100. She’s also been nominated for 6 Grammy Awards and won 2 of them. Let’s be honest and just admit, she’s pretty amazing. So, tonight I will have the time of my life at her concert. With that said, I thought I would count down Kelly’s albums and official singles. Take a look at my choices and let me know yours. Then, watch for Kelly’s Stronger tour to hit a town near you soon, plus catch her on The Voice as a mentor, on American Idol next week performing on the results show and on the new singing competition series Duetsthis summer on ABC.
Ranking Kelly Clarkson’s Albums:
5. My December (# 2, 2007) * I admire this record for Kelly getting gritty and making the music she wanted. Alas, it was less pop driven and has become her least successful record to date.
4. Thankful ( # 1, 2003) * her debut album was a smash selling over 2.7 million records. I just wish there had been better singles chosen to maximize its potential.
3. All I Ever Wanted (# 1, 2009) * this “comeback” album was pop perfection yielding several hits and a Grammy nomination for Pop Album.
2. Stronger (# 2, 2011) * her current smash should figure big in next year’s Grammy race and has so many songs with hit potential, it’s ridiculous. Get the extended version too people!
1. Breakaway (# 3 , 2004) *it’s by far her biggest album selling over 6.2 million copies. And how weird that it is her lowest charting record! It’s also her best album with 5 giant hits and it won 2 Grammys for Pop Album and Pop Female Vocal.
My Top 20 Favorite Kelly Clarkson Singles:
20. “All I Ever Wanted” (Top 20 Hot AC, # 96 Hot 100, 2010))
19. “The Trouble with Love Is” (Top 20 AC, 2003)
18. “Because of You” (duet with Reba McEntire) (# 2 Country hit, # 50 Hot 100, 2007)
17. “Low” (Top 40 pop, Hot AC, # 58 Hot 100, 2003)
16. “Up to the Mountain” (*special live recording from Idol Gives Back hit # 56 on the Hot 100, 2007)
15. “I Do Not Hook Up” (Top Ten Pop, Hot AC, # 20 Hot 100, 2009)
14. “Never Again” (Top 20 Pop, Hot AC, Top Ten Dance, # 8 Hot 100, 2007)
13. “Walk Away” (Top Ten Pop, Top Five Hot AC, Dance, Top 20 AC, # 12 Hot 100, 2006)
12. “A Moment Like This/ Before Your Love” (Top 5 Pop, AC, # 1 Hot 100, 2002)
11. “Behind These Hazel Eyes” (# 1 Hot AC, # 2 Pop, Top 15 AC, # 6 Hot 100, 2005)
10. “Miss Independent” (# 1 Pop, Top 15 Hot AC, # 9, 2003)
9. “Sober” (2007, just missed charting but was featured on several TV shows like Smallville. This is one of her best and most underrated ballads. The vocals are just aching and brilliant)
8. “Breakaway” (# 1 Hot AC, Top 5 Pop, # 1 AC for 21 weeks, # 6 Hot 100, 2004)
7. “Mr. Know It All” (# 1 Hot AC, Top 5 AC, Top Ten Pop, # 10 Hot 100, 2011… currently the country version just hit the Top 40 on the Country chart and is available on iTunes today)
6. “My Life Would Suck Without You” (Top 5 Pop, Hot AC, Top Ten AC, # 1 Hot 100, 2009)
5. “Already Gone” (# 1 Hot AC for 8 weeks, Top Five Pop, # 3 AC, # 13 Hot 100, 2009)
4. “Because of You” (# 1 Pop, AC, Hot AC, # 7 Hot 100, 2005)
3. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (# 1 Pop, Hot AC, Dance, Top Ten AC and climbing, # 1 Hot 100, 2012)
2. “Since U Been Gone” (# 1 Pop, Hot AC, Dance, Top Ten AC, # 2 Hot 100, 2005)
1. “Don’t You Wanna Stay” w/Jason Aldean (2010, # 1 country, top 5 AC, Top 10 Hot AC, Top 30 Pop, # 31 Hot 100, over 2 million downloads sold)
And here are my favorite songs that weren’t released as singles….
“Beautiful Disaster” (2003), “Just Missed the Train”(2003) “Anytime”(2003), “Gone” (2005), “Where is Your Heart” (2005), “Don’t Waste Your Time” (2007), “Cry” (2009), “If I Can’t Have You” (2009), “I’m Ready” (2009)
And from her current album:
“Dark Side” (which is set to be the next single actually), “I Found You”, “You Love Me”, “The Sun Will Rise”, “Alone”, “Standing In Front of You”
As ya’ll know, Grammy winning singer Kelly Clarkson is charging along on her Stronger tour (hitting LA in two weeks when I will see her!!!) and each night she is doing a special cover song suggested by her fans. Last night, she took on a big one~ The Beatles’ “Oh Darling”, and the results were predictably fantastic. Check out Kelly’s incredible vocals (and how cute she is when they have to restart it) on this wonderful cover, and head to Kelly’s website for more on her tour. Also, keep a watch out for Kelly on The Voiceas Blake Shelton‘s mentor, on her new singing competition show Duets this summer on ABC and returning to American Idol on April 5th to perform a track from her massive smash album Stronger.
