| |
Happygrrl of the Month:
Kelly Clarkson...
YOU WANTED TO KNOW
OF INTEREST
The Happygrrl of the Month title is given to a cool chick who exemplifies the true essence of being a Happygrrl. Which means that she possesses independence, a sense of humour, and a slightly neurotic side.
Our Happygrrl of the Month is…Kelly Clarkson.
I know it’s passé to like an “American Idol” contestant, but there’s just something about this starry-eyed Texan winner that’s hard to resist. The 25-year-old went from obscurity to instant star with the help of the American public, and pop music hasn’t been the same since.
Let’s rewind to 2002. It’s the first season of “American Idol.” Sets are a little cheaper, celebrity judges and performers are virtually unheard of, and North Americans are introduced to the addictive qualities of the newest breed of competitive reality television. With any unscripted show, who we root for is dependent on the way the show is edited. Big personalities like Christina Christian, Tamyra Gray, and Paula Abdul’s personal man-candy, Justin Guarini (the "premier vocalist" as per his website. Really?), consistently received airtime and the judges’ praises. It wasn’t until the top ten was announced that audiences finally noticed Kelly Clarkson. In fact, during the top thirty performances, callous judge Simon Cowell famously admitted that he had no idea who Clarkson was, but was nevertheless a force to be reckoned with.
Week after week, Clarkson delivered near-perfect technical performances, but it was the small glimpses of her personality, via cheesy segments on Jumbotron, that made America fall in love with this sweet, unpretentious girl next door. On the finale, watched by over 22 million viewers, Clarkson was crowned 2002’s "American Idol."
Although Clarkson had some obvious missteps (From Justin to Kelly quickly comes to mind, for which she earned two Razzie nominations), her stock has continued to rise. Thankful, her first studio album after her “American Idol” win, made a strong debut and gave her a number of hits. But it was with 2004’s Breakaway that Clarkson finally reached her potential. Unlike Thankful, Breakaway swerved from the shiny facade of “American Idol” pop ballads and inoffensive radio-friendly tracks. With a deeper involvement in songwriting and development, Clarkson produced a rawer album that not only showcased her soulful range, but also made the public realize that she was more than a two-dimensional one-hit wonder.
The saccharine “A Moment Like This” might have been her first signature song, but the rocker “Since U Been Gone” is her anthem. Angry, in control, and not afraid to show it, Clarkson delivers an impassioned performance about empowerment in the face of a bad relationship. The slower rock ballad, “Breakaway,” featured on the Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack, became a massive hit among the pre-teen generation, but also had the distinction of appealing to adults as well. Then came “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” another rock-based track where Clarkson was able to showcase her darker side. These brooding edges almost surely guaranteed us that we’d never be subjected to another “Before Your Love” from her.
Even though she’s had many multi-platinum hits, it’s the heartbreaking “Because of You” that Clarkson holds near and dear. Penned as a way to deal with her parents’ divorce, the song became an enormous hit and resonated with people worldwide. It’s the song that Lindsay Lohan had probably wished she’d written instead of the empty, lesser "Confessions of a Broken Heart." Admittedly, I never thought much of the song on its initial release, but came around when it was re-released as a duet with Clarkson’s own idol, Reba McIntyre. It seems that others agree; Clarkson scored numerous awards for her single, including an MTV Award for Best Female Music Video and a prestigious ASCAP Music Award for Song of The Year.
But like all success stories, the road hasn’t been a smooth ride. Clarkson came under fire several times for her outspoken behaviour, which includes frankly speaking about the pressure to lose weight (she disagrees). But whether you agree or not, it’s refreshing to see someone take control of her career and stand ground in the face of the heavy-handed music industry.
The first sound off came from Simon Cowell, the man who played a large part in making Clarkson a household name. When Clarkson refused to allow contestants of “American Idol” to mangle her songs during the show’s audition rounds, Cowell had a fit, griping, “It's like saying to every person who voted for you, 'You know what? Thank you. I'm not interested in you anymore.’” Clarkson’s decision to hold on to her songs should come as no surprise to anyone who’s followed the young singer’s career – it’s been obvious since she belted out the last note of her contractual obligations that she’s wanted to distance herself from the machinations of “American Idol.” Despite the public support, Clarkson’s people eventually relented and allowed the show to abuse her songs.
More recently, Clarkson came under fire when she butted heads with studio honcho Clive Davis over her latest album, My December, which features a bleaker sound and, as Clarkson admits, was mostly written about a cheating ex who broke her heart.
Creative differences led to discontent between the two, and her album was shelved for months before release. In a candid interview with Blender Magazine, Clarkson said of the clash, “I was like, I don’t know you very well, and I am not a bullshitter. I get you don’t like the album. You’re 80 [Davis is actually 75]; you’re not supposed to like my album. I said, ‘Clive, I’m going to make tons of albums. It doesn’t have to be mainstream every time.’ Then he kept bringing up people he’s worked with. ‘You’re a Whitney! You’re a Mariah!’ ‘First of all, Mariah writes a lot of her stuff. Secondly, I don’t want a career like either one of those singers. That’s why it’s hard for us to make an album: You don’t know me! You don’t know what I like, and you don’t know what my fans like.’” Is this just a case of an insolent child biting the hand that feeds her? Or is it that the singer who once sang “Miss Independent” is now actually taking her own advice?
Industry “insiders” on Clarkson’s side have cited Davis’ egomaniacal control over his artists, as well as his insistence on choosing Clarkson’s singles (which, sadly enough, included a suggestion for a song that was previously recorded by Lindsay Lohan), as to why she fought for creative rights on My December. What people may not know is that Clarkson has already penned or co-penned most of the hits on Breakaway, including “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Walk Away,” as well as “Because of You,” which Davis allegedly openly mocked at staff meetings before realizing its success. To top it off, Clarkson did not try to renegotiate her contract with the music label, instead choosing to retain creative control in lieu of the faint possibility that she’d become a starving artist. And in a surprising twist of kindness, Simon Cowell has offered small support for the singer, saying, “Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do…if it works out, fantastic. If she then decides she wants to do a pop album, every good writer and producer wants to work with her. Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now…she’s not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her.”
The public blow-up between the singer and the music mogul overshadowed My December’s release. Although its first single, “Never Again,” failed to catch on, My December still had a strong debut at number two on the Billboard charts, and is not the fantastic failure that Clive Davis predicted (to put things in perspective, Breakaway debut at number three on its initial release, and stayed on charts for a full year). “Never Again” was the newly turned leaf in Clarkson’s career, and features scathing lyrics and a hard edged rock sound difficult to imagine coming out of an “American Idol” winner. “Never Again” may not be her strongest single to date, but knowing about her behind-the-scenes sacrifices puts the song in a whole new perspective.
“Sober” will be Clarkson’s second single, and like its predecessor, may alienate fans that previously loved the happy, pop-rock sounds of Breakaway. Still, “Sober” is a lesson in heartbreak, and features some of the most genuine lyrics in pop music to date, not to mention a gloriously belted ending that perfectly captures the frustrations and pangs of losing a love. Those who came to see Clarkson as a sweet-faced, innocent teen will have to get used to a mature, grown-up sound from a woman who’s not afraid to put it out there.
Clarkson is a perfect example of a fearless singer-songwriter who stumbles but never falls. She consistently puts her artistic integrity over fame, fortune, and easy hits. And that’s why, even if her albums fail to make boatloads of money or gain worldwide success, she’s always be tops in our books. ¤ C.Ho.