A Fatigued Kelly Clarkson Still Shines in Concert
I’m a cynical college kid. Since I left home, my iTunes collection has grown progressively more depressing and obscure, and I’m damn proud of it. But when I’m in the car, and Kelly Clarkson’s popalicious breakup anthem Since U Been Gone starts playing on the radio, my collegiate scowl fades, I pump up the volume, and I find myself singing along with a silly grin on my face.
So when a group of friends invited me to see Kelly Clarkson in concert on her “Addicted” tour, I resisted…until their discovery of an extra ticket miraculously coincided with a lonely, prospectless Friday evening. Let’s face it: I’ve never kowtowed to the likes of Britney Spears or plastered my bedroom with boy-band pinups, but I can’t deny the infectiousness of pop music altogether.
Especially when you’re talking about a pop icon like Kelly Clarkson, who can actually put on a decent show. Armed with her sultry, powerful voice, Clarkson is the only pop princess nowadays who can sell out a venue without having to put on a theatrical production. Most pop stars sound considerably worse live, and they compensate with choreography and costumes. But Clarkson pulls off a solid live performance – that’s why she dared to release a live recording of Beautiful Disaster on her latest studio album, Breakaway. She belts out her hits, she croons her ballads – end of story. When you’ve got a voice like Clarkson’s, minimalism is the way to go, and it works.
I also have to credit Clarkson for expanding her identity beyond what her American Idol victory granted her. When American Idol ended, Clarkson was best known as the singer of A Moment Like This, the sappy ballad that had been written for the show’s winner. For her sophomore release, Breakaway, Clarkson took a more rock-oriented approach, highlighting her band and experimenting with more forceful vocals without losing the girl-next-door sweetness that drew audiences to her in the first place.
And her new rockstar-diva attitude was in full force when she performed that Friday. Her well-rehearsed band sounded exactly like it did in her recordings, complementing her smooth, feminine voice with grinding guitar solos and steady drumbeats in songs like Since U Been Gone, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Walk Away. American Idol did not cross my mind once as I watched her sing.
While her performance was solid, Clarkson was audibly bored of her songs, which sounded hoarse and compromised. When she broke out into one of her singles, you could hardly hear her over the hundreds of high-pitched female voices that permeated every crevice of the amphitheater. But it’s gotta count for something that even a fatigued Clarkson can get that many people excited about her music. Clarkson’s got a lot of potential – the next step toward achieving it may be to start penning more of her own songs (we must applaud her for co-writing half of the songs on her new album). That kind of creative autonomy will give her the passion it takes to make it through a grueling tour without getting hoarse.
Artist Info
Most Popular Songs: A Moment Like This, Miss Independent, Breakaway, Since U Been Gone, Behind These Hazel Eyes, Walk Away
Favorite Artists: Michael Bolton, Reba McIntyre
Favorite Song: Kissing You by Des’ree
Cool Quotes
“If I can wake up everyday before I die and know that I don’t have to serve anyone food or drinks, I will be happy!”
“Like every other girl in the world, my most embarrassing moment had to do with a guy completely turning me down. His loss!”
“Everyone says I’m like the girl next door...Y’all must have really weird neighbors!”
“I never said I was a ‘good girl.’ I’m not a bad girl. I’m just normal, and that’s what I’m going to be. There’s no bad girl with whips and chains that’s going to come out. I think people like me because I was myself.”
More…
Albums
- Breakaway
- Thankful
- Breakaway (import)
- Walk Away (single)
- Because of You, Pt. 2 (single)
- Behind These Hazel Eyes, Pt. 2 (single)
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