Kelly Clarkson: Authentic music idol tonight!
With American Idol’s forte for having the best live performers every week, who better to rock Araneta Center live tonight at 8 than Kelly Clarkson, the queen of American Idol! This authentic diva has won the Grammy Awards and still holds the record for most Idol alumni albums that sold 23 million worldwide. As Simon Cowell succinctly put it, Idol was lucky to have her. This has been no small feat for any artist as Kelly evolves and changes in every album and endeavor. Yet, the fans continue to follow her like a millennium Madonna minus the uber controversy and the botox.
It is because Kelly has that soulful voice that has been described to demand attention. Calling her taste eclectic is an understatement. She doesn’t stick to one genre and like a chameleon, blends in to sell a song with her phrasing and emotion. Her Idol run has shown glimpses of her knack to blend in with a song without rearranging or beat boxing it. Her first album “Thankful” was an R&B album with pop-belting pageantry that reflected what endeared her to audiences after she got the American Idol crown at 22. What the world didn’t know was that this sweet Texan girl’s got so much musicality in her. After breaking away with her second album aptly titled “Breakaway,” a pop rock success, Kelly sang Ave Maria for Pope Benedict XVI in his US visit and went on a country tour with her own idol Reba McEntire. Her third album called “My December” was her foray in Foo Fighters grunge territory that shook her A Moment Like This gushy girl image. Her latest album with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder called “All I Ever Wanted” is a chewy modern bubble pop gum album.
And she is the only Idol who can transition so naturally without missing a beat or a pop vocal Grammy. With such unpredictable talent, who is Kelly now? Find out tonight at Araneta Center live at 8 p.m. If we are lucky, she’ll even add her Kings of Leon cover of Use Somebody or White Stripe’s Seven Nation Army to her performance.
If you are still confused on the different shades of Kelly, we got a quick guide below on this authentic diva.
Pop Pageant Kelly
Before there was Charice, there was Kelly Clarkson who belted her way to success with a five-octave A Moment Like This and The Trouble with Love Is for the Love Actually soundtrack. The album “Thankful” hinted of our diva’s angst with Low but was primarily sweetened by her Miss Independent about a tough girl loosening her love defenses. It was a cheesy stage, but it showed the world what her producer Dr. Luke calls “Lance Armstrong lungs.” breakaway-uk.jpg Breakaway Kelly
Kelly eased into pop rock mode with her second album and got a mega hit with Since You’ve Been Gone and Because of You. It proved our diva isn’t always love-struck and could be happy after a breakup. Also, her ballads solidified how she could be so emotionally invested in a song.
Break Up Kelly
My December came after a bad breakup and Kelly needed some release. What we got were some darker subjects with titles like Judas and Irvine, talking to God about depression. Pretty heavy but hauntingly beautiful at same time. Look for the bonus track Not Today if you are a Foo Fighters fan.
Bubblegum Kelly
All I Ever Wanted is surely ecletic in sound but mostly a modern bubblegum album. It is chewy and fun to see that Kelly is over her My December depression. Look for Ready and I Want You, it’s got the Wondergirls vibe with the vocal chops, of course.
Unplugged Kelly
Personally, her raw and unplugged moments are Kelly’s best, like her duet with Jeff Beck in Up to the Mountain on Idol Gives Back. It was honest and solidified her as the reigning queen of American Idol. It is impossible not listen to her siren call. I’m still praying for her unplugged album that showcases what a natural talent she is.
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Happy Birthday to Kelly Clarkson! Her birthday was last April 24.
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“Kelly Clarkson Live in Manila” is presented by The Philippine STAR, Jag, myDSL Watch-Pad, and ABS-CBN.
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E-mail me at readnow@supreme.ph.
