Kelly for TTT

Hello, Tuesday!

And that means tunes! If there is anyone here who doesn't know about the initiative, here is the gist, and I quote from the initiator himself:

every Tuesday I pick three songs, sometimes all three from the same artist, sometimes three tunes from a particular genre, other times three songs from a certain country - you get the idea. I've always asked others to get involved and over the past few weeks, that is exactly what's happened, and we now have some ThreeTune regulars which is fantastic! The ask is to basically choose three songs to share. You can sing them or hum them or just pick three from an artist you love like I do, which is what most people do each week.^(src)

So yep, that's what Three Tune Tuesday (TTT) is. I don't recall exactly when I joined the triple-T tuners, but I find it a fun way to discover artists and music, so it has become a regular part of my Tuesdays.

And today's spotlight goes to Kelly Clarkson.

alt

She is a favorite way, way back in my 20s. She was a contestant in the first season of American Idol when I first met her. I was overseas at the time, and my pastime was watching talent and reality shows, NBA playoffs, etc. I still remember some of her songs - Since U Been Gone, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Because of You, to name a few. They were chart-toppers back in the mid-2000s.

I have to admit it's been ages since I really listened to her, and it was nice to do that again, this time, with a different style. The first tune below came into my feed, and I thought, "Whoa, so this is Kelly now."

Kelly Clarkson - Where Have You Been

The song was a new release this year (in May), the first for her own record label. This wasn't the Kelly I remember for sure. It's nice, quite a surprising transition. A fan commented that the artist is not making music for the young people, but for those who grew up with her. A critic also said, "The soul-baring lyrical content of the song was a painful reminder of abandonment." ^(src)

I do like the instrumentation, blending acoustic and electronic elements, complementing the singer's voice.

Anyway, the second tune below is a track from her 2011 album Stronger.

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

A US Billboard chart topper, the third for the artist. I love the upbeat and danceable rhythm. And of course, Clarkson's catchy and fun delivery.

Some facts about this song, according to Wiki:

It was originally titled "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)
It was inspired by the Friedrich Nietzsche adage, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
It topped 15 other Billboard charts ( Adult Pop Songs, Adult Contemporary, Hot Dance Club Songs, and Pop Songs charts) more than any of the singer's songs
Top 10 in the charts in over 15 countries
Had 3 Grammy Award nominations and a World Music nomination

Quite a hit indeed!

Meanwhile, the third tune was one of her signature songs. Breaking away from R&B, she transitioned into pop rock, released in 2004, and became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

The song won the artist her first Grammy Award and garnered more nominations. Per stats, it peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and remained in the top 20 for a year. She was credited for "landscaping the core sound of mainstream pop music as an uptempo dance-oriented sound in the 2000s." She was also Sony BMG's highest-selling act.

A big success, and yeah, that is the Kelly I remember. It was nice to listen to her again, after all these years.

^{Lead image is a screenshot from Where Have You Been. No copyright infringement intended. 14102025/20:23ph}