All I Ever Wanted | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 6, 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2008 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 50:28 (Standard) 58:49 (Deluxe) | |||
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Producer | ||||
Kelly Clarkson chronology | ||||
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Singles from All I Ever Wanted | ||||
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All I Ever Wanted is the fourth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on March 6, 2009, by RCA Records. After the controversies that surrounded her previous studio album, My December (2007), which was seen as much darker than her two previous albums, Clarkson went on to record a more pop-oriented album. In order to do so, she enlisted her previous collaborators Max Martin, Dr. Luke, (whom she worked with on her 2004 second album, Breakaway ), Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello (whom she worked with on her 2003 debut album Thankful ), and new collaborators, Ryan Tedder, Howard Benson and Dre & Vidal.
Originally entitled Masquerade, its title was changed due to the similarities to those of other albums released at the same time, such as Pink's Funhouse (2008) and Britney Spears's Circus (2008). All I Ever Wanted was considered lighter and less angry than her previous effort, though it also features pop rock and pop punk-inspired songs, as well as dance and soul. Its cartoon-colored artwork was criticized by reviewers and Clarkson herself for using too much Photoshop. All I Ever Wanted mainly deals with themes of romantic relationships, dignity, independence and emotional truthfulness.
The album received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, who praised her approach with mainstream music, without losing her identity and personality. Her vocals were also praised, but a few critics called the album "hackneyed" and "overworked". The album was also a success, debuting at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming her second to do so, and peaking inside the top-ten in more than ten countries. It was certified platinum in Australia and Canada, and gold in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Three singles were released from the album worldwide: "My Life Would Suck Without You" was the lead single and became Clarkson's second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and also the biggest leap to number one on the same chart; it also topped the charts of Canada and the United Kingdom. Its second single, "I Do Not Hook Up", fared well, though it was moderate in some countries, while the third, "Already Gone", was more successful but faced controversies due to its similarity to Beyoncé's "Halo"; both co-written and produced by Tedder. The album's title track was released as a radio single only in the U.S., while "Cry" was released only in selected territories. To promote the album, Clarkson embarked on the All I Ever Wanted Summer Fair Tour and the All I Ever Wanted Tour, between 2009 and 2010.
After her successful second studio album, Breakaway (2004), which gave her two Grammy Awards as well as other awards, four successful singles and over ten million copies sold, [5] Clarkson felt pressure from her label to duplicate the album's success while recording her third studio album, My December (2007). [6] The album was marked by many conflicts with her label, RCA Records, and the head of Sony Music, Clive Davis, who was dissatisfied with the album's darker tone and asked her to scrap the album in favor of making a more commercial one. [7] Clarkson declined to do it and the album's date was pushed back several times. [8] [9] [10] Eventually, My December was released amidst the controversies, and while receiving generally favorable reviews from music critics and debuting on the Billboard 200 chart with expressive sales, [11] [12] it only produced one successful single, "Never Again", and its promotion was dubbed "confused" due to its controversies. [12] [10]
After promoting the album with the "My December Tour" (2007–2008), and later embarking on a co-headlining tour with Reba McEntire, Clarkson, who was with a new manager, felt confident again in the studio and started writing a new album. In October 2008, she posted on her blog she had finished the album and was very excited about it. [13] Clarkson also told the same month, she was working with a new collaborator, Ryan Tedder, claiming that the recording sessions with him "went really well". [13] She also explained that Clive Davis introduced them to each other in a label meeting, and later they ended up writing five or six songs. [14] Tedder explained to Digital Spy that the songs featured "big choruses" and "heavy drum programming" and were influenced by nineties electro-rockers Garbage. [15] She also worked for the first time with Howard Benson, claiming she was a big fan of him and his production with many artists such as Daughtry, stating that she loved the way he produced and how he captured how she sounds live. [14]
Clarkson also worked with previous producers, such as Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello, whom produced the song "Anytime" on her debut album, Thankful (2003), as well as Max Martin and Dr. Luke, the producers behind Clarkson's signature song "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes" on Breakaway (2004). Dr. Luke was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly and said: "After "Since U Been Gone", we wrote all these songs for Kelly. This one, ["My Life Would Suck Without You"], which I think is the first single — we had the chorus a while ago and added the verse more recently." He further added: "She sings a song in two hours and kills it. You're just like, 'Holy sh–.' She has powerful lungs. She's like the Lance Armstrong of vocal cords." [16] She also worked again with songwriter Kara DioGuardi, who co-wrote several tracks on Breakaway, [1] and received two songs co-written by Katy Perry. Perry claimed she worked on her debut album for five years and recorded so many songs for it that both songs didn't make it to the album, then Clarkson heard them, liked them, and recorded them. [17]
"The album is very personal and all over the place. All my albums always have been. I don't know about you, but I get really pissed off when I buy an album and every song's the same. [...] Some artists complain about leaking a bit of the album with each song. I'm like, 'That's just forcing you to come out with better music'."
— Clarkson about the sound of the album. [18]
All I Ever Wanted is considered a pop and pop rock album, with influences of dance, rock and soul music. [14] Sonically different than her previous album, My December (2007), the album also features pop punk influences that are reminiscent from her third album. James Montgomery of MTV News noted that the album has "unabashed pop, big crunchy guitar chords and tear-tinged ballads," [19] while Evan Sawdey of PopMatters noted that "[t]hough some of the post-breakup bitterness of My December still lingers here, All I Ever Wanted remains a remarkably upbeat record." [20] Maura of Idolator called it a "pop redemption" [...] "a fun collection of pop tracks", [1] with Slant Magazine 's Jonathan Keefe dubbing it "Clarkson's version of Now That's What I Call Music! 29 ." [21] Michael Cragg of MusicOMH summarized the album as a "musical partner" to Clarkson's second album, Breakaway, "in terms of the sound and the sheer commercial appeal." [2]
The first track, "My Life Would Suck Without You", was considered an explicit sequel to "Since U Been Gone", [22] [2] [21] having a mainstream dance/guitar-pop sound, with thumping synths and guitar riffs. [20] "I Do Not Hook Up" was named a "punchy, spunky pop stormer", [2] while "Long Shot" was dubbed a "string-infused rocker"; [23] both songs were originally demos from Katy Perry. [19] "Don't Let Me Stop You" was called an "arena rocker track" [22] and compared to her single "Behind These Hazel Eyes", due to the use of the same chord progression. [20] [21] Clarkson defined "If I Can't Have You", a dance and synthpop song, [14] [21] as "very like Eurythmics meets The Killers" in a sexy vibe, [18] while "I Want You" was labeled a "pure pop", [22] "girl group" song, with vocal stutters, fluid harps, and a dry kick-drum beat. [20] The album's title track and "Whyyawannabringmedown" are two covers from the band Aranda's debut album; [2] the first was considered a soul-rock-funk song, [24] [14] with its disco bass heavily compared to Spoon's song "I Turn My Camera On", [22] [1] [25] while the latter was named a "bubblegum punk" song. [22] [20] [1]
The power ballad "Save You" [26] was written by Aimée Proal with Ryan Tedder for her now-disbanded group Gone 'Til November, who recorded its demo and Tedder pitched the song to Clarkson's label. [27] It features an experimental bridge that was inspired by Mozart. [15] "If No One Will Listen" is a cover of Keri Noble's song from her debut album Fearless , [2] "Cry" was defined by Clarkson as a "waltz" ballad influenced by country music, and "Already Gone" was considered a "kick drum-driven" ballad and it was largely compared to Beyoncé's "Halo"; both produced by Tedder. [28] [21] [2] "Impossible" was called a "piano-riddled rocker", [26] while "Ready" was named a "breezy, carefree pop" song. [20]
Lyrically, All I Ever Wanted talks generally about romantic relationships— the good, the bad and the dysfunctional [29] —with Clarkson defining it as "pretty personal". [14] Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times noted that the album "provides her faithful female fans with a solid group of anthems and introspective moments expressing dignity, independence and emotional truthfulness." [24] "My Life Would Suck Without You" "describes two people who've committed to each other even though their relationship has some rough edges", while "I Do Not Hook Up" has Clarkson informing "would-be suitors that [she]'s looking for a lasting commitment, not a casual fling." [29] "Cry" talks about betrayal, with the singer writing about a friendship that went wrong, [30] while wondering, "Is it over yet? Can I open my eyes?," [19] meanwhile "Don't Let Me Stop You" has Clarkson "demonstrat[ing] self-respect and emotional resiliency even when things aren't working out." [29] "All I Ever Wanted" deals with "Clarkson's conflicted feelings", [31] while "Already Gone" is about coming to terms with a relationship that was destined for failure. [32] "If I Can't Have You" playfully talks about Clarkson finding what she's looking for, [29] while "Save You" is about a person's lamentation and desire to save someone from a self-destructive behaviour after a loss. [27] "Whyyawannabringmedown" finds Clarkson singing, "I'm not your love monkey, so be takin' back all of the lies you sold," [33] "Long Shot" "acknowledges the risk involved with a new romantic endeavor", [29] and with "Impossible" she admits: "I will stumble and I'll make my own mistakes, yeah/But I won't worry 'bout it anymore." [24] "I Want You" finds the singer "swooning over a hot-tempered, noncommunicative guy," who is "such a mess with an attitude," [31] and "If No One Will Listen" ends with Clarkson "encouraging a struggling friend, [herself or anyone else], to relinquish pent-up fears." [29]
On January 2, 2009, The Wall Street Journal published an article about the upcoming albums of 2009, and Clarkson's fourth studio album was among them. At the time, RCA general manager Tom Corson claimed she was "in a period where she wants to take on the pop world again." [...] "She's ready, and she's got all the right support." [34] The newspaper also revealed its working title, Masquerade. [34] However, Clarkson changed it to All I Ever Wanted, since she felt the title was too similar to other pop albums released near the time of her album, such as Britney Spears' Circus (2008) and P!nk's Funhouse (2008). [14] Its cartoon-colored, airbrushed cover art [21] was revealed on January 9, 2009. As Rolling Stone 's Daniel Kreps described, "the cover depicts a shiny, happy Clarkson, one ready to step out of the shadows of the brooding My December and reclaim her pop throne." [35] Kreps opined that the cover resembles another "comeback album"—Spears's Circus. [35] The cover faced some controversy due to the heavy usage of Photoshop. [35] [36] [37] Clarkson herself commented, "We decided the cover of the album and just in case you haven't seen it I'll post it! It's very colorful and they have definitely Photoshopped the crap out of me—but I don't care, haha! Whoever she is, she looks great, ha!." [38]
The album's first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", had its artwork revealed on January 5, 2009, and it shows "Clarkson sporting a wide-eyed [...] look and a heart-shaped lollipop." [39] It was released to airplay on January 13, 2009 and three days later was made available for digital download. On January 28, 2009, Billboard announced that the single went from number 97 to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making the biggest leap to the top in the chart's history, as well as marking Clarkson's second US number-one single, and her first in seven years. [40] Elsewhere, it was a chart success, also reaching the top of the Canadian and UK charts, and the top 10 in over ten countries. [41] Its music video leaked on January 28, 2009, and it shows Clarkson and her boyfriend having a dysfunctional relationship. [42]
"I Do Not Hook Up" was released to Russian radio on March 31, 2009, as the second single off the album. [4] The cover art for the single was released on March 26, 2009. [43] The music video for the song, directed by Bryan Barber, was shot in March 2009 and released on April 20, 2009 on MTV. [44] As described by Clarkson, the video is about "how the girl is a good girl, she doesn't hook up. But inside her head, every time she turns around, she's fantasizing. So she's hooking up in her fantasies, but never in real life." [44] The song was a moderate success on the charts, reaching number nine in Australia, the top 20 in Canada and the US, and the top 40 in other six countries. [45]
"Already Gone" was sent to US radio on August 11, 2009 as the album's third single. [46] The single's artwork was released on July 8, 2009. [47] The song faced controversy due to its similarity to another Ryan Tedder-produced track, Beyoncé's "Halo", with Clarkson going as far as trying to prevent the single's release, but her label chose to release it anyway. [48] [49] [50] In the United States, the song was more successful than "I Do Not Hook Up", reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. [51] Elsewhere, it reached the top twenty in four countries, and the top forty in another four countries. [52] The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and released on July 27, 2009. Kahn was dissatisfied with the end result of the video, which shows Clarkson "singing in various luxurious locations while violins play themselves." [53]
The album's title track, "All I Ever Wanted", was released as the fourth and final single in the United States. [54] It was officially sent to US radio on March 9, 2010, [55] and to the US and Canadian iTunes Store for download on March 15, 2010. [56] It only peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, [57] while being more successful on the Adult Pop Songs sub-chart, where it reached number 11. [58] Meanwhile, "Cry" was released as the fourth single in Germany and Australia and as the fifth single overall. It was released as a digital download in Germany on March 12, 2010 [59] and sent to Australian radio on March 15, 2010. [60] It became the second most added song to radio in Australia the week it was sent for airplay. [61] The song was also covered by Lea Michele in the Glee episode "Choke" on May 1, 2012. [62]
To promote the album, Clarkson performed "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Do Not Hook Up" on Good Morning America on the US album's launch date, March 10, 2009. [63] The singer performed the album's first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" on the eighth season of American Idol on March 11, 2009. [64] Clarkson also performed "My Life Would Suck Without You" and the album's second single "I Do Not Hook Up" on the 34th season of Saturday Night Live on March 14, 2009. [65] The singer also promoted the album on Walmart Soundcheck on March 18, 2009, performing "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Do Not Hook Up", as well as her older hits "Since U Been Gone", "Because of You" and "Walk Away". [66] On March 20, 2009, she also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to give an interview and perform a medley of "Because of You", "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "My Life Would Suck Without You". [67] Clarkson was also on So You Think You Can Dance to perform "I Do Not Hook Up", [68] on the David Letterman Show , [69] The View [70] the American Music Awards of 2009 to perform "Already Gone", [71] as well as on VH1 Divas to also perform "Already Gone" and "Bring Me Some Water" with Melissa Etheridge. [72] She also promoted the album with live performances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , Live with Regis & Kelly and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . [73] She also gave interviews and appeared on many magazines, such as the Rolling Stone issue of April 30, 2009, [74] Teen Vogue , [75] Newsweek , [76] and on the cover of Blender [77] and Self magazines. [78] "My Life Would Suck Without You", "Already Gone", "Don't Let Me Stop You" and "If I Can't Have You" were also featured on the TV series The Hills . [79] [80] [81]
All I Ever Wanted Summer Fair Mini-Tour
A 23 date mini-tour to promote the album, with all dates being at state fairs around the United States. [82]
All I Ever Wanted Tour
A world tour covering North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South Africa. [83]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100 [84] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | C+ [85] |
Blender | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [26] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The New York Times | favorable [87] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
All I Ever Wanted received positive reviews from critics. [3] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 70, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [88] Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times called it "a masterful rapprochement with the mainstream, full of cheerfully ear-snagging tunes, inventive production, exhilarating vocals and enough inherent Kelly-ness to put aside fears that her label bosses implanted blond electrodes in her brain to make her behave." [24] Kerri Mason of Billboard praised the album for " show[ing] a lighter-hearted, but more vocally mature Clarkson than her last outing" and Clarkson for "becoming a masterful interpreter too." [28] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe observed that the singer is "learning to strike the age-old pop music balance that her hired hands perfected in the past, [...] expressing emotional truth while crafting something that sounds good on the radio." [89] Jon Dolan of Blender gave praise to Clarkson for "mak[ing] nice with the pop machine and tak[ing] back the mall while keeping her integrity and personality intact," [86] while J. Freedom du Lac of The Washington Post called it "one of those rare pop albums that should resonate with the mainstream while also generating critical heat." [31] Hugh Montgomery of The Observer opined that "on its own limited terms, it's a job well done." [90] While calling her first album "the Obligation", her second "the Breakthrough", and her third "the Reaction," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times noted that All I Ever Wanted "plays out as Ms. Clarkson's Concession," pointing out that "Ms. Clarkson's identity is finally firm: spurned, hurt and torn." [87]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic recognized that she "sounds impassioned and invested in these numbers, selling every one of the skyscraper hooks, but better still she sounds relatable, pulling listeners into a song instead of keeping them at a distance," observing that "while it's not perfect, largely due to those dreary Tedder tunes, much of All I Ever Wanted does justice to Clarkson's considerable skills." [22] Elle J Small of BBC Music declared that the album "won't disappoint hardcore fans but is unlikely to garner new listeners," [91] a sentiment echoed by Vibe 's Claire Lobenfeld, who wrote that it "will be a hit with Clarkson die-hards, but is unlikely to influence any Top 40 outsiders." [92] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters noticed that "[t]hough All I Ever Wanted is not a classic pop album by any means, it's most assuredly a fun one—flaws and all. It might be a bit quirky at times, but therein lies the charm: no one could've filled up such a deliberately commercial album with so much personality aside from Kelly Clarkson, and for that, we should all be a bit thankful." [20] In a more mixed review, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone admitted that "Clarkson's sense of grievance, inflated to gargantuan size by her huge voice, can be wearying over 14 songs, particularly when the music sags." [33] Michaelangelo Matos of The A.V. Club called it "a likeable but ultimately hackneyed album that presents her as the über-everygirl", [85] while Michael Cragg of musicOMH was more critical, writing that "as an album, the whole thing feels precision tooled, vacuum-packed and strangely lifeless." [2] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine analyzed the album in his review, declaring:
"Taken in isolation and out of the context of the album as a whole—say, on the radio—nearly all of these songs work well enough, despite the production choices that don't always play to Clarkson's strengths and which draw too much attention to themselves. And if all Clarkson ever wanted was a major commercial comeback, then this album should undoubtedly give it to her. But whatever her army of producers and legion of co-writers may have brought to the project in terms of radio-ready pop hooks, there's just too much tone and subtext to her performances here—and hell, even consider the record's title—that betrays Clarkson's ironic take on the whole affair." [21]
The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards. [93] It also entered AllMusic's list of "Favorite Pop Albums of 2009", [94] as well as MTV's "Best Albums Of 2009" at number 12. [95] All I Ever Wanted was also selected by Entertainment Weekly as the "Best Comeback". [96]
Publication | List | Rank |
---|---|---|
AllMusic [94] | Favorite Pop Albums of 2009 | 3 |
Entertainment Weekly [96] | 10 Best (and 5 Worst) Albums of 2009 | Best Comeback |
MTV [95] | Best Albums Of 2009 | 12 |
Rolling Stone [97] | Top Albums of the Decade | 8 |
All I Ever Wanted debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 255,000 copies, becoming the second time Clarkson topped the chart; her debut set, Thankful , also began at number one with 297,000 copies sold in its first week in 2003. [98] In its second week, the album remained at the top, with 90,000 copies, [99] whilst in its third week, it fell to number five, selling 52,000 copies. [100] As of September 2017, the album has sold 1,004,000 copies in the United States, becoming her fourth highest-selling album of her career, behind Thankful (2003), Breakaway (2004) and Stronger (2011). [101] In Canada, it debuted at number 2, becoming her highest debut along with her previous album, My December (2007), selling 15,000 copies. [102] In Australia, it also debuted at number two, becoming her highest debut along with Breakaway (2004). [103] It was later certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for exceeding 70,000 copies. [104] In New Zealand, the album debuted at number six; also her highest since Breakaway. [105]
In the United Kingdom, the album sold 40,000 copies and debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. [106] As of June 2012, All I Ever Wanted has sold 197,817 copies in the United Kingdom. [107] The album also debuted inside the top ten of the album charts in Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland. [108] [109] [110] [111] [112] [113] In Spain, the album reached number forty, becoming her highest debut of her career, while tying with Stronger years later. [114] Meanwhile, in Sweden, it became her second and last album, so far, to reach the top-twenty, debuting at number fifteen. [115] In contrast, in Finland, the album became her first to miss the top-twenty; though it was her last to chart there. [116]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Life Would Suck Without You" |
| 3:32 | |
2. | "I Do Not Hook Up" | Howard Benson | 3:20 | |
3. | "Cry" | Benson | 3:34 | |
4. | "Don't Let Me Stop You" |
| Benson | 3:20 |
5. | "All I Ever Wanted" |
| 3:59 | |
6. | "Already Gone" |
| Tedder | 4:41 |
7. | "If I Can't Have You" |
|
| 3:39 |
8. | "Save You" |
| Tedder | 4:03 |
9. | "Whyyawannabringmedown" |
|
| 2:42 |
10. | "Long Shot" |
| Benson | 3:36 |
11. | "Impossible" |
| Tedder | 3:23 |
12. | "Ready" |
| Benson | 3:05 |
13. | "I Want You" |
|
| 3:31 |
14. | "If No One Will Listen" | Keri Noble | Clarkson | 4:03 |
Total length: | 50:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Can We Go Back" |
| Benson | 2:52 |
Total length: | 53:20 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Tip of My Tongue" |
| Tedder | 4:18 |
16. | "The Day We Fell Apart" |
|
| 4:03 |
Total length: | 58:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
17. | "Can We Go Back" |
| Benson | 2:52 |
Total length: | 61:09 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Making the Video" | 7:35 |
2. | "Making the Album" | 6:46 |
3. | "My Life Would Suck Without You" (music video) | 3:33 |
4. | "Photo Gallery" | 3:00 |
Total length: | 20:14 |
|
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|
|
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [104] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [139] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
GCC (IFPI Middle East) [140] | Gold | 3,000* |
Ireland (IRMA) [141] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Malaysia (RIM) [142] | Gold | 10,000 [142] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [143] | Gold | 191,953 [144] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Edition | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | March 6, 2009 | Standard | Sony Music | |
Germany [145] | ||||
Australia [146] | ||||
Hong Kong [147] | March 9, 2009 | |||
Poland | ||||
New Zealand | ||||
United Kingdom [148] | ||||
Canada | March 10, 2009 | Standard |
| Sony Music |
Europe [149] |
|
| ||
Mexico [150] | ||||
Netherlands | Standard |
| ||
Philippines | ||||
South Korea [151] | ||||
Taiwan | ||||
Thailand [152] |
|
| ||
United States [153] |
| |||
Brazil [154] | March 11, 2009 |
|
|
|
Sweden | ||||
Italy [155] [156] | March 13, 2009 | |||
Singapore | ||||
Japan [157] [158] | March 25, 2009 | |||
May 13, 2009 | Deluxe | CD+DVD |
Kelly Brianne, known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA Records. Her debut single, "A Moment Like This", topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and became the country's best-selling single of 2002. It was included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003), which entered the Billboard 200 at number one, and also yielded the top-10 single "Miss Independent". Trying to reinvent her image, Clarkson parted ways with Idol management and shifted to pop rock for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). Supported by four US top-ten singles – the title track, "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", and "Because of You" – Breakaway sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.
Breakaway is the second studio album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released on November 30, 2004, by RCA Records. The album is the follow-up to her successful debut album, Thankful (2003). Breakaway sees Clarkson collaborating with various producers and songwriters for the first time, primarily Dr. Luke, Max Martin, John Shanks, Kara DioGuardi, Ben Moody, and David Hodges; the latter two are former members of American rock band Evanescence. Despite the established commercial success of Thankful, music critics still continued to typecast Clarkson as an American Idol winner and were also critical of her attempts of establishing a commercial appeal on her own. Wanting to stray from those, she was convinced by Davis to work with Dr. Luke and Martin in Stockholm, and with Moody and Hodges in Los Angeles, in pursuit of a pop rock direction. This also led her to part ways with her manager Simon Fuller and hire the management services of Jeff Kwatinetz before the album's release. Breakaway is primarily a pop rock record with elements of rock and soul music, marking a departure from the R&B-oriented sound of Thankful; its lyrics explore themes of heartbreak, love, and escapism.
"Since U Been Gone" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). The song, which was written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, was released as the lead single from Breakaway two weeks before the album was released. It is an uptempo pop rock and power pop power ballad that infuses electronic sounds with a mixture of a soft and loud pop rock sound. Martin originally wrote "Since U Been Gone" with Pink in mind, but she turned it down. It was then given to Hilary Duff, but she rejected the song because she could not reach its higher notes. The song was finally given to Clarkson after Clive Davis convinced the writers to give it to her. Clarkson decided to add heavier guitars and harder drums to the song after noticing that the demo had an obvious pop sound. Lyrically, the song is written from a woman's point of view where she expresses her sense of relief with the end of her troubled relationship.
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). It was written by Clarkson with the song's producers Max Martin and Dr. Luke. The song was released on April 12, 2005, as the second single from the album. Clarkson considered "Behind These Hazel Eyes" as one of her favorite songs and she once intended to name Breakaway after the song. "Behind These Hazel Eyes" is an uptempo song that incorporates crunchy guitars which are pulsated with driving beats and anthemic choruses; it narrates Clarkson's broken relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
"Because of You" is a song recorded by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). It was written by Clarkson along with its producers David Hodges and Ben Moody, both from Evanescence. It was released on August 16, 2005, by RCA Records, as the third single from Breakaway. Clarkson originally wrote "Because of You" when she was 16 years old to cope with the emotional distress caused by her parents' divorce. She wanted the song to be included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003), but her record label rejected the song. She then polished the song with Hodges and Moody before successfully convincing her label to include it on Breakaway.
American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson has released ten studio albums, eight extended plays, one compilation album, one remix album, and 56 singles. In 2002, she won the inaugural season of the television competition American Idol and was immediately signed to a recording deal with 19 Recordings, and RCA Records. She made her chart debut in September 2002 with the double A-side single "Before Your Love"/"A Moment Like This", latter of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and eventually became the year's best-selling single in the United States. Her debut album, Thankful, was released in April 2003 and entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number one. Thankful produced the hit lead single "Miss Independent" and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
My December is the third studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The album was released on June 22, 2007, through RCA Records. Clarkson confirmed the name of the album in her journal on her fanclub website on February 27, 2007.
"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted (2009). The song features songwriting credits from Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, and Claude Kelly and production credits from Martin and Gottwald under his production moniker, Dr. Luke. Clarkson co-wrote the track but refused to include her name in the credits, citing a refusal to be associated with Gottwald. "My Life Would Suck Without You" was released as the lead single from the album and premiered on January 13, 2009, in the United States on New York City's Z100 radio station and was made available to download three days later. The song has met with positive reviews from music critics, who praised the song's pop composition, which incorporates rock and dance elements.
The All I Ever Wanted Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American pop rock recoding artist Kelly Clarkson in support of her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted (2009). It began on October 2, 2009, in Uncasville, Connecticut and finished on May 8, 2010, in Macau. The tour visited North America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Asia.
"I Do Not Hook Up" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted (2009), released as the second single from the album. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Greg Wells and Katy Perry. Perry had originally written the song for One of the Boys, but following her removal from Def Jam, she gave the song and "Long Shot" to Clarkson. RCA Records serviced the song to mainstream radio in the United States on April 14, 2009. The song is a dance-rock and power pop song that is structured upon a muscular arrangement with lyrics about empowerment and healthy relationships.
"Already Gone" is a song performed by American pop singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. It is co-written by Clarkson and Ryan Tedder, who also produced it. The song was released as the album's third single in August 2009. Lyrically, "Already Gone" is about the breakup of a relationship; the music consists of an arrangement using a piano, drums, and string instruments.
"Cry" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kelly Clarkson, taken from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted (2009). It was written by Clarkson, Jason Halbert and Mark Townsend, with production being done by Howard Benson. It was released as the album's fourth single only in Australia and Germany; it was released as a digital download on March 12, 2010 in Germany and added to Australian radio stations on March 15, 2010.
"All I Ever Wanted" is a song by American rock band Aranda, from their debut studio album, Aranda (2008). The song was written and produced by Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello and Dameon Aranda. In 2009, the song was covered by American singer Kelly Clarkson, for her album of the same name, and it was released as a single on March 9, 2010.
Stronger is the fifth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on October 21, 2011, by RCA Records. The thirteen-song track-list features Clarkson collaborating with various new producers as well as with Howard Benson, whom she collaborated with on her previous album, All I Ever Wanted (2009). Wanting to stray away sonically from her previous albums, Clarkson's main objective was to record her vocal performances as it is heard in her live sets, and used as little auto-tune processing as possible. The album also marked the first release by Clarkson that did not cause a conflict with RCA; her previous records, most notably My December (2007), were released amidst conflict and controversy.
"Mr. Know It All" is a song recorded by American pop recording artist Kelly Clarkson. It was written by Brian Kennedy, Ester Dean, Brett James, and Dante Jones, with the production handled by Kennedy, Dean, and Jones. Clarkson described the song as a "vocally raw record" and stated that she and her producers strove to record her voice as it is heard at live performances, using as little auto-tune processing as possible. It was released by RCA Records as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Stronger on September 5, 2011.
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson and the title song from her fifth studio album, Stronger (2011). Originally titled as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)", the song served as the album's second single on January 17, 2012, through RCA Records. Written by Kelly Clarkson, Jörgen Elofsson, Ali Tamposi, and David Gamson, with additional writing and production by Greg Kurstin, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" is an uptempo song that draws from the genres of dance-pop and electropop. Its lyrical content mainly explores themes of empowerment and recovery following a heartbreak, with the chorus inspired by a Friedrich Nietzsche quotation: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Greatest Hits – Chapter One is the first greatest hits album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on November 16, 2012, by RCA Records. It contains material from Clarkson's first five studio albums: Thankful (2003), Breakaway (2004), My December (2007), All I Ever Wanted (2009), and Stronger (2011). Its three newly recorded songs, "Catch My Breath", "Don't Rush", and "People Like Us", served as singles; contributions to their production came from Sound Kollectiv, Greg Kurstin, and Dann Huff.
"Whyyawannabringmedown" is a song recorded by American rock band Aranda, from their debut studio album, Aranda (2008). Written by Dameon Aranda with co-writing and co-production by Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello, the song was released as the album's second and final single through Astonish Entertainment on July 1, 2009.
Piece by Piece is the seventh studio album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson. It was released on February 27, 2015, by RCA Records. It was her final album under her recording contract with the label, to which she signed after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002. She then made the switch to Atlantic in 2016. The album saw Clarkson reuniting with frequent collaborators Greg Kurstin, Jesse Shatkin, Jason Halbert, Eric Olson, and Chris DeStefano. She also gathered material from songwriters such as Sia, Matthew Koma, MoZella, Bonnie McKee, David Jost, Semi Precious Weapons lead singer Justin Tranter, and former Cobra Starship member Ryland Blackinton, among others. Inspired by the orchestral production on Wrapped in Red, Clarkson wanted all the songs on Piece by Piece to resonate like its own film soundtrack, taking a cue from the soundtracks of the feature motion pictures Cruel Intentions (1999) and Love Actually (2003) and commissioning orchestral arrangements by Joseph Trapanese.