"Dark Side" | ||||
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Single by Kelly Clarkson | ||||
from the album Stronger | ||||
Released | June 5, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011 Echo Recording Studios (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 3:44 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Greg Kurstin | |||
Kelly Clarkson singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Dark Side" on YouTube |
"Dark Side" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, written by busbee and Alexander Geringas, and produced by Greg Kurstin. The song was released by RCA Records on June 5, 2012 as the third and final single from Clarkson's fifth studio album, Stronger (2011). "Dark Side" is a mid-tempo synth-pop ballad that incorporates a vigorous music box melody with up-tempo beats in choruses, with its lyrics containing the theme of acceptance, recovery, and inner-beauty.
"Dark Side" has received generally positive reviews from music critics who considered the song as a good successor to "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", Clarkson's previous single. Critics also praised Clarkson's vocal performance blending with the song's melody. It became her second consecutive song to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Shane Drake, who also directed "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and premiered on May 24, 2012 with positive reviews. It was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Clarkson has performed "Dark Side" during several live appearances, most notably during the 2012 Billboard Music Awards and included the song as the opening performance in the set list during the North American leg of her Stronger Tour.
"Dark Side" was written by songwriters busbee & Alexander Geringas, and produced by Greg Kurstin. In an interview with Popjustice , Clarkson revealed that she had always desired to collaborate with Kurstin since finishing recording tracks for her sophomore album Breakaway in 2004. Jeff Aldrich, RCA Records' A&R executive, managed to get Kurstin to produce tracks for Clarkson's fifth studio album in 2010. [1] Kursin took time to hear Clarkson's previous records before their recording sessions began, in which Clarkson felt made the recording "easier." [2]
In July 2011, several of Clarkson's demos were leaked on the internet, including a demo of "Dark Side". [3] The final version of the song then surfaced online a week prior to the album's release, although it was quickly removed by RCA Records and the IFPI. Clarkson subsequently published the song online to prevent the leaks. [4] In an interview with New York radio Z100, Clarkson revealed that she was considering "Dark Side" to be released as the third single from Stronger: "I like "Dark Side" because it’s still got a beat to it, It’s a sweet-sounding song but with a dark lyric, and I like that." [5] During the Canadian leg of her Stronger Tour, Clarkson confirmed to MTV News Canada that "Dark Side" will be released as the third single from the album. [6] [7] [8] The song was already receiving early radio airplay in Sydney, Australia from November 2011, on the pop/rock show, 'Juice'. [9]
"Dark Side" is a midtempo synth-pop ballad. [10] [11] According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, "Dark Side" is written in the key of D major with a moderate tempo of 119 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of D-D−G6
9−Em7b5/G, and Kelly's vocals span from D4 to F♯5. [12]
Chris Willman of The Wrap remarked, ""Dark Side" cleverly reinforces the idea that Miss American Idol has a shadow side with a spooky music-box melody that cuts in every time the big beat and goth histrionics briefly cut out." [13] James Dinh of MTV News described the song as "On "Dark Side," Kelly ventures away from her sometimes predictable scorned woman stomping grounds and closer toward her vulnerable side as she questions whether her lover will stick around even through the bad times." [14] Entertainment Weekly also included the song in their "Songs for the Lovers (and Haters)" playlist article, remarking, "(Clarkson's) soaring synth-pop ballad defines what love's all about: knowing your girlfriend's a little bit crazy, and still not running away." [11]
Joey Guerra of Houston Chronicle noted that "Dark Side recalls Clarkson's under-appreciated My December disc, a swirl of lullaby strains and goth-pop grooves. Think Katy Perry with a much, much better voice." [15] Jason Scott of Seattle Post-Intelligencer remarked, ""Dark Side," takes Stronger and banks a hard left. With a xylophone tinkling out a lullaby-like intro, Clarkson takes a creative adventure into extraterrestrial territory that is an oddly soothing and intriguing fit for her voice. You did not ask for The Twilight Zone , but somehow with an electrically tender arrangement, Clarkson transports you there." He later described the song as "a crafty pop hook with Owl City influence that does not let up on skeletal drums, charts new territory for the Idol without venturing too far from the working formula." [16] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard remarked, "On this thoughtful mid-tempo track, Clarkson dials back her vocal power on the verses and pleads with a guy to embrace her flaws." [10] During her performance of the song during the VH1 Unplugged: Kelly Clarkson special, Kat George of VH1 remarked "In fact, this is what we love best about Kelly — that she’s just a regular girl. Acknowledging the pitfalls of her personality, Kelly invites us all to be imperfect without letting us (or herself) be any less perfectly loveable." [17] Brian Mansfield of USA Today described the track's music-box intro as "nightmarish" and stated that the song "could wind up being a favorite song of psycho girlfriends everywhere, because it's a set-up." [18] On March 5, 2013 Billboard ranked the song #70 in its list of Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time. [19]
On the week ending July 7, 2012, "Dark Side" debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. [20] It peaked at number 42 on the week ending August 25, 2012. [21] The same week, the song topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. [22] "Dark Side" also debuted at number 36 on the Adult Pop Songs on the week ending June 16, 2012. [23] Two months later, the song jumped from number 12 to number nine and became her eleventh top ten hit, marking Clarkson as the female artist with the most Top 10 songs in the chart, surpassing Sheryl Crow and Katy Perry. [24] As of September 2017, "Dark Side" has sold 882,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. [25] In Canada, the song re-entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number 85 on the week ending June 30, 2012, [26] before peaking at number 41 six weeks later. [27]
Internationally, "Dark Side" became a moderate success. Following its digital sales during the initial release of Stronger, "Dark Side" entered the Gaon Chart in South Korea at number 48. [28] It also debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 56 on the week ending June 10, 2012 and has since peaked at number 40 the following week. [29] In Scotland, the song debuted at number 44 on the week ending June 9, 2012 [30] before peaking at number 26 three weeks later. [31] In Ireland, "Dark Side" debuted and peaked at number 42 on the week ending June 7, 2012. [32]
The music video for "Dark Side" was directed by Shane Drake, who also directed the music video for "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)". It was filmed on April 28, 2012 in Downtown Los Angeles. Scenes of Clarkson performing in a downtown area were filmed underneath the 1st Street Bridge alongside the Los Angeles River. [33] The music video premiered on May 24, 2012 on VEVO. [34] [35]
The music video mainly explores the themes acceptance, with sub-themes of bullying, drug and alcohol addiction also being explored. [36] The video begins with Clarkson singing in a dark background. During the course of the video, scenes depicting people with their struggles in life (such as a man losing his job, a teenage girl struggling with her weight, a teenage boy being harassed and bullied, a girl who ran away, a beauty queen struggling with pressures and drug addiction, a stressed businessman with an addiction to alcohol, a forlorn war veteran, and a wife divorcing her husband) alternate with scenes of Clarkson performing in a black and green dress underneath an abandoned downtown bridge. As the bridge continues, the video then shows several pieces of footage representing hope (such as a blooming flower, a sunrise, a heart drawing, a rosary, a "Hope" signage, butterflies, and seagulls). During the final chorus, the struggling individuals depicted in the video now begin to smile. The video ends with Clarkson hugging them, inspiring assurance and confidence.
The video was generally well received by critics, with some noting its similar theme to the music video for Christina Aguilera's song "Beautiful". [36] [37] Byron Flitsch of MTV Buzzworthy remarked, "We'd be lying if we didn't admit that the video left us feeling a bit melancholy, but we're pretty sure that's its job. That and to remind us that a) that Kelly is looking more flawless than ever, and be nice to every single person in the world." [38] Robbie Daw of Idolator wrote, "The tune keeps with theme of her previous singles 'Mr. Know It All' and 'Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)', in that Clarkson lyrically delves into her own well of inner strength — though she does come across as more vulnerable here. And the video for the clip reflects that." [35] Elena Gorgan of Softpedia noted, "'Dark Side' is simple and somewhat understated, which allows it to include so many 'stories,'( sic ) each touching in its own right, each perfect to exemplify the beautiful text of the track." [37] Amy Sciarretto of Popcrush wrote, "Clarkson mixes performance footage with socially conscious commentary and critique. But she doesn’t smash you over the head with a message. She's not soapboxing it. Instead, it's subtle and therefore much more effective, making the viewer think." Later adding, "The video eloquently shows that we all have dark sides, but that’s just one side and not the whole story. It doesn't make up a person's identity. Dark sides are just one of the many factors that make us who we are! No one is perfect and our flaws make us interesting. Clarkson helps us realize that with her smart video. [39] Sarah Maloy of Billboard wrote, "Clarkson tackles demons of sorts in her new video for 'Dark Side.' As the singer showcases people facing drug addiction, alcoholism, unemployment, weight issues and marital problems in 'Dark Side,' Clarkson sings of how better days are to come." [40] The Video was nominated in the category for Best Video with a Message at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards however it lost to Demi Lovato's Skyscraper. [41]
Clarkson first performed the song during a Sony-sponsored special concert at The Troubador in Los Angeles on October 19, 2011 to promote Stronger. [42] She then performed it as the opening song in the VH1 Unplugged: Kelly Clarkson television special on November 17, 2011. [17] [43] Clarkson also included the song as the opening performance of her Stronger Tour. [44] Clarkson performed the song at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2012. [45]
Two days later, on May 22, 2012, she performed the song along with "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" on the fourteenth season finale of Dancing with the Stars . [45] [46] On June 5, 2012, Clarkson performed the acoustic version of "Dark Side" in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. [47] She performed the song on British daytime television show Loose Women . [48] On June 9, 2012, she performed the song at Wembley Stadium as a part of her setlist of Summertime Ball. [49] Clarkson performed "Dark Side" along with 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' on MuchMusic Video Awards on June 17, 2012. [50]
The song was performed by Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) on Glee 's fourth season episode "Dynamic Duets", which aired on November 22, 2012. [51]
France digital single [52]
Germany digital EP [53]
US promo CD
| US remixes
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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Stronger. [54]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Date | Format |
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United States [72] | June 5, 2012 | Mainstream radio |
France [52] | June 11, 2012 | Digital download |
Germany [73] | July 13, 2012 |
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.
"Breakaway" is a power ballad song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, and Avril Lavigne, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, Let Go (2002). After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album, while the record label decided to name the album after the song. "Breakaway" was first released as the first single from The Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack on July 19, 2004. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name.
"Miss Independent" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her debut studio album, Thankful (2003). Written by Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Rhett Lawrence, and Matt Morris, with Lawrence serving as producer, it was released as the album's lead single by RCA Records on April 10, 2003, preceding its release by five days. The track was initially intended for Aguilera's fourth album, Stripped (2002), but was left half-finished. Lawrence later continued writing the song with Clarkson, who eventually recorded it.
"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.
"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.
"Don't You Wanna Stay" is a duet recorded by American singers Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. It was written by Andy Gibson, Paul Jenkins, and Jason Sellers. It was released as the second single from Aldean's fourth studio album My Kinda Party, following Aldean's and Clarkson's performance on the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards on November 10, 2010, due to strong demands of radio stations, and was also included on the deluxe edition of Clarkson's fifth studio album Stronger (2011). The song contains elements of country and pop, and its lyrics speak of the difficulties of finding and maintaining love.
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.
"Catch My Breath" is a song by American pop artist Kelly Clarkson, from her first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits – Chapter One. One of the three newly recorded songs for Chapter One, it was released as the album's lead single through RCA Records on October 10, 2012. It was written by Clarkson, and co-written and produced by her musical director Jason Halbert, along with producer Eric Olson.
"People Like Us" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits – Chapter One (2012). One of the three songs recorded for the compilation, it was released as its third and final single through RCA Records on April 8, 2013. Written by Meghan Kabir, James Michael, Blair Daly, and produced by Greg Kurstin, "People Like Us" is an uptempo pop song, with its lyrical content primarily dealing with themes of empowerment, acceptance, and assurance for the eccentrics, who were being dedicated to as "people like us".
"Underneath the Tree" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her sixth studio album and first Christmas album, Wrapped in Red (2013). She co-wrote the track with its producer Greg Kurstin. It is a Christmas-themed song that sings of gratitude for companionship during the holidays, in which the loved one is referred to as the only present needed "underneath the tree". Accompanied by various instrumental sounds, the song is given a Wall of Sound treatment, along with sleigh bells and bell chimes to create a holiday atmosphere. "Underneath the Tree" was first released to Adult Contemporary radio stations on November 5, 2013, by RCA Records as the album's lead single.
"Heartbeat Song" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). Written by Mitch Allan, Audra Mae, Kara DioGuardi, and Jason Evigan, the song is an uptempo synth-pop track produced by Greg Kurstin. Lyrically, it sings of meeting a person who restores someone's faith in love. Inspired by 1980s synthpop music, "Heartbeat Song" was released by RCA Records as the album's lead single on January 12, 2015.
"Invincible" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). It was written by Sia, Jesse Shatkin, Steve Mostyn, and Warren "Oak" Felder. Produced by Shatkin, the track is an anthem about self-empowerment. "Invincible" features uncredited vocals from Sia, as well as string arrangements by Oliver Kraus. It was first released as the first promotional single from Piece by Piece on February 23, 2015, but then issued as the album's second single to Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations on May 18, 2015 through RCA Records.
"Piece by Piece" is a song written by American singer Kelly Clarkson taken from her seventh studio album of the same name. She co-wrote the track with songwriter Jennifer Garduno and with producer Greg Kurstin. A midtempo pop song about restoring someone's faith in love and family relationships, Clarkson promulgated "Piece by Piece" as a sequel to the song "Because of You" (2004) but with a "happy ending". After a discussion with her sister about their family life, she introspectively co-wrote the song in a first-person narrative to her father, whose neglect of his family was used as a juxtaposition to her then-husband Brandon Blackstock's unconditional love for her and their daughter, whom they both promised to never abandon.
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