Miss Independent (Kelly Clarkson song)

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"Miss Independent"
Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent CD cover.jpg
Single by Kelly Clarkson
from the album Thankful
B-side
ReleasedApril 10, 2003 (2003-04-10) [1]
Recorded2002
Studio Sound Gallery (Los Angeles, California)
Genre Pop
Length3:35
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Rhett Lawrence
Kelly Clarkson singles chronology
"Before Your Love" / "A Moment Like This"
(2002)
"Miss Independent"
(2003)
"Low"
(2003)
Music video
"Miss Independent" on YouTube

"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.

Contents

"Miss Independent" is a R&B-styled pop song, whose lyrics tell of a story of an independent woman who finally allows herself to lower her emotional and communication barriers in order to fall in love. Its theme of self-sufficiency would later serve as a template for Clarkson's subsequent releases. The song generally received positive response from music critics, while criticism targeted the song's similarity to Aguilera's material. "Miss Independent" gave Clarkson her first Grammy nomination in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.

The song's commercial success helped in presenting Clarkson's "girl next door" image to the public and contributed in eliminating her American Idol persona. [2] In the United States, "Miss Independent" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. Internationally, the song attained top-10 positions in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The song's accompanying music video was directed by Liz Friedlander, and featured Clarkson singing at a house party. Clarkson premiered the song during the second season of American Idol, and has included it in set lists in most of her concert tours.

Background and release

The song was originally intended for Christina Aguilera, but was passed to Clarkson without either singer's knowledge. Christina Aguilera Sanremo cropped.jpg
The song was originally intended for Christina Aguilera, but was passed to Clarkson without either singer's knowledge.

American record producer Rhett Lawrence first offered the early work of the song, titled "Miss Independence", to American R&B trio Destiny's Child, who turned down the offer to record the song. [3] [4] Lawrence then collaborated with Christina Aguilera and Matt Morris to record "Miss Independence" for Aguilera's fourth studio album Stripped (2002). [2] However, the track was only half-recorded and without a bridge before Aguilera finished production on Stripped. [5] The song was handed over to Clive Davis and Clarkson's then-manager Simon Fuller, who were looking for material for Clarkson's debut album Thankful (2003). [5] Clarkson helped rewrite the song with Lawrence, during which time one of her A&R managers, Keith Naftaly, suggested the song be re-titled "Miss Independent". [2] The song was one of four songs on Thankful that Clarkson co-wrote; the others were "The Trouble With Love Is", "You Thought Wrong", and the title track "Thankful".

There are conflicting reports of how the song was given to Clarkson. Davis said in his 2013 autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life that it was Lawrence who passed the track without Aguilera's knowledge or approval. [2] Clarkson—who was unaware of Aguilera or Morris' involvement until receiving the liner notes for Thankful—stated it was an A&R manager, who purposefully kept the information from her so she would not turn down the song; she said this to be the first example of "how people flat out lie or omit", and that what bothered her was that she had given interviews which made it look like she had written the song solely with Lawrence. [6] Clarkson also claimed to Bournemouth Daily Echo that RCA did not want the song on the album, and she argued with the label "to the point of literally crying" to get the song on the record. [7] In The Soundtrack of My Life, Davis claimed that although Aguilera had decided not to use the song, she was "distinctly miffed" Lawrence passed on the song without her knowledge, and only subsided when both "Miss Independent" and Aguilera's own song "Beautiful" were both nominated Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and "Beautiful" won. [2] Though Davis says Aguilera was mad at Clarkson, Aguilera had earlier clarified she was not, and on Total Request Live , said the song was "a good choice for her... If the song was to go to anyone, I'm glad it went to you because you gave it justice." [8]

"Miss Independent" was released to mainstream radio in the United States by RCA Records on April 10, 2003, five days ahead of Thankful's release. [5] It was later released as a separate CD single on May 25, before being released as a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single, and a digital download on September 23. In the United Kingdom, the song was released as a CD single on August 25; a maxi single was released in Austria and Germany by BMG on August 12. Most of the singles contained Clarkson's renditions of the songs "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", which was included on Thankful, and "Respect". [9] In 2009, the song was made available for purchase as downloadable content for the Rock Band , Rock Band 2 , and Lego Rock Band video games. [10]

Composition

"Miss Independent" is a funk and R&B-influenced pop song. [11] [12] [2] Katherine St. Asaph of Popdust noted that "it's the closest Kelly Clarkson's come to R&B." [13] Clarkson said that Aguilera's rhythmic style heavily influenced the song. She remarked, "You can hear a lot of her influence in 'Miss Independent', especially the hook. And once you hear the song, it's constantly in your head. Believe me, I cannot get it out!" [14] Rachell Kipp of the Associated Press wrote that "Miss Independent" "sounds like a half-baked remake of Aguilera's 'Dirrty' (2002)" [15] The song has a length of three minutes and 35 seconds and is written in the key of B minor, Clarkson's vocal range spans from F3 to F5. [16]

The lyrics tells the story of an independent woman who was apprehensive about being in a relationship in fears of being rejected, she finally allows herself to break her emotional and communication barriers when she begins to fall in love. Clarkson revealed that she finds herself similar to the titular "Miss Independent". She said, "It's very funny when the song came into play with me ... 'cause at that certain time of my life, I was actually going through that kind of thing," Clarkson said. "I've always been real guarded about work and career. It wasn't even with, like, guy relationships, it was just, like, friends and just letting people in, you know? And so it was kinda weird 'cause I was going through that same thing at the same time, so it was very easy for me to write the bridge to the song." [17]

Critical reception

"Miss Independent" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who lauded Clarkson for distancing herself from her American Idol persona, but criticized the song's resemblance to some of the songs on Stripped—particularly "Dirrty" and "Fighter" (2002). Upon its release, Brian Hiatt of Entertainment Weekly noted that "its hard R&B sound may shock fans who embraced the mellow 'A Moment Like This'. 'Miss Independent' begins with Clarkson singing in a throaty moan over a bangin' hip-hop beat, then bursts into a power-chord-propelled, disco-diva chorus that's not unlike Britney Spears' 'Stronger'". [18] Rolling Stone wrote, "'A Moment Like This' was exactly the sort of treacly by-the-numbers ballad critics expected of a TV-contest winner; that's probably why its assertive follow-up, 'Miss Independent', was such a surprise". [19] AllMusic's senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that it "managed to make Kelly Clarkson seem younger and hipper without slutting her up like Christina Aguilera (who, ironically, co-wrote 'Miss Independent' the first single from Thankful) while retaining a strong sense of melodic songcraft". [20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that the song "gives Clarkson the youthful edge she desperately needs to balance out the Adult Contemporary goo of songs like 'Anytime' and 'A Moment Like This'. Cinquemani also added, "'Miss Independent' is no 'Dirrty', but it proves that if anyone can out-sing Aguilera, it's Clarkson". [21] On March 5, 2013, Billboard ranked the song number sixteen in its list of "Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time". [22]

Howard Cohen of The Baltimore Sun wrote, "The R&B-styled stomper 'Miss Independent', sounds like the fat removed from Aguilera's meatier 'Fighter' – which could well be the case, since she co-wrote both tunes". [12] Elysa Gardner of USA Today was more critical of the song, calling it "breathless" and "colorless". [23] She also added that the song "sounds less like the edgy, strong-but-vulnerable-woman number it purports to be than the Christina Aguilera throwaway it basically is". [23] The song received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Aguilera's "Beautiful". [24] It was also nominated for Choice Summer Song at the 2003 Teen Choice Awards.

Commercial performance

"Miss Independent" debuted at the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 23 on the week ending May 3, 2003. [25] It then debuted on the Mainstream Top 40 chart for the week ending May 10, 2003, [26] eventually topping the chart for six weeks beginning on the week ending June 28, 2003. [27] The song debuted on the main Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending May 17, 2003, at number 61, [28] eventually peaking at number nine for two consecutive weeks starting in its tenth week, becoming her second top ten single in the United States. It was present on the chart for a total of twenty weeks, spending its final week on the chart at number 43 on the week ending September 27, 2003, before going recurrent the following week. [29] It also charted on Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts at number 14 and number 28, respectively. [30] [31] The single's success came at the time when the Billboard charts were relying to more R&B and rhythmic stations than pop stations. As of September 2017, "Miss Independent" has sold over 1,035,000 digital downloads in the United States. [32] It was certified Gold by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2006. [33]

Internationally, the song also became a commercial success, becoming Clarkson's first single to chart outside of North America. In Australia, it debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number 17 in August 2003, eventually peaking at number four after Clarkson performed it at the 2003 NRL Grand Final at the Stadium Australia on October 5, 2003. [34] It eventually became her highest-charting single in Australia along with "Since U Been Gone" (2004) before being overtaken by "Mr. Know It All", which topped the chart in 2011. [35] In the United Kingdom, "Miss Independent" debuted and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in August 2003. It the Netherlands, the song debuted on the Dutch Top 40 at number 27, eventually peaking at number nine. The song also charted in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Music video

The song's accompanying music video was filmed in Los Angeles by Liz Friedlander, who didn't know Clarkson at the time. Friedlander remarked, "Honestly, I never watched American Idol, so I didn't have a preconceived notion of her." She said about the video, "The song is explosive and young and has some cool electronic beats, so we took the visual style from the music." [17] Clarkson added "It's gonna be more Kelly Clarkson the artist, not [Kelly Clarkson] from 'American Idol." [17] The video features Clarkson performing at a house party in reverse, starting from the morning after and working its way back to the previous night, where she appears attracted to a "surfer" whom she keeps seeing in mirrors. Friedlander adds, "And in the end — maybe — they get together." [17] It premiered on MTV on June 2, 2003. [36] The video received three nominations at the 2003 MTV Video Music AwardsBest New Artist in a Video, Best Pop Video, and Viewer's Choice Award. [37]

Live performances

Clarkson premiered "Miss Independent" on the second season of American Idol in May 2003. [5] [17] Throughout 2003, she performed it on various television events, including the inaugural season of Australian Idol , The Late Show with David Letterman , and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn . [17] [38] She also performed the song in sports events, notably at the 2003 NRL Grand Final at the Stadium Australia on October 5, 2003. [34] Since then, she has included the song in her set lists on tour, even naming her first co-headlining tour, the Independent Tour (2004, after the song. [39] In 2012, she performed a medley of her songs at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards, beginning with "Miss Independent", continuing to "Since U Been Gone", "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", and "Catch My Breath". [40]

Formats and track listing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Miss Independent"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [67] Gold35,000^
United States (RIAA) [68] Gold1,035,000 [32]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Miss Independent"
RegionDateFormatLabelCatalogRef.
United StatesApril 10, 2003 Mainstream radio RCA [1]
May 25, 2003 CD single 82876-55924-2 [42]
AustraliaAugust 4, 2003BMG82876 548722 [69]
AustriaAugust 12, 2003 Maxi single 82876-54872-2 [43]
Germany [43]
United KingdomAugust 25, 2003CD single82876-55364-1 [70]
United StatesSeptember 23, 2003 12-inch single RCARDAB 54626 [41]
7-inch single 82876-56533-7 [44]
Digital download [46]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Clarkson</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1982)

Kelly Brianne, is an American singer, songwriter, author, 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.

<i>Thankful</i> (Kelly Clarkson album) 2003 studio album by Kelly Clarkson

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<i>Breakaway</i> (Kelly Clarkson album) 2004 studio album by Kelly Clarkson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Since U Been Gone</span> 2004 single by Kelly Clarkson

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behind These Hazel Eyes</span> 2005 single by Kelly Clarkson

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low (Kelly Clarkson song)</span> 2003 single by Kelly Clarkson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Moment Like This</span> 2002 single by Kelly Clarkson

"A Moment Like This" is the debut single by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid from British house music project Nightcrawlers and produced by Stephen Ferrera and Steve Mac. It was released as a double A-side with "Before Your Love" as her coronation single after winning the first season of American Idol. The song was later included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003). "A Moment Like This" was a huge hit in North America, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trouble with Love Is</span> 2003 single by Kelly Clarkson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Because of You (Kelly Clarkson song)</span> 2005 single by Kelly Clarkson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Clarkson discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Before Your Love</span> 2002 single by Kelly Clarkson

"Before Your Love" is a single recorded by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson. On September 17, 2002, RCA released it as a double-A side with "A Moment Like This" as her coronation single after winning the first season of American Idol. A remixed version of the song was later included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003). It went on to become the best-selling single of 2002 in the United States.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)</span> 2012 single by Kelly Clarkson

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"Beautiful Disaster" is a song recorded by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson on her debut studio album Thankful (2003). Matthew Wilder produced the track, and wrote it along with Rebekah Jordan. "Beautiful Disaster" reflects a woman's prayer about a man whom she loves despite his iniquities. A live piano version of the song was included as the twelfth track on Clarkson's second studio album Breakaway (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Side (Kelly Clarkson song)</span> 2012 single by Kelly Clarkson

"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.

<i>Greatest Hits – Chapter One</i> (Kelly Clarkson album) 2012 greatest hits album by Kelly Clarkson

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catch My Breath</span> 2012 song by Kelly Clarkson

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People Like Us (Kelly Clarkson song)</span> 2013 Kelly Clarkson song

"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".

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