Thankful (Kelly Clarkson album)

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Thankful
Thankful Album.PNG
Studio album by
Kelly Clarkson
ReleasedApril 15, 2003 (2003-04-15)
Recorded2002–2003
Studio
  • The Loft Recording Studios (Bronxville, NY) [1]
  • The Hit Factory (New York, NY) [1]
  • The Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • The Enterprise (Burbank, CA) [1]
  • The Studio (Philadelphia, PA) [1]
  • Sound Gallery Studios (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • Blue Iron Gate Studio (Santa Monica, CA) [1]
  • Westlake Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA) [1]
  • HP Studios (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • Capitol Studios (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • The Underlab (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • Homesite 13 (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • Larrabee West Studios (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
  • Rokstone Studios (London, England) [1]
  • The Gentleman's Club (Miami Beach, FL) [1]
Genre
Length45:31
Label
Producer
Kelly Clarkson chronology
Thankful
(2003)		 Breakaway
(2004)
Singles from Thankful
  1. "Miss Independent"
    Released: April 10, 2003
  2. "Low"
    Released: August 3, 2003
  3. "The Trouble with Love Is"
    Released: November 10, 2003

Thankful is the debut studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released in the United States by RCA Records on April 15, 2003. "Miss Independent" was its first single, followed by "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is". Initially, the album had been scheduled to be released in November 2002, however, Clarkson's demanding schedule and difficulty finding tracks that suited her taste and image forced the album to be delayed several times. [5] By the time the album was released, over six months had elapsed since "A Moment Like This" had reached number one.

Contents

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 297,000 copies. "Miss Independent" went on to be a top ten hit in the United States. Thankful has sold 2,800,000 copies in the United States, receiving a 2× platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [6] In Canada, Thankful was certified platinum for 100,000 copies shipped by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). [7]

Background

Clarkson co-wrote four of the 12 tracks included on the final album. [8] In total, 15 other songwriters are credited on the album. [9] Two songs originally on the album, "Trace of Gold" and "Today for Me", written by Stephanie Saraco, were replaced just before the album release by "Anytime" and "A Moment Like This". Early released versions of the CD still show the original tracks on players that read the data from the CD itself (such as Windows Media Player). The two songs have yet to be heard by the general public. Copies of Thankful sold during its first year of release contained a computer program that could be loaded, and used with the internet for artist updates and music videos. The program ceased to function when her official RCA website was launched. Thankful included four cover tracks, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" originally by Aretha Franklin, "Some Kind of Miracle" originally sung by Puff Johnson, "Anytime" by Mary Griffin and "Just Missed the Train" by Trine Rein. "Just Missed the Train" was previously covered by Danielle Brisebois and Carly Smithson (then Carly Hennessy), who worked on much of her album with Brisebois, and would ironically become an American Idol finalist herself six seasons later.

In addition to pop, the album explored genres such R&B and gospel. [10] Rome Neal of CBS News called it a combination of gospel songs, ballads and a little bit of rock 'n' roll. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 62/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
E! Online B [13]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Q Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [18]

Critical reception towards Thankful was generally positive. [19] [20] Critics agreed on Clarkson's talent as a vocalist but found the album's musical direction to be heavily manufactured and overproduced. [9] On Metacritic, a website that compiles various reviews, the album received a score of 62, indicating generally favorable reviews. [13] Entertainment Weekly noted that "Clarkson glides through octaves with the masterful control of someone who's been doing this for decades". [14] Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, praising Clarkson's talent and vocal abilities, while criticizing the album for feeling manufactured. They note that "[her] high notes are sweet and pillowy, her growl is bone-shaking and sexy, and her midrange is amazingly confident for a pop posy whose career is tied for eternity to the whims of her American Idol overlords". [16]

On the other hand, Q gave the album a very negative review, stating that the album "has her trilling like Mariah Carey on fluffy R&B tunes." [13]

Commercial performance

Release of the album was preceded by the single "Miss Independent", which became a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a number one top 40 smash. In thanks to the success of the single, as well as buzz from her American Idol win (Clarkson also appeared several times on the show's second season to promote Thankful), the album sold well in the United States. It managed to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 with 297,000 copies sold. The album sold over 1 million copies in six weeks. [21] According to Nielsen SoundScan, Thankful has sold 2,800,000 copies to date in the US. [6] Further single releases "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is" did not replicate the success of the first single. "Just Missed the Train" and "You Thought Wrong" had been planned for possible single releases, but after the underperformance of "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is", they were canceled. [22]

Impact and legacy

Despite its success and launching Clarkson's career outside of American Idol, some musicians and music critics dismissed her early success as being exclusively reliant on the television program's popularity, [23] and saw her as having little potential longevity as a pop star in the industry. [9] [24] Unconvinced that she was more than a reality television creation, [25] some journalists such as Josh Tyrangiel felt that the album's broad appeal limited its impact and failed to strengthen Clarkson's creative standing with her label or her management. [26] For subsequent music releases, beginning with her second studio album Breakaway (2004), Clarkson demanded more creative control over her projects, including co-writing some of its songs and adopting an "edgier", more rock-leaning musical direction. [26] [24] [27] Some critics deemed Breakaway Clarkson's opportunity to prove her legitimacy as an artist again. [24] [28] Melody Lau of HuffPost said it was only through Breakaway that Clarkson would finally embrace the "Miss Independent" persona she wanted to be known for. [9]

Preston Jones of the Dallas Observer said the success of Clarkson's debut is one of the albums that "represent the apex of Idol’s commercial success, as well as the formidable grip the televised singing competition industry had on the charts in the early aughts". [8] In 2023, Jones said that unlike some of her fellow alumnae, Clarkson managed to establish a career for herself "based more on their own skills than by any association with American Idol ", and in retrospect Thankful "illuminates the path Clarkson would spend the next two decades walking". [8]

Track listing

Thankful– Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Trouble with Love Is"
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
3:41
2."Miss Independent"
Lawrence3:34
3."Low" Jimmy Harry Clif Magness 3:28
4."Some Kind of Miracle" Diane Warren
  • Steve Ferrera
  • Lawrence
3:38
5."What's Up Lonely"
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
  • Stephanie Saraco
  • Rogers
  • Sturken
4:08
6."Just Missed the Train"
Magness4:10
7."Beautiful Disaster"
Wilder4:10
8."You Thought Wrong" (featuring Tamyra Gray)
3:50
9."Thankful"
  • Clarkson
  • Edmonds
  • Mason
  • Thomas
  • The Underdogs
  • Babyface
3:00
10."Anytime"
  • Biancaniello
  • Watters
4:05
11."A Moment Like This" (new mix – bonus track)
  • Ferrera
  • Steve Mac
3:48
12."Before Your Love" (new mix – bonus track)
  • Child
  • Dennis
3:59
Thankful– Japanese edition (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
2:36

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Thankful
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [39] Gold35,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [40] Platinum100,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [41] Gold100,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway) [42] Gold20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [44] 2× Platinum2,800,000 [6]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Thankful
RegionDateLabelFormat
Canada [45] April 15, 2003 Sony BMG CD
United States
EuropeJuly 7, 2003Sony BMG
Japan [46] July 23, 2003
AustraliaSeptember 15, 2003
BrazilDecember 18, 2006

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Thankful (US CD album booklet). Kelly Clarkson. RCA Records, 19 Recordings, S Records. 2003. 07863 68159-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Thankful - Kelly Clarkson". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ O'Brien, Jon (November 26, 2024). "How Kelly Clarkson's 'Breakaway' Proved Her As America's "Idol"". Grammy.com . Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  4. ↑ Wood, Michael (January 25, 2005). "Identity Crisis". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  5. ↑ "For The Record: Quick News On Kelly Clarkson And Justin Guarini, Eve, D12, Ben Lee, Sheryl Crow & More". December 13, 2002. Archived from the original on August 26, 2003. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ask Billboard: Kelly Clarkson's Career Sales & 'Wild Thoughts' About Rihanna". Billboard .
  7. ↑ Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum - January 2004 Archived 2010-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
  8. 1 2 3 Jones, Preston (April 12, 2023). "20th Anniversary of Her Debut Album, Kelly Clarkson Stays on Top by Being True to Herself". Dallas Observer . Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Lau, Melody (April 15, 2013). "Kelly Clarkson, 'Thankful': That's How We Feel About The 'American Idol' Winner As Her Debut Turns 10". HuffPost .
  10. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ Neal, Rome (May 15, 2003). "Kelly Clarkson: Thankful". CBS News . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Reviews for Thankful by Kelly Clarkson - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Critic Rviews for Thankful". Metacritic . Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  14. 1 2 Goldblatt, Henry (April 25, 2003). "Thankful Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  15. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (August 28, 2003). "Kelly Clarkson: Thankful". The Guardian . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Berger, Arion (April 22, 2003). "Thankful". Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  17. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (April 17, 2003). "Kelly Clarkson: Thankful". Slant Magazine . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  18. ↑ Gardner, Elysa (April 14, 2003). "Clarkson's 'Thankful' much obliged to many". USA Today .
  19. ↑ Dresdale, Andrea (April 14, 2023). "Kelly Clarkson releases two songs from her next chapter a day before 20th anniversary of her debut". ABC Audio Digital Syndication. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025. It received positive reviews
  20. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson releases two songs from her next chapter a day before 20th anniversary of her debut". WRMF . 2023. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025. It received positive reviews and proved Kelly had actual talent beyond the scope of American Idol.
  21. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (August 10, 2007). "Clarkson slipping into a sales slump". USA Today . Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  22. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson Hits The Roof For New Clip, Plans DVD". MTV. November 6, 2003. Archived from the original on September 19, 2004. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  23. ↑ "20 years ago, Kelly Clarkson spread her wings with Breakaway". Lakes Media Music News. November 27, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  24. 1 2 3 Kotb, Hoda (June 3, 2005). "Don't underestimate Kelly Clarkson". NBCNews.com . Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  25. ↑ Dresdale, Andrea (November 27, 2024). "20 years ago, Kelly Clarkson spread her wings with 'Breakaway'". ABC Audio . Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  26. 1 2 Tyrangiel, Josh (February 5, 2006). "Miss Independent". Time . Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson facts: Singer's age, husband, children, net worth and more revealed". Smooth Radio . April 7, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  28. ↑ Sandler, Adam (August 28, 2006). "Kelly Clarkson". Variety . Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  29. ↑ "KELLY CLARKSON - THANKFUL". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  30. ↑ "Thankful - Kelly Clarkson - Canadian Albums chart". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  31. ↑ "KELLY CLARKSON - THANKFUL". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  32. ↑ "KELLY CLARKSON - THANKFUL (ALBUM) - irish-charts.com". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  33. ↑ "サンクフル" (in Japanese). ORICON. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  34. ↑ "KELLY CLARKSON - THANKFUL". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Archive Chart- Kelly Clarkson - Thankful". The Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Thankful - Kelly Clarkson - Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2003" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  39. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  40. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Thankful". Music Canada.
  41. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Thankful" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.Select 2008年5月 on the drop-down menu
  42. ↑ "Norwegian album certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Thankful" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  43. ↑ "British album certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Thankful". British Phonographic Industry.
  44. ↑ "American album certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Thankful". Recording Industry Association of America.
  45. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson - Thankful (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. April 15, 2003. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson - Thankful (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. July 23, 2003. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
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