Kelly Brianne, known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, 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. 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 debuted atop the Billboard 200. 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.
"The Trouble with Love Is" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, for her debut studio album Thankful (2003). The song was written by Clarkson with its producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken. It was released as the fourth and final single from the album, being first serviced to US contemporary hit radio on November 10, 2003. "The Trouble with Love Is" is an R&B and soul ballad, with elements of gospel music in its chorus. Lyrically, the song finds Clarkson explaining how love can be joyful and sorrowful at the same time. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised it for being "soulful" and "romantic", while also praising Clarkson's vocals, comparing them to those of Mariah Carey and Beyoncé.
American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson has released nine studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, one remix album, and 53 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).
"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.
"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.
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.
Wrapped in Red is the sixth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on October 25, 2013 by RCA Records. The album is a follow-up to her first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits – Chapter One, and its companion extended play, The Smoakstack Sessions Vol. 2. Produced by Greg Kurstin, it is her first Christmas album and her only record to be solely released by RCA. Wrapped in Red consists of sixteen tracks, featuring five original songs co-penned with Kurstin and eleven cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, two of which are duets featuring singers Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.
"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.
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.
"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.
"Someone" is a song by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). The song was written by Matthew Koma and produced by Greg Kurstin. It is a pulsatic trance track, about a defunct relationship, in which a singer sings of a false apology to a former lover while also wishing him to find someone to love in the future. "Someone" was released by RCA Records as the fifth and final promotional single from Piece by Piece on February 27, 2015. The song received mainly positive views from music critics.
"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 its 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 husband's unconditional love for her and their daughter, whom they both promised to never abandon.
"Dance with Me" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). Produced by Greg Kurstin, it was the first song written by Dan Rockett after collaborating with Polow da Don in his tenure as a studio runner and an audio engineer at Interscope Records. Originally penned as a David Bowie and Lady Gaga duet, the track was later sent to Clarkson who was recording songs for her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits – Chapter One (2012) at the time. Instead of being included for Chapter One, she later recorded the song for Piece by Piece. An '80s U2-inspired energetic synthpop and dance-pop anthem, "Dance with Me" is a song about dancing and escapism, serving as an invitation and to dance with one another.
"Nostalgic" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). Produced by former DC Talk member Jason Halbert, the song was written by artists who also have been members of various rock bands: Semi Precious Weapons lead singer Justin Tranter, former Cobra Starship lead guitarist Ryland Blackinton, Young Love lead singer Dan Keyes, and Oliver duo member Vaughn Oliver. A synth electro rock song, it sings of remembering nostalgia of a failed relationship, which was mainly based on Tranter's and Keyes's real life experiences. The record mainly features synthesizer sounds that were prominently popular during the 1980s as well as string arrangements by Joseph Trapanese and guitars by Tim Pierce. Upon the release of Piece by Piece, "Nostalgic" has received a very positive response from music critics, who lauded the track as one of the album's highlights and complimented the 1980s nostalgia evoked from the song.
"Good Goes the Bye" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her seventh studio album, Piece by Piece (2015). Produced by Jason Halbert and Eric Olson, the song closes the standard edition of the album and was written by country music songwriters Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, and Jimmy Robbins. Originally penned as a country song, Clarkson, Halbert, and Olson revamped it into a synthpop record, inspired by the 1980s pop music the British musical duo Eurythmics. A beat-driven track, the song is about ending a failing relationship. "Good Goes the Bye" received its premiere on Viacom Media Networks's three channels, MTV, VH1, and CMT on March 2, 2015, the day before the album's release.
Piece by Piece Remixed is the first remix album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released by RCA Records on March 4, 2016. It contains various remixes and re-recordings of selections from her seventh studio album Piece by Piece (2015), including two Billboard Dance Club Songs hit singles, the "Idol version" of the title track, "Piece by Piece", and a live recording of "Tightrope" at the Piece by Piece Tour. Released exclusively in digital download and music streaming platforms, it became her first entry on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart at number one with digital sales of 2,000 copies.
Meaning of Life is the eighth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson. It was released by Atlantic Records on October 27, 2017. Executive produced by Clarkson and Craig Kallman, the album is her debut release for the label after completing her recording contract with RCA Records, which she had signed after winning the first season of American Idol. Weary of the structure of the previous record deal where she was strictly limited to releasing pop music, Clarkson wanted to pursue a different genre—soul and R&B music, which she had previously wanted to make and had only finally found the opportunity to do so after being signed by Kallman to the label.
"Meaning of Life" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson and the titular track from her eighth studio album of the same name. It was written by English singer James Morrison with Ilsey Juber and Jesse Shatkin, who handled its production. A soul pop and R&B song about learning the existential "meaning of life", the singer confesses the loneliness she's been feeling in the past but her newfound love is what brings her to life, showing her the light. Originally intended to be recorded for her 2015 studio album Piece by Piece, Clarkson put the song on hold and used it as a guiding track for other collaborators in developing a soulful sound for the succeeding album.
"Whole Lotta Woman" is a song performed by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her eighth studio album Meaning of Life. It is co-written by Clarkson and its producers—Jussifer, NOVA Wav duo Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney, Fade Majah, and Jesse Shatkin. A soul anthem about female empowerment, the singer declares herself as a "whole lotta woman" and challenges men to "accept it or walk away". Songwriters put a "fun twist" in the lyrics to allude to the size of Clarkson's waistline, her attitude, her self-worth, and her mouth. Members of the American soul band Earth, Wind & Fire, led by bass player Verdine White, are featured in the song.
