Kelly Clarkson – chemistry l TKCS S6 l You For Christmas

[PGriffin]

Yep that cover was amazing. Not strained at all, clear and well supported. Amazing that her voice is this good so far into her career.

[Envoirment]

Makes me sad as she's very unlikely going to tour intenationally again. It's been almost 10 years since she was last on tour in the UK

Please Kelly come to the UK for a random Christmas tour one year or something! *_*

She sounds stunning. I need Kelly to nab herself a role in a big film musical production or to do a stint on broadway. Her voice sounds so sublime currently! Just as you think she's peaked vocally she proves you wrong.

I am still wanting that country album as well some day!

[Coco Yu'Kneek- Saint]

She'll just won American idol again. Kelly Dion is amazing 😻

[musicfan134]

Echoing what everyone else said. There are no words, she just continues to vocally impress and blow away the competition quite frankly.

I know I'm repeating myself with several points here, but it's still relevant and still my opinion: I am not convinced that Kelly couldn’t release a modest hit in 2025. We have never seen Atlantic actually push a Kelly Clarkson song to “the masses” other than Love So Soft, and let’s be honest…in hindsight, Love So Soft stuck out like a sore thumb and was not the song to get Kelly a hit. That’s not to say it’s a bad song per se, but it was not a radio-friendly hit single. It’s like she had one “flop” (it wasn’t even a total flop, it’s certified platinum) and Atlantic/she just kind of…gave up.

Since then, she has gone viral several times for different covers and has had good success with Christmas tunes. Why they never pushed Happier Than Ever to pop radio and/or tried to make a bigger deal out of the Kellyoke EP, I will never know. I don’t necessarily think anything from chemistry would’ve smashed, but…we’ll never know because they didn’t even try. I think “rock hudson”, “red flag collector” or even “roses” could’ve done at least as well as “Heartbeat Song” which is one of her most-streamed songs or the aforementioned “Love So Soft”. Not to mention, despite all of this the album still debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Imagine how well it could’ve done if they actually pushed a single. I realize there were circumstances beyond her/Atlantic’s control relative to this album release, but my point still stands. There’s really no reason they couldn’t have given “mine” an adds date on pop radio and a little promo, let’s be honest. According to a post on here a while back, even without that it’s eligible for gold certification, so imagine where it'd be if it had a proper push to pop radio and/or a bigger mainstream presence.

Looking at the pop chart right now. Lady Gaga, Kesha, Meghan Trainor, and Katy Perry are all currently within the top 40. Kelly is a much bigger name than 3 of those people at this point, and she’s probably about on par with or just below Gaga to be honest. These artists, and more, are continuing to release songs to pop radio despite “diminishing returns” and it’s keeping them musically relevant. Heck, even Paris Hilton is charting on pop radio. And you’re telling me Kelly Clarkson isn’t relevant enough? The same Kelly Clarkson who goes viral with a Kellyoke every few weeks, and has a consistent Christmas presence? Even Taylor Swift debuted in 2006...she's not *that* much newer than Kelly and recently reached commercial peaks. It's not totally unheard of.

No, I think the biggest issue is Kelly herself doesn't want it. Which is disappointing, but fine. It's her career. I just wish she/her team/her fans wouldn't write off the possibility of another small hit or two.

[Coco Yu'Kneek- Saint]

^"Looking at the pop chart right now. Lady Gaga, Kesha, Meghan Trainor, and Katy Perry are all currently within the top 40"

It's funny I said in the Gaga thread how much I respect artists with talent who don't succumb to watering themselves down. Mariah went from easy pop success if she wanted to doing her own thing, Kelly similarly fought against Clive to be able to do what she wanted and Gaga did a complete change.i respect that caused they are different but so similar in being artists who fight for what they believe in musically even if it costs them fans, sales and easier rode.

The road they chose is bumpy but in the long run where are they? And where is Kesha, Katy and Meghan for that matter? Nowhere. Some artist cultivate fans for life and display personality and others are faceless and I couldn't tell you one thing about Katy or Carrie no connection

[keeptheflowers]

Several shots of double blacks in and KC's rendition of All By Myself is the best accompaniment. What a performance.

[dbhmr]

[Mike]

Next week! WEDNESDAYYYYYYYY (sorry haters!!!)

Monday: Kellyoke: "Pink Pony Club"; Bowen Yang; Auli'I Cravalho; Will Butler; Broadway in 6A: "Stereophonic" performance; bargains and deals with Lawrence Zarian and MorningSave; Poetry Pharmacy.

Tuesday: Kellyoke: "Lavender Haze"; Kaley Cuoco; Xolo Maridueña; mobile psychiatric clinic; Duckhorn Holiday Wines demo; Caregivers' Month.

Wednesday: Kellyoke: "The Sun Will Rise"; Michelle Williams; Sebastian Yatra; emotions notebook; bargains and deals with Lawrence Zarian and MorningSave; last year's Pilot overachiever update.

[kmbgs]

omg justice for Stronger absolutely

[Marooned@Midnight]

Speechless at the All By Myself performance. A comment under the video reads so true, “for anyone else this would be a career defining performance, for Kelly it’s just Wednesday.”

[xline06]

Welcome back KC Classics on Kellyoke this season!
Hope she performs her catalogs more!

[balletgirlmom]

Kelly sure is a powerhouse!!!!!!!!!!!

[Coco Yu'Kneek- Saint]

Kelly is so god damn RUDE!!

[Jack]

Nov 21, 2024 18:57:38 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

I know I'm repeating myself with several points here, but it's still relevant and still my opinion: I am not convinced that Kelly couldn’t release a modest hit in 2025. We have never seen Atlantic actually push a Kelly Clarkson song to “the masses” other than Love So Soft, and let’s be honest…in hindsight, Love So Soft stuck out like a sore thumb and was not the song to get Kelly a hit. That’s not to say it’s a bad song per se, but it was not a radio-friendly hit single.

I think this is slightly re-writing history. They did a interview with many of the biggest radio programmers and DJs shortly before its release (before the public had heard it) and they were raving, one called it the greatest Pop records that had been sent to him in a long time. And they were right to rave. LSS, is catchy, on brand for Kelly in terms of being a diva/empowerment lyric, representative of its parent album, trod that Bruno Mars balance rope of contemporary and throwback production.

Nov 21, 2024 18:57:38 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

It’s like she had one “flop” (it wasn’t even a total flop, it’s certified platinum) and Atlantic/she just kind of…gave up.

Since then, she has gone viral several times for different covers and has had good success with Christmas tunes. Why they never pushed Happier Than Ever to pop radio and/or tried to make a bigger deal out of the Kellyoke EP, I will never know. I don’t necessarily think anything from chemistry would’ve smashed, but…we’ll never know because they didn’t even try. I think “rock hudson”, “red flag collector” or even “roses” could’ve done at least as well as “Heartbeat Song” which is one of her most-streamed songs or the aforementioned “Love So Soft”. Not to mention, despite all of this the album still debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Imagine how well it could’ve done if they actually pushed a single. I realize there were circumstances beyond her/Atlantic’s control relative to this album release, but my point still stands.

Again, a massive video, big industry party (that she hosted), promoting everywhere etc. they realised that the album, nor she, nor LSS nor any of the other things they tried, were gaining much traction. Certainly not enough traction for the reward. "Spend tonnes of money, work the song to death by performing it on every show, and you could again, Kelly, have a song that hits 35 on the Pop charts". That's how the phone call would go. I just don't think either party (label or artist) are interested in ever trying that again, unless perhaps they have an absolute classic, undeniable winner. Of which Roses, or red flag collector are not.

Nov 21, 2024 18:57:38 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

There’s really no reason they couldn’t have given “mine” an adds date on pop radio and a little promo, let’s be honest. According to a post on here a while back, even without that it’s eligible for gold certification, so imagine where it'd be if it had a proper push to pop radio and/or a bigger mainstream presence.

*I'm imagining* Five or six places higher on radio, and maybe the bottom end of the Hot 100 for a week or two? In most other instances, the problem when one imagines theories that can never be proved, especially in Pop music, the imagined scenarios tend to look nothing like realism.

As I repeat from time's past, Kelly's MOL campaign demonstrated a lot of things; she had the willingness to promote they extent she did Breakaway, she had a label willing to back her, she had the belief in her music. And for her effort, she was found (publicly/vocally) disappointed by radio not biting, despite being courted, songs not hitting no matter the style, average sales for the record she said she had always wanted to make, and approaching the period where her marriage ended. That was, clearly, a pivoting point for her. They realised her time dunking hits on Pop radio relatively dependably (which nearly came to an end two years prior to that with the PBP campaign) was over - a time that comes for all popstars - and that they needed to asses what happiness for her and success for everybody involved looked like.

They clearly took stock of what was working professionally (holiday music, television work, her live concerts) her own personal priorities (family, a need for stability/consistency) and artistic needs (to sing, interpret, and create as much as possible with a tight-knit band whose livelihoods depend on her) and recalibrated her life accordingly. I don't see what's so mystifying about this.

Nov 21, 2024 18:57:38 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

Looking at the pop chart right now. Lady Gaga, Kesha, Meghan Trainor, and Katy Perry are all currently within the top 40. Kelly is a much bigger name than 3 of those people at this point, and she’s probably about on par with or just below Gaga to be honest. These artists, and more, are continuing to release songs to pop radio despite “diminishing returns” and it’s keeping them musically relevant. Heck, even Paris Hilton is charting on pop radio. And you’re telling me Kelly Clarkson isn’t relevant enough? The same Kelly Clarkson who goes viral with a Kellyoke every few weeks, and has a consistent Christmas presence? Even Taylor Swift debuted in 2006...she's not *that* much newer than Kelly and recently reached commercial peaks. It's not totally unheard of.

No, I think the biggest issue is Kelly herself doesn't want it. Which is disappointing, but fine. It's her career. I just wish she/her team/her fans wouldn't write off the possibility of another small hit or two.

She and her team do not want wish for her to spend big amounts of time, energy, resources pushing Pop sounds to chart in the lower reaches of lands they once dominated. If you want Kelly to sacrifice her happy life, current massive TV show/holiday music success, so she can pound the pavement placing minor or non-hits on the charts, the likes of Woman's World, Disease and Joyride, then you're absolutely within your rights to champion for it.

Lots of reasonable and supportive fans - and no doubt team - of Kelly, I'm sure want her to see her rack up some more hits as time goes on. It's possible, but takes a massive intersection of timing, time, material, luck and will. And without almost all of those coming together at the same moment, it's not nearly as easy or aspirational of a get as you make it sound.

Better material. Passion for it. Time and space to create it. Resources to push it. That's my hope for her.

But that's a hope that is incongruous with the "I want I want, more more more, now now now" philosophy made up of so many fans weekly being served up banquets of greatness from her, and whose first reaction is "yeah but where are the bread rolls".

[musicfan134]

I agree with many of your points, Jack. Though I stand by my original statement that someone--whether that be Atlantic, Kelly's team, or Kelly herself, probably some combination of multiple parties--could be doing more with the music we're getting and it could very well turn into a hit. I'm not even asking for more music, I just wish they would handle the music we're getting better tbh.

No one expected Breakaway, MLWSWY, Stronger, or PBP to blow up the way those songs did, but they still tried and paid off big time. The right song, at the right moment, with the right promo is all it takes. Of course, I realize I'm saying this like it's easy, and that's not my intention. But if they won't even try, it won't happen. I remember a lot of people being disappointed at her Idol performance when we heard she would be doing PbP, and were championing for her to do a different song in its place. Thank goodness she didn't!

In actuality, her best bet for a hit at this point might be if they would record and release one of her Kellyokes shortly after going viral. I understand there are legal barriers to doing so in some cases, but surely not all..? I think back to that Teddy Swims collab she did on her show. Really no reason she/her team couldn't have recorded a studio version of the duet and released it to radio at that time. Could you imagine a studio version of "All By Myself" or "My Heart Will Go On" released the next week or so? Maybe not a surefire hit on pop radio, but definitely would give her a decent streaming/sales boost which would make it easier to justify pop radio giving her spins.

[jeremyald]

Nov 24, 2024 19:01:39 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

I agree with many of your points, Jack. Though I stand by my original statement that someone--whether that be Atlantic, Kelly's team, or Kelly herself, probably some combination of multiple parties--could be doing more with the music we're getting and it could very well turn into a hit. I'm not even asking for more music, I just wish they would handle the music we're getting better tbh.

No one expected Breakaway, MLWSWY, Stronger, or PBP to blow up the way those songs did, but they still tried and paid off big time. The right song, at the right moment, with the right promo is all it takes. Of course, I realize I'm saying this like it's easy, and that's not my intention. But if they won't even try, it won't happen. I remember a lot of people being disappointed at her Idol performance when we heard she would be doing PbP, and were championing for her to do a different song in its place. Thank goodness she didn't!

In actuality, her best bet for a hit at this point might be if they would record and release one of her Kellyokes shortly after going viral. I understand there are legal barriers to doing so in some cases, but surely not all..? I think back to that Teddy Swims collab she did on her show. Really no reason she/her team couldn't have recorded a studio version of the duet and released it to radio at that time. Could you imagine a studio version of "All By Myself" or "My Heart Will Go On" released the next week or so? Maybe not a surefire hit on pop radio, but definitely would give her a decent streaming/sales boost which would make it easier to justify pop radio giving her spins.

I think one disappointing part is that Kelly has not had better ballads to promote over the last 5+ years. Her material to me in this department has lacked and has been her best chance to get a hit. Most of her viral Kellyokes have been ballads and she is truly one of the greatest singers of all time, yet she had released songs like I Don't Think about You and Me which just aren't as career defining as the songs she is covering.

[kmbgs]

Nov 24, 2024 19:01:39 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

I agree with many of your points, Jack. Though I stand by my original statement that someone--whether that be Atlantic, Kelly's team, or Kelly herself, probably some combination of multiple parties--could be doing more with the music we're getting and it could very well turn into a hit. I'm not even asking for more music, I just wish they would handle the music we're getting better tbh.

No one expected Breakaway, MLWSWY, Stronger, or PBP to blow up the way those songs did, but they still tried and paid off big time. The right song, at the right moment, with the right promo is all it takes. Of course, I realize I'm saying this like it's easy, and that's not my intention. But if they won't even try, it won't happen. I remember a lot of people being disappointed at her Idol performance when we heard she would be doing PbP, and were championing for her to do a different song in its place. Thank goodness she didn't!

In actuality, her best bet for a hit at this point might be if they would record and release one of her Kellyokes shortly after going viral. I understand there are legal barriers to doing so in some cases, but surely not all..? I think back to that Teddy Swims collab she did on her show. Really no reason she/her team couldn't have recorded a studio version of the duet and released it to radio at that time. Could you imagine a studio version of "All By Myself" or "My Heart Will Go On" released the next week or so? Maybe not a surefire hit on pop radio, but definitely would give her a decent streaming/sales boost which would make it easier to justify pop radio giving her spins.

I think literally everyone expected MLWSWY and Stronger to be hits - they were obvious smashes to anyone with ears tho

[dbhmr]

FWIW, her absolute best chance at a non-Christmas top 10, or even #1, would have been instantly recording the "Lose Control" duet with Teddy Swims after it aired and releasing it, given how enormous that song has been since. And even then, clearly he didn't need that version to do well, and maybe one or both of them wasn't up for doing that (may have been better for his career to stay solo for a hit of that size). Still, hard to imagine that not reaching similar success had they deployed it early enough.

[musicfan134]

Nov 25, 2024 0:39:24 GMT -5 kmbgs said:

Nov 24, 2024 19:01:39 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

I agree with many of your points, Jack. Though I stand by my original statement that someone--whether that be Atlantic, Kelly's team, or Kelly herself, probably some combination of multiple parties--could be doing more with the music we're getting and it could very well turn into a hit. I'm not even asking for more music, I just wish they would handle the music we're getting better tbh.

No one expected Breakaway, MLWSWY, Stronger, or PBP to blow up the way those songs did, but they still tried and paid off big time. The right song, at the right moment, with the right promo is all it takes. Of course, I realize I'm saying this like it's easy, and that's not my intention. But if they won't even try, it won't happen. I remember a lot of people being disappointed at her Idol performance when we heard she would be doing PbP, and were championing for her to do a different song in its place. Thank goodness she didn't!

In actuality, her best bet for a hit at this point might be if they would record and release one of her Kellyokes shortly after going viral. I understand there are legal barriers to doing so in some cases, but surely not all..? I think back to that Teddy Swims collab she did on her show. Really no reason she/her team couldn't have recorded a studio version of the duet and released it to radio at that time. Could you imagine a studio version of "All By Myself" or "My Heart Will Go On" released the next week or so? Maybe not a surefire hit on pop radio, but definitely would give her a decent streaming/sales boost which would make it easier to justify pop radio giving her spins.

I think literally everyone expected MLWSWY and Stronger to be hits - they were obvious smashes to anyone with ears tho

I'm not convinced either song would've taken off if RCA hadn't promoted the hell out of both of them. MLWSWY maybe (MAYBE) off of the back of Kelly-hype which was definitely more in 2009 than it is now. But I think My December eliminated a lot of that hype, for better or for worse. Of course, we will never know. But the longer she goes without a hit, the more steep the hill becomes for her to get a non-Christmas hit.

[shakemaki]

I’m not saying I like it better than SUBG, but I will argue MLWSWY is the beat for beat catchiest song she’s ever recorded. I think the only reason it wasn’t even more of a juggernaut was the MD killing momentum. And Stronger is right up there with SUBG for runner up of that title. Hard to imagine any scenario where she didn’t get all 3 of those to smash.

At any rate, her/her team’s biggest mainstream mistake was wasting the rest of the Stronger era’s Breakway 2.0 potential. Obviously they got the most obvious smash out there in time with the title track, but there were definitely at least 3 other big hits too, maybe more. Let Me Down had #1 potential with the right push, and Honestly, The War is Over, and I Forgive You all had hit potential on the level of a Breakaway (the song) sized hit imo.

Such an era would have re-established her as one of the biggest forces in pop like she was after Breakaway and set her up infinitely better for the next few album’s mainstream potential. Although those definitely still would have needed better single choices too.

[Mike]

[dbhmr]

Nov 25, 2024 13:59:55 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

Nov 25, 2024 0:39:24 GMT -5 kmbgs said:

I think literally everyone expected MLWSWY and Stronger to be hits - they were obvious smashes to anyone with ears tho

I'm not convinced either song would've taken off if RCA hadn't promoted the hell out of both of them. MLWSWY maybe (MAYBE) off of the back of Kelly-hype which was definitely more in 2009 than it is now. But I think My December eliminated a lot of that hype, for better or for worse. Of course, we will never know. But the longer she goes without a hit, the more steep the hill becomes for her to get a non-Christmas hit.

But RCA only promoted the hell out of them because they were such obvious hits. Obviously you can’t predict everything and some stars have to align for a song like SUBG to hit as big as it did, but having SUBG and BTHE made Clive Davis and RCA very bullish on the album, even more so after the success of “Breakaway,” which had the benefit of a Disney push.

When the label gets a song like that (and we know they had MLWSWY demo on their hands before MD), they’re ready to throw more resources at it. Sometimes a PBP moment happens but it is true lightning in a bottle—or even less likely of one than the music, artist, label, landscape, and public response coming together for a song that always sounded like a hit.

[kmbgs]

How do we get Chappel Roan to write a number of pop songs for Kelly immediately?

[clsvltn]

At this point Kelly will cover roan’s entire album by end of season. LOL

[shakemaki]

Yeah, the entire Midwest Princess album would absolutely work flawlessly for Kelly’s voice/song style (maybe not so much lyrically lolol). But get Dan Nigro to make a Kelly-fied take on that album with her and that would be what I would most want for a mainstream pop album from her rn.

[shakemaki]

Did I just randomly come up with Kelly Christmas sitting on the toilet here, or has someone actually tried to make this a thing for her? Because if not, it should be since we know Mariah already has the Queen of Christmas moniker taken.

[bee]

Nov 25, 2024 16:45:07 GMT -5 shakemaki said:

I’m not saying I like it better than SUBG, but I will argue MLWSWY is the beat for beat catchiest song she’s ever recorded. I think the only reason it wasn’t even more of a juggernaut was the MD killing momentum. And Stronger is right up there with SUBG for runner up of that title. Hard to imagine any scenario where she didn’t get all 3 of those to smash.

At any rate, her/her team’s biggest mainstream mistake was wasting the rest of the Stronger era’s Breakway 2.0 potential. Obviously they got the most obvious smash out there in time with the title track, but there were definitely at least 3 other big hits too, maybe more. Let Me Down had #1 potential with the right push, and Honestly, The War is Over, and I Forgive You all had hit potential on the level of a Breakaway (the song) sized hit imo.

Such an era would have re-established her as one of the biggest forces in pop like she was after Breakaway and set her up infinitely better for the next few album’s mainstream potential. Although those definitely still would have needed better single choices too.

I'll never understand why Let Me Down wasn't a single. This was, and still is, such a jam to sing too. Darkside definitely didn't ride out the Stronger (song) hype.

MD killed the momentum. I wondered if Kelly wanted that when you listen to Irvine. I don't think she could have continued on the path RCA and Clive were taking her.

[StrongBreakaway]

[shakemaki]

Nov 26, 2024 9:33:18 GMT -5 bee said:

Nov 25, 2024 16:45:07 GMT -5 shakemaki said:

I’m not saying I like it better than SUBG, but I will argue MLWSWY is the beat for beat catchiest song she’s ever recorded. I think the only reason it wasn’t even more of a juggernaut was the MD killing momentum. And Stronger is right up there with SUBG for runner up of that title. Hard to imagine any scenario where she didn’t get all 3 of those to smash.

At any rate, her/her team’s biggest mainstream mistake was wasting the rest of the Stronger era’s Breakway 2.0 potential. Obviously they got the most obvious smash out there in time with the title track, but there were definitely at least 3 other big hits too, maybe more. Let Me Down had #1 potential with the right push, and Honestly, The War is Over, and I Forgive You all had hit potential on the level of a Breakaway (the song) sized hit imo.

Such an era would have re-established her as one of the biggest forces in pop like she was after Breakaway and set her up infinitely better for the next few album’s mainstream potential. Although those definitely still would have needed better single choices too.

I'll never understand why Let Me Down wasn't a single. This was, and still is, such a jam to sing too. Darkside definitely didn't ride out the Stronger (song) hype.

MD killed the momentum. I wondered if Kelly wanted that when you listen to Irvine. I don't think she could have continued on the path RCA and Clive were taking her.

Yeah, it’s baffling. It’s such a universal sing-a-long moment in her catalog like pretty much all her biggest smashes are. The only explanations I can think of is either Kelly was super against its release for some reason and RCA finally decided to stop going against her wishes for once, or they thought it was too “pop-rock” for the 10s. But it’s honestly only a slight pop-rock vibe, mostly it’s just a crazy catchy pop song.

[kmbgs]

Let Me Down is THAT girl