Kelly Clarkson – chemistry l TKCS S6 l You For Christmas

[jessayli]

Kelly Clarkson wrote “Let Me Down,” and I think she was a fan of the song. There were multiple solid options from Stronger to select as the third single, and they went with Dark Side, which I still think is a standout from that album. I (incorrectly) thought Dark Side had a lot of potential as a single, and I think her team did as well. I believe Kelly said that Dark Side was her manager, Narvel Blackstock’s, favorite song from Stronger.

After Dark Side underperformed, they moved ahead with Kelly’s Greatest Hits album and Catch My Breath. After that came Underneath The Tree and the Wrapped In Red album, continuing her streak as a successful artist. Overall, I think that was the logical choice to make. While I would like to think that Let Me Down would have “smashed” as a 4th (or 3rd) single - I also love the song - I just don’t think it would have become the superstar single many of us believed it could be.

[musicfan134]

Stronger is the definition of a mixed bag for me. It has some absolute GEMS in Let Me Down, You Love Me, Hello (criminally underrated and much better than Adele's song tbh I maintain this could've been the lead over Mr Know It All), Alone, Honestly, and Dark Side, though I'm not sure anything other than the title track would have hit very hard in 2012. It also has a few of the worst songs of her career--Einstein, You Can't Win, and Don't Be a Girl About It being the main examples. Having said that, the singles treatment of this album will always perplex me.

I believe I read somewhere that they went with Mr Know It All as the lead because it was one of the few (only?) songs from the album that hadn't leaked. I get that and can understand why Kelly would be frustrated by her songs leaking, though I don't know that I agree with the idea that this song was strong enough to be a contender for a single at all, let alone a lead single. Do note, it is one of my favorite songs from the album for a personal reason, but putting personal bias/nostalgia aside, there are far better songs on this album. Personally, I think Hello would've been a fantastic lead single here. It would be pre-Adele's Hello, and would work as a reintroduction to Kelly after she took a break from the spotlight for a while in 2010.

Stronger was obviously a strong (pun intended) pick for second single, and I do like the strategy of go with a less surefire hit for a lead single and have a backup in the wings ready to launch. Personally this song has aged poorly for me, but I digress. I can't really argue with its success.

And then Dark Side, which even at the time...I was very confused by. Dark Side is a great song, don't misunderstand me, though I don't think it was right for summer and I don't think it was radio friendly enough to pick up where Stronger left off.

Having said that, I'm also not sure I'm convinced Let Me Down would've been that song. Even back in 2011/2012, that song had been rather dated. It leaked early and the time for that sort of pop/rock had passed by then. I actually think, hindsight being 20/20...Kelly's best chance for a hit after Stronger might've been Alone.

So for singles, I would've gone:

1) Hello
2) Stronger
3) Alone
4) You Love Me
5) Dark Side

For the album tracklist, I would've gone:
1) Hello
2) Stronger
3) Dark Side
4) Honestly
5) Mr Know It All
6) You Love Me
7) Alone
8) The War Is Over
9) Let Me Down
10) I Forgive You
11) Standing in Front of You
12) Breaking Your Own Heart
13) The Sun Will Rise

[Marooned@Midnight]

Nov 26, 2024 21:13:16 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

So for singles, I would've gone:

1) Hello
2) Stronger
3) Alone
4) You Love Me
5) Dark Side

Replace Alone with Let Me Down and Dark Side with I Forgive You and I think you have a perfectly executed era.

[Grün]

I used to think I Forgive You was the smash that never happened. It sounds very dated now, but I still think it would have smashed after Stronger. (Even South Park knew)

Dark Side was always a dud. Her team should have given her Try instead and not passed on that. Although, Try has cringy lyrics as well, but it was an obvious smash.

[jeremyald]

If anyone wants to complain about a single choice it should be 'All I Ever Wanted'- that era had at least 5 good singles and it made literally no sense to release a song that had no potential to go anywhere.

[StrongBreakaway]

Kelly wanted Stronger to be the first single, but then the label got MKIA and Kelly loved the demo. It was the last song recorded for the album. They wanted to replicate Breakaway's success by having a build-up from single 1 to single 2. It definitely worked for US, UK and Australia, but most of other territories lost interest in the album, because of MKIA. The biggest WTF moment for me was Stronger peaking at #27 in Germany, but otherwise the world was open to the song.

I would have loved Honestly to be a single to showcase another side of Kelly.

I agree on the comment about AIEW. It baffles me that the surefire hit IICHY was ignored. IDNHU made no sense, but I remember it being a deal with the producer. After the fight over Halo2, RCA cut the era short, reminding her once again of who's the boss.

I truly wish she'd write a book. The impact of RCA's toxicity on her career needs to be studied.

[piledrive]

I like Dark Side but Let Me Down and I Forgive You were screaming to be released.

Imo, the single choices since Stronger (arguably AIEW) have been really weird.
Invincible, I Don’t Think About You, Me, Move You (I think this was a prime single but still), lighthouse (love the song but it’s nowhere close as single material) when far superior songs were available is baffling to me.

[bee]

Nov 27, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 piledrive said:

I like Dark Side but Let Me Down and I Forgive You were screaming to be released.

Imo, the single choices since Stronger (arguably AIEW) have been really weird.
Invincible, I Don’t Think About You, Me, Move You (I think this was a prime single but still), lighthouse (love the song but it’s nowhere close as single material) when far superior songs were available is baffling to me.

Dark Side is ok. It never stood out for me. It's a very basic empowerment song. Maybe they were trying to ride the wave of Stronger?

I agree with this. Invincible was not great. I'm still shocked it's a Sia song. Tightrope was right there waiting to be released instead. Would You Call That Love would have been better than I Don't Think About You. At the time, I do understand why they picked IDTAY with all the Keshia stuff happening. With chemistry, I find it funny that a few of the deluxe tracks could have been singles more so than the standard version. I think roses would have done better and I Won't Give Up.

Saying all this, maybe for her at this point in her career, single choice doesn't really matter anymore.

[musicfan134]

Not totally here for this AIEW slander, though I have to agree that as a single choice it was...something.

1. Life Would Suck
2. If I Can't Have You
3. Already Gone
4. Day We Fell Apart (never a bonus track, on the standard edition from the beginning)
5. Cry

Post-RCA, I think they are trying almost exclusively to recreate the Piece by Piece moment. Which on one hand, I'm glad but I do wish they would push some of her more uptempo stuff again at some point too.

[abbeyjones11]

Okay, Remy, we see you! 👀😅🥰👏🏼

[Mike]

Have a great holiday weekend y'all!



Next week!

Monday, 12/2: Kellyoke: "Don't You Wanna Stay"; Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Ali Larter; "Scenes and Stories"; Jack Huston; Pawsitivity Good Awards: The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary; bargains and deals from MorningSave; Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Tuesday, 12/3: Kellyoke: "Worth It"; Cher; "Page Turners"; "Top Five Live"; Dave Annable; wheelchair dance team; Hollow Coves performs.

Wednesday, 12/4: Kellyoke: "Not That I Care"; Jeffrey Wright; Fortune Feimster; Rad Human: Giving Friends; "Kellyoke With Us"; Rockefeller Center Tree family.

Thursday, 12/5: Kellyoke: "Steppin' On Me"; "Good Neighbor of the Year Hour"; Beat Street AZ; I Support The Girls; 4DWN; InspirEDU; Upcycle Parts Shop; Teachers Like Me; Pike Place Market Foundation.

Friday, 12/6: Kellyoke: "Moves"; Taye Diggs and Tyler Posey "The Real Full Monty"; Ari Graynor; Robert Hartwell; stuffie library sleepover; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs.

[wwr]

In what world is Kelly’s hello better than Adele’s hello?
Lmao
I still can’t differentiate hello from alone
They are both generic af
But well, when there’s Einstein there…

I really loved dark side when it first leaked and was happy when it was released as a single, but damn… that video! lol
Not saying the video killed the momentum, I guess people were really not there for the song

That album though, as some said, it was a mixed bag
Honestly, the war is over and you love me are still standout tracks imo

[shakemaki]

I’m really needing the Guilty Pleasure Chappell Kellyoke from her asap. I can’t even fathom the absolute slayage she would unleash on that last stretch of the song

[shakemaki]

RE: AIEW and Stronger eras

I think AIEW was kinda screwed all along. Kelly wasn’t really on board with the two obvious smashes (MLWSWY and AG) for reasons we know, and that ultimately put a damper on things.

More so with AG for obvious reasons. Which I maintain would have stayed confined to niche audiences on Internet forums as far as the Halo comparisons if Kelly herself hadn’t been so vocal about it (especially back when social media was still in its relative infancy). But that’s a whole other conversation. I never really heard the big potential hits on that album beyond those two though, except I do think Cry could have done well too.

I definitely think Stronger was the real chance at recreating another Breakaway era success, as I already went in depth about. Let Me Down and I Forgive You really were obvious at the time, I don’t see why they wouldn’t have smashed. I will stand by Honestly as that era’s ballad hit as well, it is one of her most gorgeous vocals and they really stick in your brain.

The War Is Over, You Love Me, and Hello were all wildcard hits, but I think TWIO should have been tried at the era’s end on the back of sheer song quality alone (it is honestly hooky as well). Also, no to ever being a single, but I don’t really get the Einstein hate all these years? Sure the lyrics are rather silly, but it’s a cute little bop. That’s better to me than boring filler tracks, which I think tend to be a problem on a lot of her albums.

[keeptheflowers]

Hated it when "Dark Side" was announced as the next single after the smash that was Stronger when Let Me Down and You Love Me are on the same damn album. There were even some noise that You Love Me would be a 4th single but obviously that didn't go anywhere.

My picks for Stronger era singles:

1. Stronger
2. Let Me Down
3. You Love Me
4. I Forgive You
5. Honestly

That would've been a terribly angry era.

[musicfan134]

Even when the album first released, I Forgive You was never my absolute favorite song. Talk about generic. I don't see what others see in it I guess. It's not bad, but it's definitely not single material IMO. Even back in 2012.

[Peterawr]

I would have done:

Dark Side (it hasn’t aged well but if promoted as much as MKIA was at the time would have done well)
Stronger
I Forgive You (yes it’s generic, but on the heels of stronger it would have smashed briefly)
Let Me Down (the best song in her entire discography)
Honestly (a very different sound for her but man this song hits hard)

I think stronger would have maintained its #1 position, I forgive you and let me down would have gone top 10 easily.

I’m excited for her Christmas domination after Thanksgiving! She’s already smashing and doing better every year. I really hoping she can do another Christmas special that is a little more fleshed out in the next few years.

[schnetzka]

You all are making me want to listen to Stronger again.

[musicfan134]

With Thanksgiving being so late this year, what kind of an effect do we think that will have on the success of her Christmas material (or Christmas songs in general) this year?

[balletgirlmom]

Kelly Clarkson is a far better face for Christmas than MC.  Kelly does so many Christmas songs and all so well!  So many of the Christmas standards are from the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's.  Most of those artists died long ago or are no longer active.  Outside of Mariah endless annual promotion of AIWFCIY, the other old Christmas classics get airplay and streamed as if on ROTE.  When new Christmas songs come out even by someone as big as Taylor Swift (Christmas Tree Farm), they struggle for play in a landscape full of Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Frank, Dean, Elvis, Johnny Matthis, and so on.  No artist pushed Christmas harder than Mariah and it is like THAT is her career now.  Sad in some ways.

Kelly does music all year and can vary and we love it.  Better for Kelly to have a well-rounded career and not just associated with Christmas.  

I DO think Kelly Clarkson WILL be the face of Christmas and not just associated with ONE Christmas song as MC.  I hope Kelly does one or two new Christmas songs every year.  She will!

Does anyone know if Kelly and Cher will do DJ Play a Christmas Song together on Kelly's show?  I am dying for them to sing THAT one together LIVE.  Both Kelly and Cher adore the other and both sure can SING!  Fun that Cher's DJ is a full out dance song!  Hope the Kelly/Cher version gets to AC Radio.

[ericjtsang]

Nov 28, 2024 12:40:04 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

With Thanksgiving being so late this year, what kind of an effect do we think that will have on the success of her Christmas material (or Christmas songs in general) this year?

combined with the split marketing to get "you for christmas" going on AC radio, pretty massive impact for UTT in a bad way. I don't expect UTT to do as well overall. most artists try to push one song, kelly for better or worse has way more than most

[ericjtsang]

Nov 28, 2024 13:08:26 GMT -5 balletgirlmom said:

Kelly Clarkson is a far better face for Christmas than MC.  Kelly does so many Christmas songs and all so well!  So many of the Christmas standards are from the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's.  Most of those artists died long ago or are no longer active.  Outside of Mariah endless annual promotion of AIWFCIY, the other old Christmas classics get airplay and streamed as if on ROTE.  When new Christmas songs come out even by someone as big as Taylor Swift (Christmas Tree Farm), they struggle for play in a landscape full of Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Frank, Dean, Elvis, Johnny Matthis, and so on.  No artist pushed Christmas harder than Mariah and it is like THAT is her career now.  Sad in some ways.

Kelly does music all year and can vary and we love it.  Better for Kelly to have a well-rounded career and not just associated with Christmas.  

I DO think Kelly Clarkson WILL be the face of Christmas and not just associated with ONE Christmas song as MC.  I hope Kelly does one or two new Christmas songs every year.  She will!

Does anyone know if Kelly and Cher will do DJ Play a Christmas Song together on Kelly's show?  I am dying for them to sing THAT one together LIVE.  Both Kelly and Cher adore the other and both sure can SING!  Fun that Cher's DJ is a full out dance song!  Hope the Kelly/Cher version gets to AC Radio.

based on the tv guide they are not singing DJ

[shakemaki]

Nov 28, 2024 11:34:48 GMT -5 musicfan134 said:

Even when the album first released, I Forgive You was never my absolute favorite song. Talk about generic. I don't see what others see in it I guess. It's not bad, but it's definitely not single material IMO. Even back in 2012.

It’s sonically the closest to the title track on the album with nearly as hooky of a chorus as that one (though not quite). What’s not to get tbh? The title track smashing like it did basically proved that song was a surefire subsequent hit with proper promo and momentum.

[Ryan]

And the fact that I Forgive You randomly hit #1 in South Korea upon the album release and sold almost a million copies there. The song definitely had potential.

[xline06]

Spotify - 9th Christmas song now
58. Underneath The Tree - Kelly Clarkson

Apple Music - 5th
50. Underneath The Tree - Kelly Clarkson

Amazon Music - 23rd
50. Underneath The Tree - Kelly Clarkson

iTunes - 5th
84. Underneath The Tree - Kelly Clarkson

Amazon Best Sellers in Digital Song / Top 100 Paid - 9th
41. Underneath The Tree - Kelly Clarkson

UTT is getting much bigger year by year.
Hope it could be certified as 1 or 2 Platinum in United States.