Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort
Worth, Texas. In 2002 she won the first
season of ‘American Idol’. Her debut
album was THANKFUL (2003). The debut
single, ‘A Moment Like This’ hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her second album was 2004’s BREAKAWAY. In June 2007 Kelly put out her third album,
MY DECEMBER (RCA/19). Billboard’s
readers named it the fifth best album of the year.
The opening song, ‘Never Again’, was written by Kelly and
Jimmy Messer. It was the first worldwide
single. This hard rocking song is
addressed to a former lover: “Never again will I kiss you/Never again will I
want to/Never again will I love you/Never/Does it hurt to know I’ll never be
there?/Bet it sucks/See my face everywhere/It was you who chose to end it like
you did/I was the last to know”. ‘One
Minute’ also rocks and reminds me of people who are bi-polar: “One minute you
laugh/The next minute you’re sinking into something black/I get the feeling
that lately nothing ever really lasts”.
‘Hole’ describes the spiritual state of many today: “Tired of everything
around me/I smile but I don’t feel a thing, no/I’m so far from where I need to
be/I’ve given up on faith, on everything/All I want, all I need/Is some
peace/There’s a hole inside of me/It’s so cold/Slowly killing me”.
Kelly, Aben Eubanks, Jimmy Messer, and Calamity McEntire
wrote ‘Sober’, the second single. It’s a
ballad of struggle: “Three months and I’m still sober/Picked all my weeds but
kept the flowers/But I know it’s never really over/And I don’t know/I could
crash and burn but maybe/At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of
me/So I won’t worry about my timing, I want to get it right”. ‘Don’t Waste Your Time’ is about a gal ready
to move on from a relationship: “Don’t waste your time trying to fix/What I
want to erase/What I need to forget/Don’t waste your time on me my
friend/Friend, what does that even mean?/I don’t want your hand/You’ll only
pull me down”.
‘Judas’ is a rock song, not surprisingly, about betrayal:
“You turned around, betrayed your only brother/Forgetting me, you took things
in your hands and left me out/After we’d been through so much/How could you let
me down?.../Couldn’t believe (2X)/How you deceived, you deceived”. ‘Haunted’ was penned by Kelly, Jason Halbert
(formerly of Sonicflood), and Jimmy Messer.
It finds Kelly crying out and includes eerie sounds: “Where are you?/I
need you/Don’t leave me here on my own/Speak to me/Be near me/I can’t survive
unless I know you’re with me/Why did you go?/All these questions run through my
mind/I wish I couldn’t feel at all/Let me be numb”.
‘Be Still’, is, appropriately a tender love song: “Far, away
from it all/You and me with no one else around/A brand new start/Is all we
need, it’s all we need to mend these hearts/Back to the beginning/Be still/Let
it go/Before we lost hope/When we still touched and love wasn’t so hard”. ‘Maybe’ is a confessional track: “I’m
confusing as hell/I’m north and south/And I’ll probably never have it all
figured out/But what I know is I wasn’t meant to walk this world without
you/And I promise I’ll try/Yeah, I’m gonna try to give you every little part of
me”.
‘How I Feel’ is one of four songs written by Kelly, Jimmy
Messer, and Dwight Baker. This pop/rock
song is one many single gals will be able to relate to: “It seems every time I
find a good man/He’s got a good little wife/I’m not jealous but I won’t lie/I
don’t want to hear about your wonderful life/And babies everywhere I
look/Trophy wives with their little black books/At this rate I’m gonna end up
alone/It’s probably all my fault...”
‘Yeah’ has a funkified sound and finds Kelly confident: “I want to know,
taste, hold, love you anytime I want to/Let me show you/Let me give you
everything I have saved just for you/I know you love me but I’m gonna need more
than what you’re giving me”.
‘Can I Have A Kiss’ finds Kelly speaking to a guy: “I’ve
been a mess since you’ve known me/I can’t promise forever/But I’m working on
it/If I can’t hold you/Can I give you a kiss?”
‘Irvine’ is a stripped down ballad with Aben Eubanks on the lap
steel. It’s about wanting companionship:
“Will you stay?/Stay till the darkness leaves/Stay here with me”. Last up is a hidden track, the acoustic
‘Chivas’.
MY DECEMBER reminds me quite a bit of Alanis Morissette’s
1995 album JAGGED LITTLE PILL. It is
first and foremost a dandy rock music album delivered by times with angst by a
young, compelling female vocalist. It is
clear that Kelly truly wants to be in a happy, harmonious romantic relationship
with a guy. However, she has experienced
a lot of hurt, heartbreak, and misunderstanding that has left her jaded and
afraid of getting hurt again. She is willing to take the risk though. Kelly is very transparent and honest on this
album, not trying to fool anybody. If
you’re looking for an album of catchy, cheery pop love songs, you won’t find it
here! The photos of Kelly are great. I’m rating MY DECEMBER 92%. For more info visit: www.kellyclarkson.com.