Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort
Worth, Texas. In high school she was
part of several musicals including ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ and ‘Brigadoon’. In 2002 she won the debut season of ‘American
Idol’. The next year she released her debut
album THANKFUL (RCA/19/S). It debuted at
#1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was executive produced by Clive Davis. In the liner notes Kelly writes: “First and
foremost, I want to thank God. This past
year has been such a blessing and I haven’t taken one thing for granted. I am thankful every day, not just for the
past year, but also for my family, friends, and life”.
‘The Trouble With Love Is’ is a soulful R & B ballad
about heartbreak: “Every time I turn around/I think I’ve got it all figured
out/My heart keeps callin’/And I keep on fallin’/Over and over again/This sad
story always ends the same/Me standin’ in the pourin’ rain/It seems no matter
what I do/It tears my heart in two”.
Strings are used. Rhett Lawrence,
Christina Aguilera, Matt Morris, and Kelly wrote the album’s first single,
‘Miss Independent’. It hit #1 on the
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy for ‘Best
Female Pop Vocal Performance’. The
chorus packs a musical punch and is about falling in love: “What is this
feeling taking over?/Thinking no one could open the door/Surprise, it’s time to
feel what’s real/What happened to Miss independent?/No longer need to be
defensive/Goodbye old you/When love is true”.
‘Low’ peaked at #2 on the Canadian Hot 100. Danielle Brisebois, who played Stephanie on
‘All in the Family’ and ‘Archie Bunker’s Place’, sings backing vocals on this
rock song about betrayal: “Have you ever been low?/Have you ever had a friend
that let you down so?/When the truth came out/Were you the last to know?/Were
you left out in the cold?/Cause what you did was low/No, I don’t need your
number/There’s nothing left to say”.
Diane Warren wrote ‘Some Kind of Miracle’. It’s an R & B ballad of gratitude on
which former White Heart member Tommy Sims plays bass: “Prayed for an angel to
come in the night/And shine some sweet light on me/Found only strangers/Then
you came to me/Just when I’d given up, you gave me love/My world was tumbling
down/You turned it around baby/You, you’re some kind of miracle/You are, you’re
a miracle to me”.
‘What’s Up Lonely’ is a light pop song about being alone:
“What’s up lonely?/Seems you’re my only/Friend who wants to share my pain/Tell
me heartache/What’s it going to take for you to leave me alone today?/Just when
I think that you’re gone/You’re in the mirror lookin’ back at me/So, what’s up
lonely?” Danielle Brisebois and Scott
Cutler wrote ‘Just Missed the Train’, a rock ballad about a relationship not
working out: “So go on and sleep darling/Why don’t you pretend we were just a
dream?/It’s cool baby/It doesn’t matter anyway/I’m so sorry/We got to the
station a little too late/It’s such a shame/We just missed the train”.
Matthew Wilder and Rebekah Jordan wrote ‘Beautiful
Disaster’, which finds Kelly thinking out loud about a mysterious guy: “And if
I tried to save him/My whole world could cave in/It just ain’t right (2X)/Oh
and I don’t know/I don’t know what he’s after/But he’s so beautiful/Such a
beautiful disaster/And if I could hold on/Through the tears and the laughter/Would
it be beautiful or just a beautiful disaster?”
‘You Thought Wrong’ features Tamyra Gray, who finished fourth on Kelly’s
season of ‘American Idol’. The song is
feisty and calls out a two-timer: “You thought that we didn’t know/You thought
we were in the dark/But boy you’ve done us wrong/Cuz we both know now/You
thought you had us both/At your beck ‘n call/But now who’s the joke?/And look
who’s laughin’ now!”
Harvey Mason, Damon Thomas, Kenneth Edmonds, and Kelly wrote
the album’s title cut ‘Thankful’, a R & B song of gratitude: “You know my
thoughts before I open up my mouth and try to speak/You know my dreams/Must be
listenin’ when I’m talkin’ in my sleep/I hope you know I love havin’ you around
me/Don’t you know that I’m thankful for the blessings and the lessons that I’ve
learned with you by my side?/That I’m thankful for the love that you keep
bringing in my life, in my life”.
‘Anytime’ is a strong adult contemporary anthem of assurance: “So baby,
take all of your fears and cast them all on me/Cause all I ever wanted was just
to make you see/That I can be the one to give you all that you’ve been
searching for/Just hold on to my love and baby let me give you more/You know,
anytime/Anytime you need love, baby, I’m on your side/I’m on your side”.
Two bonus tracks complete the album. Both were songs Kelly sang on ‘American Idol’
and became #1 hits. Both are new mixes
here. Jorgen Elofsson and John Reid
wrote ‘A Moment Like This’, an inspirational song: “A moment like this/Some
people wait a lifetime for a moment like this/Some people search forever for
that one special kiss/Oh, I can’t believe it’s happening to me/Some people wait
a lifetime for a moment like this”.
‘Before Your Love’ finds Randy Jackson on bass and also makes use of the
French horn. It finds Kelly in love: “I
don’t know how I survived without your kiss/Cause you’ve given me a reason to
exist/I never lived before your love/I never felt before your touch”.
THANKFUL is a solid debut album from Kelly Clarkson. R & B, pop, rock, and adult contemporary
music are all represented with the ballads outnumbering the upbeat songs by a
couple. There are several songs about
falling or being in love, and some about heartache and heartbreak. Kelly’s vocals are strong and soar above
those of many of her contemporaries. All
in all, this is a clean, uplifting album.
I’m rating THANKFUL 90%. For more
info visit: www.kellyclarkson.com or
check her out on Facebook.