Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort
Worth, Texas. She won the inaugural
season of ‘American Idol’ in 2002. Her
first four albums were: THANKFUL (2003), BREAKAWAY (2004), MY DECEMBER (2007),
and ALL I EVER WANTED (2009). Here, I will
be reviewing her fifth studio album, STRONGER (2011, RCA-19). It peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and
won a Grammy for ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’.
In the liner notes Kelly quotes Leo Tolstoy: “If a man lives, then he
must live for something”. She adds: “I
live for love and music”.
‘Mr. Know It All’ was the album’s first song and lead
single. It was written by Brian Seals,
Ester Dean, Brett James, and Dante Jones.
It hit #1 on the US Billboard Adult Top 40. This light pop song puts a guy in his place:
“You ain’t got the right to tell me when and where to go/No right to tell me,
acting like you own me lately/Yeah, baby/You don’t know a thing about/You don’t
know a thing about me/Mr. Play your games/Only got yourself to blame/When you
want me back again/But I ain’t falling back again/Cause I’m living my truth
without your lies”. ‘What Doesn’t Kill
You (Stronger)’ was the album’s second single.
It garnered three Grammy nominations.
It was a #1 hit on several charts including the US Billboard Mainstream
Top 40 and the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It also hit #1 in Belgium, the Czech
Republic, and Denmark. These lyrics from
it are ones of inner strength: “Think you left me broken down/Think that I’d
come running back/Baby, you don’t know me, cause you’re dead wrong/What doesn’t
kill you makes you stronger/Stand a little taller/Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when
I’m alone/What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter/Footsteps even lighter/Doesn’t
mean I’m over cause you’re gone/What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,
stronger/Just me, myself, and I”. ‘Dark
Side’ was the album’s third and last single.
It was penned by busbee and Alexander Geringas. It also hit #1 on the US Billboard Dance Club
Songs chart. It’s about wanting to be
accepted where one is at: “Everybody’s got a dark side/Do you love me?/Can you
love mine?/Nobody’s a picture perfect/But we’re worth it/You know that we’re
worth it/Will you love me?/Even with my dark side?.../So, don’t give up on
me/Please remind me who I really am”.
‘Honestly’ includes these interesting lyrics: “All I see are
Stepford-like lives/Needles and knives/Beautiful lies/Bringing out the green in
your eyes/A perfect disguise for envy and pride/Face me/Make me listen to the
truth/Even if it breaks me/You can judge me, love me/If you’re hating me, do it
honestly”. On ‘You Love Me’ Kelly is
straight up with a guy: “You say/I’m not good enough (2X)/But what you really
mean is/You’re not good enough (2X)/You can’t deliver/So you turn it
around”. It’s a great dance song.
Toby Gad, Bridget Kelly, James Fauntleroy, and Kelly wrote
‘Einstein’, a great rock song that tells a guy off: “Didn’t get it the first
time/But don’t think I’ve been so blind/And I may not be Einstein/But I
know/Dumb plus dumb equals you (3X)/Even had the nerve to flirt with her in
front of my face/Here’s your keys, your bags, your clothes and now get out of
my place/You say I’m crazy and that we’re happy/Is that supposed to comfort
me?” ‘Standing in Front of You’ is a
nice ballad featuring The Love Sponge String Quartet. Chris Rodriguez, Aben Eubanks, and Jerry
McPherson play guitars. It includes
these words of encouragement: “Take a breath and listen/Open up, stop
wishin’/All that you’ve been missin’/Standing in front of you/Everything you’re
fearin’/All the walls you’re buildin’/Take a chance/Your reason?/Standing in
front of you.../And they won’t break us and they can’t get through/Cause I’m
gonna be here/Standing in front of you”.
Rodney Jerkins, Andre Lindal, and Lauren Christy wrote ‘I
Forgive You’, a pop/rocker about letting go of grudges: “I forgive you/We were
just a couple of kids/Trying to figure out how to live/Doing it our way/No
shame, no blame/Cause the damage is done/And I forgive you/I forgive you/We
were busy living the dream/Never noticed the glass ceiling falling on us/No
shame, no blame/Cause the damage is done/And I forgive you”. ‘Hello’ is about loneliness: “Sentimental
feelings never get me anywhere/My heart continues beating/Is there anybody,
anybody?/Hello, hello/Is anybody listening?/Let go!/As everyone lets go of
me/Oh, oh/Won’t somebody show me that I’m not alone, not alone”.
Toby Gad and Olivia Waithe wrote the adult contemporary
number ‘The War is Over’. Kelly is very
confident on this one: “All I have to say is/You don’t deserve me (2X)/I’m
finally walking away/Cause you don’t deserve me and you’re not worthy/And I
won’t let you pull me in/Because I know you’re gonna win/But the war is
over/And I won’t fight you anymore/I’ve never been so sure/Cause the war is
over.../I’m finally walking away/Cause you’ll only hurt me”. ‘Let Me Down’ finds Kelly and Chris DeStefano
on backing vocals. It’s about
disappointment: “You’re only gonna let me down/When it counts, you
countdown/You’re only gonna turn me out/As I burn, you burn out/You’re only
gonna make me feel so crazy/But when I think we could be something/You go and
let me down, let me down, oh”.
‘You Can’t Win’ is an energetic pop/rocker with down to
earth words: “If you go, they’ll say you’re following/If you don’t, then you’re
too good for them.../If you’re thin, call it a walkin’ disease/If you’re not,
they’re all screamin’ obese.../If you speak, you’ll only piss them off/If you
don’t, you’re another robot.../You can’t win, no”. Last up is the Jennifer Hanson/Michael Logen
penned ‘Breaking Your Own Heart’.
Strings are arranged by Deborah Lurie, Phil X plays guitar, and Dann
Huff provides a guitar solo. The song
offers these thoughts: “Too many tears, too many falls/It’s easier here behind
these walls/But you don’t have to walk in the shadows/When life is so
hard/You’re breaking your own heart/Taking it too far down a lonely road”.
Kelly Clarkson is one of the best female vocalists in
mainstream music today. STRONGER is an
album many teen girls and young adult ladies will be able to connect with. Several of the songs speak about guys not
willing to invest in or commit wholeheartedly to a romantic relationship. Girls and women longing for a man to love
them completely will enjoy these songs.
There’s also a couple songs of encouragement and one about
forgiveness. I wouldn’t say Kelly comes
across as bitter, just realistic, on this pop/rock/dance album, which I’m
rating 94%. For more info connect with
Kelly on twitter or facebook.