[Saiyu]

The lyrics are strange.
Thanks for sharing the info!

[vivjelly]

Kelly wrote the song right after she ended her relationship with her ex and it was written in 15 minutes. Basically, the lyrics to the song are more of the "diary" structure than the normal lyrics style.

Not "Never Again" related, but congrats to Kelly for winning ASCAP Pop Musics Awards (Songwriter Awards) from various songs on her Breakaway album.

Austin also shared the sought-after Song of the Year honors, which was a tie between "Be Without You," written by Austin and Mary J. Blige, and "Because of You," written by Kelly Clarkson . Clarkson also collected ASCAP Pop Awards for "Behind These Hazel Eyes," co-written with L ukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald and Max Martin, and "Walk Away," co-written with Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida.

http://www.ascap.com/press/2007/041907_popawards.html

If anyone is going to Wango Tango...Kelly is performing.




Never Again is available on iTunes

[vivjelly]

Top 40 Review...

Kelly Clarkson - Never Again
From Bill Lamb,
Your Guide to Top 40 / Pop.
Guide Rating - 4/5 Stars

The Bottom Line

This is the point where Kelly Clarkson leaves American Idol in the dust and firmly establishes herself as one of the top pop-rock female vocalists in the business. Wisely teaming up with veteran producer David Kahne, Clarkson proves "Since U Been Gone" was no fluke and that, in fact, continual growth as an artist is a reality. This deserves to be one of the top hit singles of the first half of 2007.

Rate it yourself
Pros

* Powerful rock vocal
* Emotional intensity
* Exhilarating production

Cons

* Lack of a strong chorus

Description
Chiming guitar intro
Arresting vocal contrast between subdued intro and all stops out refrain
Harmonizing backing chorus
Intense, exposed bridge
Guide Review - Kelly Clarkson - Never Again
"Since U Been Gone" was, and remains, a brilliant highlight in Kelly Clarkson's recording career thus far. However, since its release, it has been difficult to decide whether its impressive rock chops were really part of an ongoing commitment to the genre or simply Clarkson coming up with a happy accident that managed to triangulate the tastes of punk pop, traditional rock, and mainstream pop fans. "Never Again" telegraphs that she is serious about rock and proving her commitment although she is not going to leave the pop world behind.

"Never Again's" producer David Kahne is responsible for over 2 decades of pop-rock classics from seminal work with the Bangles ("Manic Monday," "Walk Like an Egyptian," "Going Down to Liverpool" ) to more recent production efforts for the Strokes. On "Never Again" he lets the power of Kelly Clarkson's vocals take flight while introducing elements like a killer breakdown bridge and background harmonies that give the song a timeless feel.

Lyrically, "Never Again" has a bit of a cookie cutter feel as far as scorned woman tunes go. Kelly Clarkson doesn't approach the visceral impact of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats." However, she does manage to convey a serious warning without sounding on the edge of breakdown. "Never Again" is a song of strength and power. With her approach on this song, Kelly Clarkson proves she is not just a technically talented singer, she is a truly gifted pop-rock vocalist.


http://www.top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/kcneveragain.htm

Billboard Review

Billboard

Billboard
Never Again
KELLY CLARKSON
Producer(s): David Kahne, Jason Halbert, Jimmy Messer
Label: RCA

Pop's ruling queen Kelly Clarkson marks her anticipated return with rough-and-ready anthem "Never Again." As with 2004-2005 staple "Since U Been Gone," America's sweetheart is mightily pissed off: "I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green/I hope when you're in bed with her you think of me." Lip-curling guitars and percussion lurch and lunge alongside Clarkson's uptempo rant, with multiple vocal layers and background echoes adding to the emotional torrent. The first single from upcoming third opus "My December" is guaranteed top 40's unbridled support as she maintains standing as one of the format's few sure things. No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 domination is a given. Great to have one of the best back, albeit in a disarmingly foul mood. —Chuck Taylor


http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/c...842f30d2a7

[vivjelly]

Kelly Clarkson: Ripped of Innocence



Kelly Clarkson rocks out on the L.A. set of her “Never Again” music video shoot in a cool all-white suit on Friday (she wore a rocker chic outfit earlier in the week).

In the video, Clarkson will “haunt” her ex, she tells MTV: “Not to get all artsy-fartsy, but I’m all in white, everything is in white, because it’s been ripped of innocence. Anyone who’s ever been in love, when it goes bad — and sadly, everyone can relate in some manner — it just gets cold and it’s hard to get past that.”

“There’s more ‘me’ on this record,” Clarkson added. “I had more hold on the reins because I wrote the entire thing. It wasn’t planned like that, because I don’t think you have to write everything you sing, but on this one I had a lot to say. I’m not even this open with boyfriends!”

Kelly’s upcoming album My December is set for a mid-2007 release.

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/04/21/ke...-music-video-2/

[vivjelly]

From Ask Billboard.


Hi Keith,

I know Kelly Clarkson's new single, "Never Again," was released to radio this past Friday (April 13). I heard it was doing really well. I know that Billboard counts sales and radio play from Wednesday through Tuesday (when compiling The Billboard Hot 100). So, did Clarkson's song just not get enough airplay to debut on the charts or is Billboard waiting another week so it can have a full week out?

Also, I heard that Clarkson's record company (RCA) wasn't happy with her decision to go more rock and that she didn't want to work with one of the writers from "Since U Been Gone." Supposedly, [they] told her if her new single didn't debut well they were going to make her go back to the studio to work with one of the writers from "Since" and record more songs. This would lead to the album being pushed further back. Have you heard about this or is this just a rumor floating about?

Also any word on when her CD will be released?

Thanks,
Adrian Zambrano
Houston


Hello Adrian,

It's looking like when our sister publication Radio & Records releases its radio airplay charts on Monday, April 23, "Never Again" has a chance at debuting in the top 20 on both the CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC charts. If "Never" opens in the top 20 on the CHR/Top 40 chart, it would be only the seventh title to do so in the nearly 14 year history of the chart. (More realistically, "Never Again" will likely bow in the top 25 of the CHR/Top 40 chart.)

Over on the Hot AC chart, since it was established in 1995, only three singles have debuted in the top 20. The most recent was Rob Thomas' "Lonely No More" in 2005.

Clearly, the single is doing quite well. But, since it was released at the end of the week, it didn't have enough time to debut on any of our charts. The airplay charts I mentioned above track airplay on a Monday-Sunday schedule, so "Never Again" only had three days of real airplay for those charts. For The Billboard Hot 100, which includes airplay tracked from Wednesday-Tuesday, though the song had more time to build, it just missed charting on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Look for it to make a splash next week (April 26) when the new Billboard Hot 100 is released.

And, for what it's worth, Billboard does not "wait" for a song to have a full week's worth of airplay before we put something on a chart. If a song has enough airplay, it'll chart, regardless of how long it has been on the airwaves.

I'm unsure as to RCA's feelings on Clarkson's rock turn. It's not like she hadn't done rock music before - "Breakaway" was full of rock-edged songs. Though, "Never Again" does smack of classic rocker Pat Benatar (that was my first impression when I heard it). In a recent interview with MTV News, Clarkson said "I had somebody at my label say they didn't like it because it was too Pat Benatar. I was like, 'Now I really like it! I love her, and what's wrong with you?'" So, it would seem that according to this particular interview, at least someone at RCA was hesitant about the sound of "Never Again."

Because the song is so hard rocking, it will be interesting to see how well it fairs on Top 40 radio. While a woman like Pink can find shocking success with the rock hued "U + Ur Hand," that song still has a dance/hip-hop vibe to it. "Never Again" is all rock, all the time.

There is still no official release date for Clarkson's new "My December" album.

[Wen Jing]

SO she will release a new album soon???
Can't wait for her album!

[vivjelly]

Yes, it will be released this summer. No specific month mentioned yet.

[vivjelly]

Great Entertainment Weekly article on Kelly. This article captures essence of Kelly (as an artist & person) beautifully.

If you're a fan of Kelly, please do read this article and support Kelly's works.

The Q&A

Miss Independent
Backstage at the ASCAP awards, Kelly Clarkson tells EW.com she was ready to go out on a limb to sing the songs she wrote and believes in on ''My December,'' her highly anticipated new CD

''I think a lot of people are gonna be able to relate to it,'' says Kelly Clarkson of her new single. ''That's not good!''

It's nice of her to take some pity on the millions of souls who'll be singing along with ''Never Again'' this summer. Released to radio earlier this month (on Friday the 13th), this anthem for the unlucky-in-love has choice lines like, ''I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green... Bet it sucks to see my face everywhere... If she really knows the truth, she deserves you... When your day comes... you'll die together but alone.'' Somewhere, Alanis Morissette and Courtney Love are sitting around thinking, why can't this girl just lighten up?

Any expectations of meeting a potentially all-new, all-snarly, man-eatingly vituperative Kelly Clarkson are thwarted, however, upon becoming reacquainted with her long-established bubbly effervescence. (Which is not to be confused with Evanescence — more on that later.) EW.com caught up with Clarkson backstage at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, where she was about to be presented with an award for Song of the Year for ''Because of You,'' a decidedly gentler tune off her last smash album.

The Breakaway chick has broken away from relative seclusion to re-enter the limelight in advance of a forthcoming album, My December (release date to be determined), and tour. We found her to be all smiles, even when she was discussing her struggles to get to do the new record her way. ''Right on!'' the original American Idol would cheerfully exclaim every time a handler or visitor said something that met with her approval. With that sunny disposition to share with the world, it may not even ''suck to see [her] face everywhere'' this summer.

EW.COM: You're getting three ASCAP awards tonight for being a songwriter. Is being recognized as a writer important to you, or is that just gravy for you?
KELLY CLARKSON: No, it's awesome. Obviously, usually I get recognized for vocal performance. This is my first thing to actually be able to come to and be recognized as a writer. I'm pretty excited about it — just as excited as [for] anything else.

How many of the songs on your upcoming album did you write or cowrite?
I didn't mean to, but I ended up [writing on] actually the whole album. I'm not the person who thinks you have to write everything you sing. There are a lot of fabulous, talented writers whose songs I love to sing. But I had a lot to say with this album, so I kind of ended up writing the whole thing.

You definitely have some things to say in the first single. I heard you use the word ''bitter'' in describing the tone of the song.
[The album is] a story, though. None of the other songs on the album are just like that. Everything on the album is pretty different. There's ''Sober,'' which is one of my favorites, and it's a more inspirational kind of thing — sad but inspiring. And then there are other songs, like ''Yeah,'' which are more like Chaka Khan/Prince — kind of a fun party atmosphere.

I heard you tell someone here a little bit earlier that your record company might have preferred another single going out first, something that was a little bit safer.
Oh, no. They just didn't prefer the album, really, at all. They don't like me writing a whole lot, just to be honest with you. Not even after I've written No. 1 [songs]. So, yeah, they're not big into that. But they're coming around, and they like it now, and obviously it's doing well on radio right now, so they're liking it even more. And taking credit!

So you had people trying to force songs or songwriters on you on this album.
Yeah, and I understand what they're saying, because everything — sometimes — with labels is a formula. And they're trying to make money, so they want to come out with Breakaway II. And I don't want to come out with Breakaway II, because I already have that record. It's a little hard for them sometimes to come around, just because taking a different artistic path is a chance. And I get it — they're obviously a record label trying to make money. But now people at the label are really starting to dig it, and it just kind of took a while for them. They didn't like Breakaway either, and they didn't like Thankful either. So it's the same for every record. But it's turning around; they like it now.

I understand that the song that's being honored as ASCAP's song of the year tonight, ''Because of You,'' was a tough sell.
That's what I'm saying. It happens every time. It's not like, ''Whoo, [that's] different!'' Every time it's a task to get something of mine on the record. But yeah, that song, they didn't like it for the first [album], and I totally got shut down. Second album, I just kept pressing the issue, and finally I just went and found the people I wanted to do it with. I actually went through my lawyer, and ended up writing with Ben Moody and David Hodges from Evanescence. And we did a pretty good job on it, I think. They like it now; obviously, it's successful, so...

This new song of yours, ''NEver Again,'' almost has a little bit of Evanescence quality to it.
What, this song? I don't think this song has anything like that. I would say more of a Pat Benatar feel.

Well, the Benatar thing is coming up even more.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would agree with that comparison. It's a chick song. You know, you get mad. I wrote it over two years ago — which [makes it] kind of weird singing it now — and it was just about a bad, sour relationship where I was just like, bwahhhh. I wrote it out and sent the melody and lyrics to Jimmy Messer, who I wrote it with. And so he ended up building a track around it. At first I was hesitating about even putting it on the album, because I wrote it so long ago. But it's just such a fun song — such an anthem for any chick who's been done wrong. Or any guy, for that matter; you just change the lyrics up a little bit. It's just one of those songs I think everybody will kind of dig.

So it was inspired by true events, as they say in the world of TV movies?
Yes. All of my songs are, actually.

The album is called My December — is there a title song?
It was a poem I wrote, but I wrote it a couple years ago as well. It kind of wraps up the rough time I was having. It was like, ack. You know the feeling of wanting January to come so you can start over, fresh? It's just like, Okay, cool, I'm ready. I've had a lot of great things happen and I've had a lot of crappy things happen. I'm ready to start over, and whatever your resolutions are, I'm ready to do this better and do this better. This album is kind of getting it all out there, like, ''Okay, now I'm ready to kind of start over.''

Speaking of starting over, with climate of record sales being what it is, everybody's expectations are diminished at least slightly. Are people warning you, ''Listen, Kelly, you may only sell 3 or 4 million this time...''
Oh, yeah, I could do a lot worse than that.

But you're the great hope of this year, at retail.
Well, yeah. They do keep pressing on that issue, and obviously that's why they're trying to get their formula people [as collaborators] on the project. But at the end of the day, I've sold a lot of records, I'm very blessed, I'm lucky. I don't want to ever be that artist that's always in it just to make money. I have enough money. I'm not greedy. I want to make records that I enjoy singing. I want to make records that people like and can
relate to. So that's really all that's in my mind. A lot of people don't like to hear that, who I work with. [Laughs] It kind of scares 'em. But I'm not really making the record for them. I just tend to do kind of what I want.

Since these awards you're getting tonight are about songwriting, what is it you look for in a song? Is there any quality your favorites have in common?
Literally, it doesn't even have to be the best vocal. I want to believe the person. If you write or don't write it, I want to know that you've experienced it and you know what you're talking about. Because I think that's the most upsetting thing — I call it vanilla music. It's like wallpaper. It's like, anybody could sing it and you're not special because you haven't even experienced it and you're not selling it. I cannot stand that. It actually makes me sick. That's why I like people like Melissa Etheridge [receiving an ASCAP career award that night], I like people like Bono, I like people that can tell a story. Reba — she's one of the best storytellers ever, vocally. It has to be believable. I think that's my thing. Like, I almost want to pat 'em on the back or hug 'em or cry with 'em.

Posted Apr 23, 2007

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036454,00.html

Oh, I forgot that today is Kelly's 25th birthday!

Have a wonderful birthday Kelly! Good luck with the release & success of your upcoming album!

[vivjelly]

Never Again MV: Premiere on TRL today










Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9iOkOLNPA

[vivjelly]

Blender Blog

http://www.blender.com/news/comm...ticle=9330

Kelly Clarkson's Diabolical New Video

Kelly ’s clip for "Never Again" takes its inspiration from (a.k.a. completely rips off) the haunting Harrison Ford-might-be-a-killer flick What Lies Beneath, and it’s an apt robbery considering the song’s off-the-charts “jilted girlfriend” quotient. What’s most impressive is Kelly’s surprisingly competent acting skills--she makes for a disturbing apparition hell bent on revenge (and, oddly, a manicured Stepford wife). We’re not crazy about the all-white, heaven’s gate performance set-up--her stationary band of faceless dudes could go--but those shots are luckily kept to a minimum. Bottom line: Kelly’s sexier, angrier and more murderous than ever before. We approve.

3 and a half stars

[MiNuLoVe]

I don't like the song that much
but her vocals are strong love her voice

[vivjelly]

I love her voice too. She can sing any genre, but you can always distinguish Kelly's voice from the others.

Sorry, the video link for the video is down due to copyright issue. Here is the temporary working link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9iOkOLNPA

Here is an excellent article by the LATimes that depicts the versatility of Kelly's voice



'Idol' sweetheart Kelly Clarkson is ready to rock it
With her third album, 'My December,' the pop star finds a harder edge.
By Ann Powers, Times Staff Writer
May 6, 2007

'Idol' sweetheart. Ballad blaster. Pop tour de force. Now Kelly Clarkson is ... From what mix of elements does a millennial pop star spring? Consider two imaginary home movies from the adolescence of Kelly Clarkson, blockbuster hit-maker and television "Idol."

In the first, Clarkson is in her house in Burleson, Texas. There's been a scene at the dinner table. She retreats to her bedroom, crawls onto her bed, puts on headphones and listens to a singer whose voice she describes as "your mother telling you a story." It's Reba McEntire.

"Any time there were hard times at my house, for some reason Reba's voice always made me feel peaceful," remembered Clarkson, who recently fulfilled a dream by collaborating with the country music doyenne. "It's just that voice you want to hear when you're just, like, 'Everything else go away.' I felt the same way about Aretha Franklin — she's my other safe place."

In the second scene, Clarkson has snuck out of the house with her friends and headed to a club a couple of towns over. Inside, noise penetrates the floorboards. As Todd Lewis, the singer for the Toadies — the best post-grunge band in Texas — yowls and testifies, Clarkson finds herself lifted by the crowd.

"The Toadies — my favorite band of all time!" said the heart-shape-faced 25-year-old, who has the bouncy but controlled carriage of someone who studied gymnastics as a child. "I've gone to about a billion shows of theirs," she said. "Todd Lewis's voice, I just love that it's sexy, dirty, drunk, broken. Anything about rock swagger I learned from them. And yeah, I crowd-surfed."

Listening to Clarkson's third album, "My December," to be released early this summer, it's easy to believe that she's spent time in a mosh pit. Produced by David Kahne, who's guided new-wave rockers from the Bangles to Sugar Ray to the Strokes, and written almost entirely by Clarkson with several members of her touring band, the album features revered punk bassist Mike Watt on several tracks and stresses Clarkson's avenging-angel vocals throughout. The up-tempo songs, with un-pretty titles such as "Hole" and "Judas," spruce up the often-maligned pop-metal template with sharp guitar riffs and the occasional electro-clash beat. It's not rock, says Clarkson: "Rock, to me, is like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith." But it is hard and, in its own way, extreme.

On "My December" Clarkson presents herself as a hot young inheritor of the arena rock stage; next time, she might go country-blues. Versatility is her gift. During a long interview at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons last month, Clarkson described her latest effort as a proud step in an ongoing process. "I'll always come out with a different record," she explained. The songs she's writing for the next album are more down-home and dirty. "But I don't necessarily want to make just a country record," she said. "I'd rather do something like the Rolling Stones — tie in everything."

"My December" avoids the shiny tedium of many pop-rock projects by exploiting Clarkson's ease in shifting roles. According to a source close to the singer, concerns among execs at Clarkson's label, RCA, over whether the album has enough pop flavor to go platinum could lead to changes before its release. Given the chance, Clarkson doesn't indulge in the interview cliché of trumpeting her integrity in the face of executives' meddling — as a child, she says, she was a "people pleaser," and she's still reflexively tactful.

The strength of versatility

But Clarkson has her own ideas about how to grow. She has plunged into songwriting, hunkered down with her touring band and come up with a sound that mixes the grand gestures of 1980s metal (there's a famous YouTube clip of Clarkson covering "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N' Roses, and she nails it) with the barefaced emotionality of '90s alternative music. This is a 21st century idea of hard rock, incorporating loops and other studio effects to find a middle ground between the raw and the cooked.

And there is variety here. On the lovely "Be Still," a meditative refrain intertwines with a gentle violin motif as Clarkson dips in and out of her upper range like a young Christine McVie. "Yeah" is a funk-rock stomp reminiscent of En Vogue's 1992 hit "Free Your Mind." On "Chivas," recorded at home in Texas using GarageBand software, the chuckle in Clarkson's throat is totally Janis Joplin as she tips her glass and gives the finger to an ex. There's also the bopping "How I Feel," a single girl's lament that's way smarter than Avril Lavigne's latest smash.

So call Clarkson a rocker, but don't mistake her for the new Metallica. The singer has been citing Pat Benatar, and that's about right. Like the spandex queen of 1970-'80s popera, Clarkson has the moxie to rock without worrying about what anybody else thinks that pose requires. Her gift is for finding the source of vitality in absolutely mainstream, people-pleasing pop, which by its nature breaks stylistic rules in favor of magpie mash-ups, bold appropriations and happy accidents.

Clarkson's previous hits, especially the expertly constructed "Since U Been Gone," have gained her surprising cachet among indie-rock fans. According to Ted Leo, an indie-rock elder statesman whose hard-to-find cover of Clarkson's hit has become a cult classic (and laid bare the song's borrowings from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' punk ballad "Maps" , what's interesting is the artfulness of their larceny.

"The song is great, and Kelly Clarkson sings it fantastically, but one of the things that makes it great is what a cheap trick it is — it was a perfectly cynical amalgamation of everything that was 'hot' and 'edgy' in pop music that year," he commented.

Even Clarkson's conversational style reflects her all-embracing personality. As she discussed "My December" and her hopes for the future, her words careened forward like the hot-foot kick-drum in her new single, "Never Again." At first, her manic perkiness disturbingly recalled Reese Witherspoon as the high-school overachiever in "Election," but eventually it became clear that Clarkson's character, like her music, simply tends toward openness. She doesn't want to stop at just one idea, or just one sound.

This unpretentious sense of privilege greatly benefits her. She doesn't have a home genre tugging at her, as do so many young artists (especially "Idol" grads), who long to prove their hip-hop cred or hard-rock virility. She doesn't equate being serious with being pure. It helps that fans and industry types accept white artists crossing into different styles much more easily than nonwhite artists can gain credibility in, say, country music. And it helps, she says, that she won "Idol," because for her, the variety the show demands wasn't a put-on.

"I'm lucky because of the 'Idol' thing," she said, disputing the suggestion that she'd ever tried to distance herself from the show. "People got to see me perform different genres, and see that I like different stuff. People enjoy that — most people don't listen to the same kind of music all the time, that's boring."

Many facets, singular drive

In high school, Clarkson was in choir, played sports and was in student council. "I had friends all over the place," she said. "Not popular by any means — I just knew lots of people." She describes herself as "a very talkative, outgoing person, but introverted at the same time." She's a devout Christian but bristles at being called the "girl next door" unless it's acknowledged that such a girl can drink whiskey, has a temper and can be an emotional wreck. "I'm very intense," she said. "Or passionate. If I'm happy, I'm really happy ... and the opposite." Her favorite gym soundtrack is Nine Inch Nails.

All of which makes Clarkson an average human bundle of contradictions. What stands out is her ability to translate her inconsistencies into an artistic persona that's both flexible and strong. Unlike many ingénues, Clarkson never came off as a blank slate; even on her teen-pop-tinged first album, "Thankful," she pushed through, projecting a kind of directness (she calls it "blunt" that stood out within the music's predictable flourishes. Her second album, "Breakaway," took the evolution further; Clarkson began to act out the role she naturally inhabited, that of a freewheeling regular gal for whom fitting in everywhere isn't a compromise but a crowning achievement.

In the end, it's Clarkson's voice that allows for such freedom. Her technical prowess and relaxed phrasing combine in an approach that's virtuosic without being cold, and personal rather than affected. She was classically trained, and early on she emulated technically savvy songbirds such as Mariah Carey, but those nights in clubs listening to the Toadies' Lewis scream showed her that sometimes an ugly note holds more truth.

"Men have always been emotional singers," she said. "There are only a few select women who have actually carried that off. Like Patsy Cline — she's great. She's not a technical singer. She slides around. Aretha slides around. There are these technical singers in my generation who worry so much; it's pretty, but it's nothing like Bono. At some point, I realized, I can be pitchy, I can forget lyrics. I don't need to worry so much about it because I've hit that emotional depth, which is what attracts fans."

"My December" is all about Clarkson's voice — and not only the succulent, slightly dark timbre of her alto, or her ability to nail those shirt-ripping high notes that say "freedom" in rock 'n' roll speak. The lyrics, many inspired by a bout of despair Clarkson suffered at the height of her newfound fame, are genuinely heart-baring. "I found myself at the lowest of lows," she said of that period, when she realized that several intimates had betrayed her trust.

Her solution was to "clean closet" of the people she couldn't rely on and to write a batch of songs that capture, in ragged detail, her confusion and pain. Her writing is often awkward and almost embarrassingly uncensored. (In one, "Irvine," she addresses God: "Do you cry as much as I do?" Even the album's happier moments carry the weight of uncertainty. This is the sound of a decent human being unmoored by demands and desires she can't meet.

"It is very aggressive," Clarkson said. "And it might be too much. But I just needed to be able to make this record and not have so many hands in the cookie jar saying, 'Pull this string, pull that string.' I was like, 'Just give me this one thing, and I will make whatever record you want next time.' Now, I need this, for me."

[lovefool]

"never again" sounds like garbage. i was really looking forward for her new album but it just sounds like the leftover songs that didn't make it onto her last album. she should just cancel her new album EITHER THAT OR the second single will be better

[vivjelly]

That's fine that you don't like it. I respect that. However, your comment is harsh. How can you say that Kelly should scrap her album when you haven't heard her album yet and only basing on the new single? There have been numerous reviews from professional sources that like this song. They sure don't think it's garbage.

[kayem7289]

Ehhh...I don't really like this song as much as the ones from Breakaway. She should've kept Max Martin. He's such a talented guy every song he's written has literally turned out to be a hit (a la classic Britney).

[RiderKamen]

how long can you stay scorn? lol

[vivjelly]

Kelly Clarkson's "My December" Hits on July 24, 2007

KELLY CLARKSON’S
MY DECEMBER HITS ON JULY 24, 2007
Grammy Winner’s Third Album Already Yields Top 10 Hit Single, “Never Again,”

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2007—RCA Records recording artist Kelly Clarkson is back and raring to rock. My December, her third album, the follow-up to 2004’s Breakaway, which sold 6 million in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide, will be released on July 24.

The first single from the album, “Never Again,” has already climbed into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 following in the footsteps of such #1 hits as “Since U Been Gone,” “Breakaway,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Because of You” and “Walk Away.”

Produced by Grammy winner David Kahne [The Strokes, Bangles, Sugar Ray, Sublime, Paul McCartney], My December is Clarkson’s most personal album yet, all of which she’s either written or co-written. The Los Angeles Times Ann Powers calls My December “a 21st century idea of hard rock, incorporating loops and other studio effects to find a middle ground between the raw and the cooked.” L.A. punk legend and bassist Mike Watt, currently playing with Iggy and the Stooges, appears on three songs, while Clarkson’s other touring band members, Jason Halbert and Jimmy Messer, also contributed.

Whether it’s the funky new wave of “One Minute,” the startlingly confessional “Sober,” the meditative, soulful Christine McVie-style strains of “Be Still,” the bluesy Joplinesque twang of the cheeky, kiss-off song, “Chivas,” the blues hard-rock of “Hole” or the full-throttle Pat Benatar howl of “Haunting,” My December shows another side of Kelly Clarkson, who told the L.A. Times: “I’ll always come out with a different record each time.”

The Times’ Powers raved: “Clarkson has the moxie to rock without worrying about what anybody else thinks… Her gift is finding the source of vitality in absolu
te mainstream, people-pleasing pop, which by its nature breaks stylistic rules in favor of magpie mash-ups, bold appropriations and happy accidents.”



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how long can you stay scorn? lol

You mean why the song is so bitter? It was written two years ago when her ex cheated on her. Kelly has no more hard feelings on her ex. She is moving on.

[lovefool]

That's fine that you don't like it. I respect that. However, your comment is harsh. How can you say that Kelly should scrap her album when you haven't heard her album yet and only basing on the new single? There have been numerous reviews from professional sources that like this song. They sure don't think it's garbage.

sorry i wasn't trying to be harsh though. i just think that the song sounds like leftovers from the last album. and i was really disapointed that the song wasn't that good because i really like her songs from the last album. i just had really high expectations for the song. and i hope her second single will really make up for this song

[sassyprincess]

i love kelly, but this composition sounded a bit awkward...anyone else think so?

[vivjelly]

sorry i wasn't trying to be harsh though. i just think that the song sounds like leftovers from the last album. and i was really disapointed that the song wasn't that good because i really like her songs from the last album. i just had really high expectations for the song. and i hope her second single will really make up for this song

I understand. There are numerous people who don't like the song either. It is because the song is more rock and has the Pat Benatar feel to it. I notice that not many Asians like these type of music, they're more into pop, rap, and R&B (just a general observation). I grew up listening to all sorts of music, so to me, this is refreshing to listen to. Furthermore, the general American audience who grew up listening to rock music love this single. This song is sort of a double-edge to Kelly's current career.

The main purpose of Kelly's music is to grow as an artist, not limit herself in one genre. This song might not be her best single, but it's different.

Kelly's performance on The Today Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tTG1SXTAaM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOIgdn4OuzY