It's All We Ever Wanted
by Tim Cush

After Kelly Clarkson’s last album, the hard-edged and much more rock oriented “My December” flopped, and after she had a very public feud with the head of her record label, Clive Davis, many people believed her career was over and she would float into obscurity along with the other American Idols (i.e.Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, & Fantasia Barrino). Now, with her 4th studio album, “All I Ever Wanted” being released almost two years later, Kelly Clarkson is back doing what she does best: making amazing pop music that you can’t help but bop your head to and sing along with.

Ms. Clarkson returns with a ferocity that is clearly evident on the first record- breaking single from this album “My Life Would Suck Without You”. Who cares if it sounds exactly like “Since U Been Gone”? Its catchy chorus blends perfectly with Kelly’s soaring vocal range. The supposed 2nd single “I Do Not Hook Up”, originally recorded by Katy Perry, will have tweens everywhere locking on their chastity belts and telling boys to wait.

Now, it wouldn’t be a Kelly Clarkson album without a few tear-jerker ballads would it? That’s where “Cry”, a brilliant song co-written by Clarkson that finds the singer mourning the death of a relationship, and “If No One Will Listen” come in. Both songs are beautifully performed with emotion and intensity. The thing about Kelly Clarkson is, no matter what she’s singing about, you could always feel how raw and real she is due to that powerhouse of a voice. It could knock you off your feet. Clarkson also teamed up with OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder to record the songs “Save You”, which samples Mozart, and “Already Gone” which speaks of a relationship gone bad. The only track that shouldn’t have made the final cut is ‘Whyyawannabringmedown” because just like its title-it’s an overproduced mess.

My personal favorite on the entire album is “Don’t Let Me Stop You”. It’s a romping, head-banging, up tempo pop song that tells the person who’s playing games with you to just leave if that’s what they really want to do. If Ms. Clarkson releases this as a single, it’s a guaranteed number one hit.

Where Kelly most succeeds on this album is in her sincerity, truthfulness, dignity and independence without ever crossing over into resentful, bitter girl mode. She’s able to express her feelings without coming across as silly or as cheesy as most of these other pop tarts do.