Rate the artist/band: Kelly Clarkson

[I Don't Mind]

I gave her an 8. Easily the best thing to come out of any American Idol season and she's grown tremendously since Miss Independent. Since You've Been Gone is definitely her best just because she's got some damn great vocals. I like her single, My Life Would Suck Without You, but only because it's simple and entertaining. For depth on her new album, Cry should definitely be the second single, but the album as a whole is pretty mediocre. Not an awful buy but pretty far away from Breakaway.

And for the record, I hate when I see her parodied on things like Mad TV and subject of the satire is her weight. I don't get the weight jokes. She's not fat, she's not even chubby. She's like an average normal girl

Edited March 15, 2009 by Inner D Monz

[Gabriel]

So I thought we'd do something similar to what's being done in the Movies. Every week or so do another band, get people to rate them out of 10, best album, best single, and so forth. Since Kelly Clarkson released a new album this week, I figured she'd be a great place to start.

Kelly Clarkson won American Idol, and for most bands, that'd be a strike against them. But there is something unique about Clarkson, I think. She has a strong voice, she is very marketable and she has a back bone (ask Clive Davis). She released My December and it got of tanked a bit, but it was this album that really made me take notice. She was basically standing her ground and telling her record label (run by a bunch of men) that she wasn't going to do whatever they told her. Clarkson stood her ground and released a damn great album - My December, while it lacks the pop nature of Breakaway, is a great album. From top to bottom, not a single song is bad or boring.

So Clarkson... love her? Hate her? Indifferent to her? What do you think?

Why would it usually be a strike against someone if they won American Idol? Last time I checked, the majority of winners are actually pretty damn good.

Here's the problem with American Idol... it's been what, eight seasons now, of them looking for EXACTLY the same thing from their contestants. It's cookie cutter, and winning the competition means that you're interchangeable with whoever came before you.

Clarkson, to her credit, used the initial popularity from winning the contest, and then showed that she was more than just Simon, Randy and Paula's next baked good.

Kelly Clarkson on SNL last night was pretty good. I wouldn't go out and buy the record or anything, but I could listen to it without feeling bad about it.

[The Future]

I don't like the new single, but I really do like her as a artist although I get the piss taken out of me for liking her. Since U Been Gone, Because Of You and Behind These Hazel Eyes are all good.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

So I thought we'd do something similar to what's being done in the Movies. Every week or so do another band, get people to rate them out of 10, best album, best single, and so forth. Since Kelly Clarkson released a new album this week, I figured she'd be a great place to start.

Kelly Clarkson won American Idol, and for most bands, that'd be a strike against them. But there is something unique about Clarkson, I think. She has a strong voice, she is very marketable and she has a back bone (ask Clive Davis). She released My December and it got of tanked a bit, but it was this album that really made me take notice. She was basically standing her ground and telling her record label (run by a bunch of men) that she wasn't going to do whatever they told her. Clarkson stood her ground and released a damn great album - My December, while it lacks the pop nature of Breakaway, is a great album. From top to bottom, not a single song is bad or boring.

So Clarkson... love her? Hate her? Indifferent to her? What do you think?

Why would it usually be a strike against someone if they won American Idol? Last time I checked, the majority of winners are actually pretty damn good.

Here's the problem with American Idol... it's been what, eight seasons now, of them looking for EXACTLY the same thing from their contestants. It's cookie cutter, and winning the competition means that you're interchangeable with whoever came before you.

Clarkson, to her credit, used the initial popularity from winning the contest, and then showed that she was more than just Simon, Randy and Paula's next baked good.

Kelly Clarkson on SNL last night was pretty good. I wouldn't go out and buy the record or anything, but I could listen to it without feeling bad about it.

Errr, you're claiming they've looked for the same contestants all the time? How'd you work that out? Last year David Cook won it, someone who was actually different and current. And I think the show has actually done well in producing some fantastic talent over the years and you can really see the difference between that and The X Factor (In which outside of Leona, there's been about two/three decent people to really come out of it).

Edited March 16, 2009 by Dirty Johnny 27

[tristy]

"Breakaway" is the only album by her I can listen to. I thought she had a good thing going as the "rocker" pop artist, kinda like Avril, but better. If ROC says "My December" was good, then I'll take his word for it. I had it on my computer but never gave it a listen. My mother owns her debut album, and I thought it was just a shitty cash-in for the American Idol fans to buy. Haven't heard her new one yet, but it seems she's going down the path of (again) Avril, with making a lackluster debut (Let Go/Thankful), a solid sophomore album (Under My Skin/Breakaway) and then just dropping everything and going back to bubblegum, cookie-cutter pop drizzle (The Best Damn Thing/All I Ever Wanted).

I didn't have anything to compare "My December" to..

[Gabriel]

Johnny, I didn't necessarily mean "they all sound exactly the same", because I'm not ignorant. What I mean is, the criteria has always been, and will always be "What will reach the top of the pop charts?"

To be honest, it's safe and I understand why they do it... but they're never going to find a real breakout artist if they don't let themselves be a little bit dangerous with these things.

[naiwf]

To be honest, it's safe and I understand why they do it... but they're never going to find a real breakout artist if they don't let themselves be a little bit dangerous with these things.

Their goal is to get 25-35 million viewers for every episode they air on TV. There's no way they make money off of the artists, but having the performance and result shows dominate the Nielsens for the last 5 years definitely helps Fox set their ad rates when they basically don't have that many other successful shows. If they actually DID try to look for legit talent they wouldn't be able to use the same formula that has made them so successful. Americans don't really buy the kind of music that Idol sells, but they LOVE being able to vote for someone every week and talking about it with their friends/family/co-workers.

For comparisons sake, season 1 had 25 episodes and now they milk a good 40-42 out of every season. Multiply that by at least 25 million and more people watch AI than just about every other scripted or unscripted show on Fox combined.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

So none of the stars have been breakout stars or anything? Wow, that's news to me. I guess because it's 'pop' and it involves American Idol, you cant be a breakout star or anything special in the long run, right? I ain't knocking you, I just hate it when people try to act like the majority that comes out of these shows is shit, simply because it's usually focused around Main Stream music.

[naiwf]

So none of the stars have been breakout stars or anything? Wow, that's news to me. I guess because it's 'pop' and it involves American Idol, you cant be a breakout star or anything special in the long run, right? I ain't knocking you, I just hate it when people try to act like the majority that comes out of these shows is shit, simply because it's usually focused around Main Stream music.

Carrie Underwood is the only one that will have a lengthy career in the mainstream if she wants it. Kelly Clarkson's 3rd album was a flop, and the one that just came out last week will pretty much decide her future with her label. Daughtry (4th place his season) had a really successful debut album as well, but everyone else has pretty much been a bust in terms of album sales. Jennifer Hudson has won a Grammy AND an Oscar, but she finished 7th on her season.

The majority of the Idol veterans are busy being replacements on Broadway shows which is pretty much what Simon said that they should have been doing instead of trying to be their season's winner. The guy is a genius.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

If I'm being honest, I missed the first few seasons (Although did see Kelly's, well most of it). I'm not really saying everyone to come out of it is amazing, but I don't like how many people simply knock the show or the winners or anyone coming out of it just because they're main stream. I'm still in shock that Daughtry never won his season actually, which is also why I'm glad they've introduced the new rule this year where they can save one person, as long as they use it correctly