By Annemarie Marconi
The “American Idol” kids are growing up, but when I first heard Kelly Clarkson’s latest chart-topper “Heartbeat Song,” I was not so sure the inaugural winner of the iconic show was growing up with them. If anything, the watered-down beat and uninspiring lyrics made me yearn for the good old days of “Breakaway.” Clarkson’s latest album Piece by Piece was released Feb. 27. I was looking forward to the album, but Clarkson just seemed so bland and tired on this track. I was disappointed and wanted my R&B pop princess back, complete with chunky highlights, some flare jeans and a sweet pair of ombrè sunglasses to top it all off.
Piece by Piece is in fact Clarkson’s final contractually-obligated pop album. Her seventh studio endeavor seems to lack the powerhouse shout-along anthems like “Since U Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” that made her famous. However, after digging past the lackluster lead single, I found her vocals still astounding even when she was not belting. Her delicate duet with John Legend, “Run Run Run,” showcases Clarkson’s amazing range. She and Legend run together in perfect harmony through the winding piano melody and string accompaniment in this stunning track.
In addition to Legend, Clarkson collaborated with Sia on this album. The widely acclaimed lyricist penned “Take You High” for Clarkson, and it shows. The piece feels like something more suited to the eccentric Sia than the pop princess Clarkson. Granted, the song features glittering lyrics like, “If I’m dreaming don’t roll over yet/ Perfect like porcelain… Kiss the wind and hold on to me.” However, the stuttering, auto-tuned noises and syllables that punctuate each chorus do not feel authentic. It feels like Clarkson is trying on Sia’s famous white wig the way a toddler clunks around in her mother’s high heels. She thinks she looks sophisticated, but she does not realize that they just do not fit her.
After hearing “Heartbeat Song,” my concern was that Piece by Piece would not be mature enough. My fears were quelled when I heard the deeply touching title track “Piece by Piece.” Clarkson’s gorgeous timbre and an uplifting drumbeat accompanies lyrics that compare her absent father to her husband. Listening to the song, you can almost see Clarkson smiling as her husband, talent agent Brandon Blackstock, kisses their adorable eight-month-old daughter, River Rose. It is the kind of chills-inducing, raw autobiography only Clarkson can achieve. Some pieces of this album shine brighter than others, but they all fit together to create another surefire chart-topper for a singer my generation can be proud to have grown up with.
