KELLY CLARKSON: STRONGER - REVIEW

Kelly Clarkson's latest Disc isn't a bad Album per say, but it sure isn't remarkable and anything short of great is an injustice to a Vocalist of her caliber. The former American Idol Winner's fifth Disc Stronger finally surfaces after several administrative delays and what we get here are a collection of 13 tracks marked by only a few standouts. Unfortunately none here can be mentioned in the same breath as the fantastic My Life Would Suck Without You nor Since U Been Gone.  What we get here mostly are mid-tempo Pop/Rock offerings pondering themes of Heartbreak, Let-Down and Self-Empowerment.

Defiant first Single Mr. Know it All serves as a warm-up to the Disc's throbbing centerpiece, What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger), touted as the forthcoming second Single from Super-Producer Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Selena Gomez).  Dark Side, another Kurstin contribution, has the Texan Powerhouse asking, "Everybody's got a Dark Side/Can you love me?/Can you love mine?", providing for one of the Album's more vulnerable moments.  And that's a good thing.

NEW MUSIC: KELLY CLARKSON - WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU (STRONGER)

Official Artwork for What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)

With less than three weeks to go before the release of her new Disc Stronger, Kelly Clarkson delivers on her promise with this rock solid new Track, What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger). First Single Mr. Know It All has been met with some success, hitting number 24 in the Canadian Hot 100 and faring even better in the U.S. at number 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but really that was just a taster of the greatness to come off this Disc. This Track is much more like it!  All we wanted was an Anthem and we got it!

Preview What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) in full below:

VIDEO PREMIERE: KELLY CLARKSON - MR. KNOW IT ALL

Still from Mr. Know It All

The new Video for Kelly Clarkson's new Track Mr. Know It All has been unleashed at long last and did Justin Francis ever do a good job making her look gorgeous!  The Single which has peaked so far at number 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the Canadian Hot 100 looks likely to ascend and her new promising new Disc, Stronger hits stores October 25, 2011.

Instead of focusing on a particular individual, the Video is more a statement on rumours about Clarkson, which is odd as she tends to stay out of spotlight.  I swear I've said nothing bad about you, Kelly!

Watch the Video below:

KELLY CLARKSON - "MR. KNOW IT ALL" LEAKS

Single Artwork for Mr. Know it All

Although she didn't want us to hear it til Tuesday, Kelly Clarkson's long-awaited new Single Mr. Know it All leaked just before the weekend began. Alhough it doesn't have the same level of excitement that My Life Would Suck Without You nor Since U Been Gone possess, that rebellious spirit is still alive and well on this Howard Benson/Claude Kelly collaboration. Clarkson digs into that Ex who just didn't go that extra mile to get to know her.

Melodically it reminds me a bit of The Cranberries' Linger, stylized like a P!nk track.  This could well be Clarkson's third U.S. Billboard Hot 100 hit.  If you Google really hard there just might be remnant Streams floating about.

The Single will be released on iTunes on September 5, 2011, while her fifth Disc Stronger gets a release on October 25, 2011 (same day as Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto).  As always, I love Clarkson's Albums and this is one I've got on my radar.

 Mr. Know it All premieres officially on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 5:30 PM EST on Kelly Clarkson's official website.