VIDEO PREMIERE: KELLY CLARKSON - WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU (STRONGER)

Still from What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)

It's a Flash Mob! Kelly Clarkson just released this new Video for what should've been her first Single, What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger). Huge Fan of the Greg Kurstin-produced Track and in a rare move, we see Clarkson pull out some dance moves! Shane Drake who has worked prior with Paramore and Flo Rida, helms this latest Clip.

Watch the Video in full below:

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.

NEW MUSIC: DEMI LOVATO - SKYSCRAPER

Official Single Artwork for Demi Lovato - Skyscraper

Damn! Nobody told me that Demi Lovato had it goin' on like that! The Internet is all abuzz with praise for the Disney star's heartbreaking new Single Skyscraper which she herself has called "a plea for help", recorded before she underwent treatment for her Eating Disorder and Self-Mutilation.  "Go on and try to tear me down/I will be rising from the ground/Like a Skyscraper", the 18 year-old sings.  A bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, yes?

I'd put this one right up there with Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway or Katy Perry's Firework.  Yes, it's that good. Composed by a Team of: Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins and Kerli, this Track actually makes me really excited to hear more off her third album.  Maybe I need to re-examine some of her older Catalogue now?

Here's what others are saying about the Track:

NEW MUSIC: KELLY CLARKSON - LET ME DOWN

Kelly Clarkson in Toronto - June 2009

In what easily could be thought of as a Ryan Tedder production - although likely not - Let Me Down, a new Track off of Kelly Clarkson's forthcoming fifth Disc, leaked today and it appears New York City's Z100 seems to have gotten its hands on it.

Picking up wear Clarkson left with 2009's Pop/Rock-heavy All I Ever Wanted, this Track has the original American Idol doing what she does best - bringin' on the heartbreak.  She confronts that Lover whom she still isn't fully over, telling him: "You're only gonna make me feel so crazy/ But when I think that we can be something/You go and let me down".  Catchy - but no My Life Would Suck Without You.  Nope.  Anxious to hear more.

Listen to it in full below:

KELLY CLARKSON ON "AMERICAN IDOL - WELCOME HOME SPECIAL"

Kelly Clarkson

"Kelly Clarkson, Burleson, Texas.".  Okay, I'll admit I teared up a little watching these American Idol - Welcome Home Special clips on YouTube featuring previous season's Winners.  The Cameras follow each  Singer as they re-visit their Hometowns, describing for us what it was like auditioning for the show and how it has changed their lives ever since.

My favourite Idol, Kelly Clarkson recalls stepping into the Audition Room, not realizing the competition was a Television Show, being surprised to see Paula Abdul as a Judge. "I knew Randy (Jackson) because I was a huge Mariah Carey fan and I used to be that Nerd who reads all the Liner Notes.... so I was flipping out a little bit more about Randy", Clarkson remembers.  "I think that's what so attractive about American Idol is that we're very the 'people the next door' - the American Dream - it gives people a sense of hope that they can do it too.". 

The Singer just completed work on her fifth studio album although some changes in personnel at RCA/Jive Records, run by Barry Weiss, likely will delay original plans to release the Disc early 2011.  Another interesting thing is that RCA (formerly part of BMG) will no longer be signing Idol contestants as a new deal has been inked between the show and Universal Music Group's A&M/Geffen/Interscope Records. The new season of American Idol, the first without Simon Cowell, premieres January 19, 2011 on FOX.

 

Watch all four Clips below.  Grab a Tissue. 

KELLY CLARKSON IS BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S TOP AMERICAN IDOL

According to Billboard Magazine, Kelly Clarkson is the Top American Idol of all time. Billboard ranked 24 idol finalists and ranked them by Album Sales, Radio Play and Single Sales and overall, it was Clarkson who edged out country star Carrie Underwood for top honours.  The latter has sold 900k more albums than Clarkson. Chris Daughtry placed a distant third.

My question is this - why aren't Concert Ticket Sales also factored in also as this would be a more comprehensive measure to overall success? How about industry award wins also? With that being said, I do love Clarkson, but I have a feeling that Underwood would overall have the upper hand.

Billboard's Top 24 American Idols are ranked as follows:

1. Kelly Clarkson

2. Carrie Underwood

3. Chris Daughtry

4. Jordin Sparks

5. David Cook

6. Clay Aiken