Addison Thomas Wong
You rarely see as much drama behind an album production as you do with Kelly Clarkson’s latest offering, My December.
First off, Clive Davis, founder of J-Records, which has produced such talents as Grammy award-winning singers like Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston, refuses to release the album on grounds that it was “too negative” and “lacks guaranteed hits”. Then, Clarkson’s arena tour was recently canned, and she fired her management, The Firm, just 2 weeks prior to the album’s release, prompting UrbanWire to wonder how bad this record could have been to lead up to this spectacle of events.
Not that bad, actually. Yes, much of the album is indeed flooded with dark, sombre issues and messages like betrayal, hurt, bad wishes and revenge. But there’s still much in this record to be pleased with. The captivating melodies that support these lyrics, for one, guarantee the same listening enjoyment that huge hits, like Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill and Green Day’s American Idiot, offered.
Following the success of Breakaway, Clarkson’s Grammy-award-winning second album, the first American Idol enhances her rock-oriented image and sound further with this riveting collection of stimulating pop/rock numbers.
“Never Again”, “Judas” and “Don’t Waste Your Time” are blaring tracks ripping apart her lover for his unfaithfulness, but are undeniably the most addictive of the album’s louder songs with their distinctive, psychedelic rock feel. “One Minute” and “Hole” tell this sullen story about heartbreak further, bringing in aspects of hypocrisy and denial.
But not all’s loud and offensive in this 13-track album. The standout song is, surprisingly, one in which you don’t hear Clarkson belting her soul out. “Sober” is a beautiful song that tackles the struggle of letting a relationship go and gives it a genuine and sentimental tune that easily stirs in listeners a deep sense of melancholy.
“Be Still” breaks it down for listeners and gives them a taste of Clarkson’s softer, vulnerable side. It’s the quieter parts of Clarkson’s vocals that bring on the goose bumps.
It’s easy to judge Clarkson prematurely based on first impressions. At first listen, My December may come across as a string of undefined screaming tracks that were made to revive the “Since U Been Gone” success with the trend of apocalyptic intros, lower-range verses and explosive choruses. But once your musical orientation is over and these songs are set in your head, you’ll notice how each track has its own distinctive meaning, emotional baggage and role in forming what can be considered another smash set of hits. That’s when you begin to enjoy them for what they really are.
One wonders though, after 3 years since the release of Breakaway, why this singer’s still belting out – this time even more intensely – about infidelity, surviving alone, and the joy of independence. You’ll come to realise that Breakaway was just an introduction to understanding the degree of pain that Clarkson, or whoever it is she’s been singing for, experienced from a heartbreak.
Chances are this record won’t change Clarkson’s career the wayBreakaway did. But there’s no question that this’ll still be one of those fantastic albums and a milestone in the singer’s artistry.
Compare Clarkson as executive producer of the record and songwriter for every track on the album with the standard of the product and you’ll be amazed by how much more talent this pop sensation has than you initially thought. This is, thus far, her most personal record.
The road to success has been filled with incredible milestones for Clarkson. Her first album, Thankful, proved to the world that there can be a future for American Idols, while her second broke her Idol image and established her as a true, sensational pop/rock artiste of this generation. If there is anyone left in the world for her to impress, her latest record, My December, will do just that.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My Decemberis available at all music stores.