There’s Worse Things Than Kelly Clarkson Making a Country Record
So Kelly Clarkson—Mrs. American Idol—went off and made herself a country record. According to the singer, it’s all but finished. Just needs a title. Those were the revelations brought forth in a Rolling Stone interview today amidst the release of Kelly’s latest pop album called Piece by Piece.
“…I have been listening to some country. I like Brandy Clark a lot, but I kind of listen to everything,” Clarkson said. “Everybody in Nashville has been super welcoming, but I don’t think that was a real shocker for everyone. I’m from Texas that’s, like, the land of country music. I’ve lived in Nashville for eight years now, and honestly it’s not just a country world here. We have everybody from Kings of Leon to Meghan Trainor to Jack White to Sheryl Crow. It’s kind of like a new Austin: It’s just a plethora of music, and there’s a plethora of genres here.”
Kelly Clarkson is correct, both in how Nashville has become the new Austin, and how nobody should be in shock at this news. If you didn’t see the Kelly Clarkson country album coming, you need your country music eyeballs checked. Country music was embracing Kelly Clarkson even before she had embraced the idea of making a country record. Because of the chasm that has opened up where once existed female representation in mainstream country music by artists not named Miranda, Music Row at various points has plugged Kelly Clarkson in as a warm female body.
Remember the quizzical inclusion of Kelly Clarkson as a CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nominee in 2012 and 2013? Kelly wasn’t even pushing herself to the country music community at the time, hadn’t even released a country album, and here she was being nominated for the highest female distinction in the genre. Meanwhile women who’d worked their whole lives in country and had great mainstream releases went unrecognized.
And that’s just the beginning of Kelly Clarkson’s country music accolades. Her duet with Jason Aldean “Don’t You Wanna Stay” from 2011 walked away with the CMA for Musical Event of the Year, and the ACM Awards for both Single of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year. And that’s not all Don Pardo, Clarkson was also nominated for Vocal Event of the Year by both the CMA’s and ACM’s in 2008 for her duet with Reba McEntire, “Because of You,” and was nominated for another CMA and ACM in 2013 for her Vince Gill duet, “Don’t Rush.” Forget dipping your toes in the water, Kelly Clarkson is more decorated than most country mainstream females could ever expect.
And once again, she hasn’t even released a country record, or a dedicated solo country song to country radio. I guess Gary Overton was wrong about saying country radio was the key to country music existence.
On paper, all the markers are here to boo hoo Kelly Clarkson as a country music carpetbagger just looking to ride the positive country music wave to a big bathtub full of money. But there’s many things that are significantly different about Clarkson’s “gone country” story that make her an exception.
First, as Clarkson points out, geography is on her side. Though a great country record can come from anyone or anywhere, her street cred from being born in Texas, and bedding down in Nashville means she knows where country music comes from if nothing else. Second, this doesn’t seem like a permanent move. Kelly isn’t “going country,” she’s just making a country record. We’ll see how it flies, but nobody should be surprised if it’s a one-off affair, just like nobody should be surprised she’s making a country record in the first place. And she may make another country record in the future, but the bottom line appears to be that Kelly Clarkson will do whatever she wants to do, and that’s hard to not respect.
And beyond the geography, beyond the fact that this just appears to be Clarkson doing what she wants instead of taking advantage of a cash grab, and even beyond her award-winning voice and how mainstream country needs females, there’s a boatload of intangibles that Kelly brings to the table that makes even country music purists shrug their shoulders and say, “We damn, it can’t be any worse than Florida Georgia Line or Sam Hunt.”
Does that mean that I, or country music purists are anticipating this release? I’d tap the breaks on that theory really quick. Kelly Clarkson is probably not going to make the rotation on your favorite classic country “old-time hour” podcast, and I certainly haven’t gained a fondness for pop stars making this move in a maturing career. But that doesn’t mean the music will be terrible. Hey, how about we listen to it before passing that judgement? Yes this feels totally contrived and preordained in many respects, but if she’s listening to Brandy Clark, it may not be that bad.
How many years have passed that Kelly Clarkson could have done this, and she elected to punt the proverbial country music football? She’s paid dues, and she let the country music game come to her. That’s how it’s supposed to be done. Sure, when it’s clearly some pop star or actor trying to make a last ditch effort to rehab a career in the public spotlight for no other reason than to remain famous, they can kiss off. But Kelly Clarkson? Eh, can’t say my pulse elevated one tick at this news, but I’ll give it a fair and impartial sniff, and save my venom for more worthy prey.
March 3, 2015 @ 8:00 pm
She actually released a solo country song exclusively to country radio in 2013 called “Tie It Up”. It went Top 40 on country charts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCXEV-O0kQk
March 3, 2015 @ 8:40 pm
I vaguely remember that, and I run a country music website for a living. Maybe that says more about me than Kelly, but just because she releases a song doesn’t mean it has the true umph of a major single. I’m interested to see how a big country single from Kelly behaves, and it looks like we’ll have a chance.
March 3, 2015 @ 10:35 pm
I’m not surprised by this at all. Mainstream music genres are really more about the demographics of the audience than about the music itself. In Kelly Clarkson, country executives see what they have been looking for: a successful pop singer who is well liked by mainstream country’s demographic. In terms of who she is and where she came from, she represents country’s demographic much more than Taylor Swift ever did.
Well, at least I gotta give her some credit for making it on the strength of her voice, and not on her looks.
March 3, 2015 @ 8:41 pm
Tie it Up #33 on billboard country charts in 2013 her single release. Country remix of “Mr. Know it all” hit #21 in 2012 on country chart.
March 4, 2015 @ 12:13 am
Yikes. There’s some bad dancing in that video!
March 3, 2015 @ 8:03 pm
Kelly Clarkson will be good in a country music industry. She already have #1 hit with Jason Aldean, #2 with Reba, 2 top 30, 2 top 40, and 2 other charted songs. Clarkson songs are better and countrier than Raelynn, Florida Georgia Line, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell, and Sam Hunt. Not even Jewel and Jessica Simpson both flopped in their sold called country careers.
March 3, 2015 @ 8:22 pm
i will be interested to hear Kelly’s album. She is talented and I’m hopeful her album will be listen worthy.
March 3, 2015 @ 8:40 pm
Don’t Rush was a really good song. Dont You Wanna Stay was probably Jason Aldean’s last good hit. Tie It Up was pretty bad but her new album has a few decently written songs and a 2/3 success rate on a country album could still turn out better than Miranda’s Platinum
March 3, 2015 @ 8:51 pm
I hope Kelly better on country than Sheryl Crowe done hers two years ago. I respect Kelly Clarkson as an artist/person. I don’t knock Sheryl Crowe as a country too.
March 3, 2015 @ 8:56 pm
Well, now that Taylor Swift is gone Music Row has to do something to keep adolescent girls in the fold. On the merits of a Clarkson country album, I am cautiously optimistic. Darius Rucker covered Wagon Wheel when he took his carpetbag into our format to prove how country he really was. I hope we get something similar from Kelly Clarkson.
March 3, 2015 @ 9:01 pm
Forgot to mention that Aaron Lewis’s gone country album was decent too.
March 3, 2015 @ 9:07 pm
I’m looking forward to country music from Kelly.
March 3, 2015 @ 10:17 pm
There are A LOT of things worse than Kelly Clarkson releasing a country album. Those things are called “most of what’s on country radio these days.”
March 4, 2015 @ 6:23 am
This.
July 7, 2015 @ 2:29 pm
What he said.
March 3, 2015 @ 10:24 pm
Yeah like Cher, Snoop Dog, and Bobby Brown were threatening to make a country album.
March 3, 2015 @ 10:40 pm
Snoop did make a cameo on a Willie Nelson song.
March 4, 2015 @ 12:14 am
John Mayer’s second to last album had many country elements and was damn good. No reason Clarkson can’t at least put out and a decent record.
March 4, 2015 @ 6:00 am
That album was great but the influence of Dylan’s Nashville Skyline was really obvious, which is not at all a bad thing.
March 4, 2015 @ 1:06 am
Let’s face it, Kelly’s pop career has been getting long in the tooth. As a white woman in her 30s now, she is closer to the country demographic than the pop demographic. And as fellow American Idol alum Carrie Underwood has shown, country fans love the story line of the small town girl next door who has become a big star.
So it all makes sense to me. It’s been apparent for many years that country was Kelly’s backup plan. And through personal relationships and marriage she has become country music’s “in-law”, part of the extended family. And now that Nashville has a critical shortage of brand name female artists, this is a natural opportunity for her, because Nashville really, really wants to believe that she’s country. Who knows, depending on what the future holds, maybe Reba can get one more late career hit too.
March 4, 2015 @ 2:21 am
Again i like her a lot, but i think she is banking on her connections to make her a star in country music.
She has a very unique opportunity, that most people don’t have.
March 4, 2015 @ 3:54 am
That’ all her career is, though. She is (probably) only here because of that AI connection, right?
I have no problem with KC. She is the prototype American Idol, and she owned it. She made the most of the opportunity she had. In life, she out-kicked her coverage, and I am glad for her.
And she was ROCKIN’ that baby doll dress with her leftover baby mamma weight on CBS Sunday Morning! You go girl!
March 4, 2015 @ 2:17 am
I like Kelly a lot, but I don’t see her making a huge impact. Country music’s two biggest female artists right now are Carrie and Miranda, and I don’t see that changing for the next 5 to 10 years, unless a new and unknown artist comes into the fold. While she is better than FGL etc. She is not the answer.
March 4, 2015 @ 3:44 am
But, I thought she took the red pill???
March 4, 2015 @ 6:33 am
I don’t think she’s the answer to anything either. But I do think that she put the effort out NOT to “go country” for so long, she’s afforded a little bit more latitude with this move than let’s say Sheryl Crow or Jessica Simpson. It still may suck, who knows? But I don’t see any reason to discount it on face value.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:04 am
Oh my God! are we to suffer Miranda and Carrie for another 5-10 years, I feel I’ve already suffered long enough, these people are not Dolly or Reba. Please new blood save us, save us Kelly.
March 4, 2015 @ 9:15 pm
I think Miranda’s put out some pretty decent country songs over the years. I love “White Liar”.
March 4, 2015 @ 2:31 am
Tie it up was just a disaster of a song in my opinion, if any of her songs on her new “country” album are anything like tie it up you can pretty much assume it’ll be a flop.
March 4, 2015 @ 2:51 am
Again i like her a lot, but i think she is banking on her connections to make her a star in country music.
She has a very unique opportunity, that most people don”™t have.
March 4, 2015 @ 5:46 am
This was all but inevitable, but at least she’s finally releasing a country record, rather than letting her pop albums be marketed as country to fill a space at the awards shows.
I’m a fan of her pop music but her inclusion here just feels the way it felt when you see those old archived CMA awards clips that show Olivia Newton John and John Denver winning Vocalist of the Year awards. Right now it kind of makes sense to see her there, but in 10 or 20 years we’ll look back on this years nominee’s and think “seriously?”
March 4, 2015 @ 7:09 am
As Trigger says, let’s wait and hear the album before we judge. After all, I don’t hear too many people complaining about Ray Charles’ country albums. His duet with Willie Nelson, Seven Spanish Angels, is a great song – and would “make the rotation on your favorite classic country “old-time hour” podcast”, Trigger!
Kelly Clarkson won’t save country music, but she won’t kill it either. And she’ll most likely be a damn sight more respectful than many so-called ‘real’ country singers today.
March 4, 2015 @ 8:03 am
Well”¦..At least she doesn’t have to fake the Texas accent.
And There will be no auto tune on this album.
She’s an outstanding singer, this will probably be a very good commercial country album.
March 4, 2015 @ 8:04 am
There are indeed worse things than Kelly Clarkson on country radio, but still, the fact that we’re saying that shows just how far the genre has fallen. And while she may have won country music awards, that mostly speaks to the country music organizations penchant for pop and the dearth of nominees than it does her country creds, IMO.
I do think it’ll be interesting to see what she comes up with just the same though, between her Brandy Clark fandom and growing up in Texas. She probably cut her teeth on a fair chunk of good stuff. Hopefully it’ll be more like Lee Ann Womack than Carrie Underwood, but I suppose we’ll see.
March 4, 2015 @ 9:53 am
If the CMAs just need live bodies while they give the award to Miranda, why not include Kacey Musgraves, or even Brandy Clark for that matter?
March 4, 2015 @ 10:20 am
They actually have been including Kacey and even Brandy Clark recently, but there’s so many open slots for females, they still have to reach outside the genre. Why artists like Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack and others can’t be included, I don’t know. Frankly I see it as an embarrassment of the genre. Kelly didn’t deserve those Female Vocalist of the Year nominations.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:58 am
It’s almost as if they don’t want to develop any new female talent; they just want somebody who’s already a denizen of the Twitterverse regardless of their country cred. I just can’t understand that. It seems to me that developing new talent would be a good long-term business strategy. And it’s not as if the talent isn’t out there; I would think that even a modest sum spent on getting some of these ladies more public exposure would pay off well.
March 4, 2015 @ 5:44 pm
New rules for becoming a country radio star:
1. You must be a big pop star so we can suck in your millions of fans for ratings even if we don’t play you much, welcome to country radio! 😉
Or you must be male and:
1. An ex-jock
2. Look “hot”
3. Wear a ball cap (backwards doubles your cred)
4. Giant arm tattoos are a plus
5. No singing or musical experience or ability needed! If you look hot but can’t sing we’ll auto-tune and bury you with production!
March 4, 2015 @ 9:19 pm
LMAO! This is terrific.
March 4, 2015 @ 9:56 am
Speaking of Kacey, Trigger, have you heard her new single “Biscuits”? It’s a decent song, but coming from someone like her, seems a little half-assed.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:17 am
I will probably will have a review very soon. Been waiting for a way to share the track with readers, and it’s not even supposed to be officially out for a while. But it seems like at this point the cat is completely out of the bag.
March 5, 2015 @ 7:27 am
It drops March 16, so it is not too far away. I think it is a catchy song and shouldn’t be too controversial for country radio. It is certainly a typical Kacey Musgraves song. Hopefully future singles will be more diverse.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:10 am
Kinda ironic in some ways that the only folks who don’t REALLY care about saving country music are the mainstream ” country” and ” wannabe country ” singers . Those two songs by Aldean and Vince Gill with Clarkson were not country records . Kelly Clarkson needs SOME genre to accept her talents ( and she IS talented ) but she’s not a country singer and doesn’t record COUNTRY writes. I guess if your Mom-in-law is Reba and you live in Twangtown , you’re country by default . Aaron Watson is a country singer / writer . Kelly Clarkson is an amazing interpreter of contemporary songs because she has an immense vocal gift . But she’s not a country singer any more than Lady Gaga is a country singer . Or IS she this week ?
March 4, 2015 @ 10:25 am
BTW ….have we noticed how so many of the ‘veteran’ pop stars are releasing cover records of classics….Annie Lennox , Bob Dylan , Dianna Krall , Bryan Adams , Lady Gaga and Tony , and Jackie Evancho to name just a few . NOBODY with a radio station plays new releases of NEW songs from these artists – it sure seems like they are all grasping at straws to keep things afloat in terms of selling ” cd “s and careers. Not to mention the bands doing cover records of their OWN stuff …Van Morrison , Joni Mitchell ,,,,the Doobie Bros …Alabama and Lionel Ritchie in the past several years .
I am completely convinced a huge part of the reason for this trend is that THERE ARE SO FEW good songs being written in this ” Youth- dictates- all ” era of what’s considered a great song . Its the song and the lyric that sustains the test of time ….not the artist . It’s always been this way . No matter the industry , a quality product ensures its success and longevity . There’s a reason ( I hate to bring it up ) that Honda , Toyota and Mazda became the BEST cars built in the last half of the last century . They created a product that undeniably stood and stands the test of time in a way that no other manufacturers could rival . Most of today’s mainstream songs are throwaway nursery rhymes designed to cash in on the trends, the ” hip” phrases and expressions of the day , the ” indie” vibe , whatever that is this week , and an YOUTH target market . Its built-in obsolescence product -wise , as the car industry would refer to it .
Anyway , my coffee is waiting for me .
March 5, 2015 @ 9:44 am
Planned obsolescence would not be effective in the music industry, since a music company can make profit from the same song for years through sales, ad revenues, and movie rights. On the other hand, the only way to really profit from a car is by selling it. Furthermore, as the GM/Chrysler/Ford saga proved, planned obsolescence only works until customers catch on. I am sure that the music industry is smart enough to realize that this would be a very poor long-term business strategy.
The real reason that songs nowadays have weak lyrics is that most customers care a lot less about lyrics than they used to. Rhythm and “vibe” are king, not lyrics.
The most important point that I want to make is that complaining about modern pop is unnecessary. At least the classic pop option exists on the radio in most places. With country, though, modern country is the only option in most metropolitan areas. If the Bay Area had a classic country station, for example, I would likely not even be writing on SCM.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:59 am
Not the worst thing that can happen by any means.
March 4, 2015 @ 11:10 am
I would never immediately dismiss Clarkson as being capable of putting out a strong country record. She’s shown a huge musical ability, great vocal talent, and I wouldn’t see her as an interloper or a carpetbagger. She’s very talented and I’d be interested to see what she’s capable of if releasing something labeled as country.
.
March 4, 2015 @ 11:15 am
Eh, it wouldn’t be any worse than a Carrie Underwood record.
March 4, 2015 @ 1:10 pm
Kelly Clarkson strikes me as one of the more honest and natural crossover instances we’ve observed.
Simply put, I like Kelly Clarkson. I consider her among the better role models for everyone, really, but especially young women among the crop of current mainstream artists today. I respect the fact that among all those who have achieved mainstream success via reality singing competitions that she has actually fought, to some extent at least, for her voice. The fallout surrounding the release of “My December” is a clear case-in-point. And besides Miranda Lambert and, to a lesser extent, Philip Phillips and Carrie Underwood………there hasn’t really been anyone else who has been willing to confront label executives head-on and fight for the music they wanted to release.
Now some may be quick to state “Well, what’s up with the follow-up releases to ‘My December’ then? They sure sound like sellout efforts to me?” Well, while it must be recognized as a compromise, I still have viewed signs of individuality in her more recent body of work and, while her recent efforts would benefit from a little more distinctive production and teeth, and also broadening her topical choices beyond pseudo-inspirational swells, her integrity is still intact as a pop artist to my ears.
She has earned this compared to the majority of her peers. This is a natural move on her part, and while the result may not necessarily be my cup of sweet tea, it makes sense that she’s doing this and doesn’t strike me as merely crass carpetbagging. I believe she’ll respect genre distinctions more than most.
March 4, 2015 @ 3:24 pm
She’s currently on the cover of People magazine with her newborn baby. She doesnt look sexy at all she looks like a 32 year old mom. Smart move to leave pop and go to country.
March 4, 2015 @ 10:42 pm
Kelly could have a couple of country hits, but I don’t see her having a big long term career in country. Mainstream country executives like pretty boys and pretty girls. I’d say that looks are even more important in mainstream country than in mainstream pop these days. That does not favor Kelly in the long run. I think she has a short term opening now that “country’s sweetheart” has left the genre and “miss american idol” is on maternity leave.
March 4, 2015 @ 11:15 pm
‘Mainstream country executives like pretty boys and pretty girls. I”™d say that looks are even more important in mainstream country than in mainstream pop these days. That does not favor Kelly in the long run.’
YUP
March 5, 2015 @ 9:51 am
Well, the most important and awarded female country star over the last several years, Miranda Lambert, attained fame without fitting the Western beauty standard. One good thing about country music is that it is still a heavily radio-based genre due to the older and more rural demographics, and therefore it is possible for an artist to become a star without many people even knowing how he or she looks.
March 4, 2015 @ 9:31 pm
Pop/rock singer goes country
Kelly Clarkson will pass as a country singer
failed:
Jewel
Jessica Simpson
Michelle Branch
Bret Michaels
Sheryl Crowe
Pass:
Darius Rucker
Vince Gill
March 5, 2015 @ 9:55 am
Jewel was already more of a country (or folk, same thing) singer than a rock singer even when she was in pop. She should have been able to make a smooth transition into the country genre.
March 6, 2015 @ 7:57 pm
you’re right.
March 5, 2015 @ 10:03 am
I second Noah’s comment in liking Kelly as a person. I am sure that she will also put her heart into country music and contribute to the genre greatly with her vocal talents.
This is somewhat off topic, but Kelly’s comment about Texas and country music got me thinking about this. I have been in Texas for almost the whole week so far for an important conference. Yesterday morning, I was scheduled to give a presentation, and the feeling of anxiety was preventing me from falling asleep the night before.
Guess what finally relaxed my nerves and enabled me to get the sleep I needed: listening to some good old-fashioned Texas country music. After playing George Strait’s “The Chair”, Lee Ann Womack’s “I May Hate Myself In the Morning”, and Mark Chesnutt’s “Too Cold at Home”, I realized what a real lifesaver classic Texas country can be.
July 7, 2015 @ 2:54 pm
Damn skippy! 😉
March 5, 2015 @ 2:39 pm
Another artist who could probably put out a decent country album is p!nk. There is one song of hers called I don’t believe you that has a good twangy vibe to it and that new album of hers with dallas green has some good folk songs on it too.
March 6, 2015 @ 8:06 am
Kelly Clarkson is one of the few mainstream pop artists I can tolerate. Even if her album is pop-country (which it probably will be), I expect it will be at least tolerable and have some substance behind it.
March 7, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
Michael Jackson Montgomery will duet with Kelly Clarkson that will be good.
March 16, 2015 @ 7:22 am
Jewel was already more of a country (or folk, same thing) singer than a rock singer even when she was in pop. She should have been able to make a smooth transition into the country genre.
March 24, 2015 @ 4:58 am
Another artist who could probably put out a decent country album is p!nk. There is one song of hers called I don”™t believe you that has a good twangy vibe to it and that new album of hers with dallas green has some good folk songs on it too.
September 15, 2015 @ 1:33 pm
Forgot to mention that Aaron Lewis”™s gone country album was decent too.
October 6, 2015 @ 6:35 am
Not the worst thing that can happen by any means.
November 25, 2022 @ 11:24 am
This was all but inevitable, but at least she’s finally releasing a country record, rather than letting her pop albums be marketed as country to fill a space at the awards shows.
I’m a fan of her pop music but her inclusion here just feels the way it felt when you see those old archived CMA awards clips that show Olivia Newton John and John Denver winning Vocalist of the Year awards. Right now it kind of makes sense to see her there, but in 10 or 20 years we’ll look back on this years nominee’s and think “seriously?”