Since winning season 1 of “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson has entertained the country with pop hits and power ballads. Her latest album, Piece by Piece, released on March 3, has continued her legacy.
Kelly Clarkson fell in love, married Brandon Blackstock, became a stepmother to his two daughters, and gave birth to River Rose. As such, her music, once famous for its bitter, breakup feel, has changed to reflect her new life. There is no “Since You Been Gone” on this album. Though that is disappointing for some fans, as “Since You Been Gone” is wildly considered her best track, it makes sense. Clarkson is in love and happy, and her new album reflects that.
The first single, “Heartbeat Song,” has Clarkson singing about a new relationship. “This is my heartbeat song, and I’m gonna play it. Been so long, I forgot how to turn it up, up, up, up all night long.” The song is pure pop fun and would be great in the car with the windows rolled down.
“Invisible,” the album’s second single, was written by Sia, and it shows. The pre-chorus and chorus are catchy and well-written. Clarkson powers through the ballad, singing, “Now I am invincible, no I ain’t a scared little girl no more.” This is Piece by Piece’s “(What Doesn’t Kill You) Stronger”
It makes sense that these two songs were chosen as singles, as they are the clear stand-outs on the album. Other potential singles include the title track, “Piece by Piece,” and the song all the critics seem to love, “War Paint.”
“Piece by Piece” seems to be the to-be-continued from Clarkson’s “Because of You.” Reflecting on her father leaving when she was a young girl, the song explains that she can’t imagine her new husband, or herself, ever making a similar decision. “Piece by piece, he restored my faith that a man can be kind and a father could stay.” The song is Clarkson at her most personal – and her very best. It strips away the problems of radio-friendly songs and shows a real piece of her.
“War Paint” has already been called one of the best tracks on the album by many critics. It is radio friendly, yet still feels uniquely Clarkson. “’Cause we could be beautiful without our war paint. We could have it all once we let our walls break,” she sings.
One of my personal favorites on the album is “Tight Rope,” which Clarkson herself co-wrote. “I’m on the tight rope. You’ve got your reasons. When did it get so hard to breathe?” she sings. One of the sadder songs on the track, her vocals make it an absolutely devastatingly beautiful track.
“Run Run Run” with John Legend has also received some press. It’s a catchy track, apparently a cover of a song done by Tokyo Hotel (unbeknownst to Clarkson, who apologized in a tweet recently).
“Someone,” another track on the album, has some of the best lyrics. It opens and closes with Clarkson singing nonchalantly, “So this is my apology for saying all those shitty things, I wish I really didn’t mean. Sorry I’m not sorry.”
“Take You High” is also a stand-out, ready to be remixed for the club already. It’s already complete with synthesizer and auto-tune.
Though Piece by Piece is filled with some impressive tracks, it unfortunately also has forgettable ones. “Good Goes the Bye,” “Dance With Me,” “Second Wind,” and “In the Blue” are all tracks I’ve listened to at least four times and have no memory of.
Overall, Piece by Piece is certainly worth buying. However, it isn’t nearly the best work in her discography and surely won’t produce as many hits as Breakaway, her best, did. That being said, fans of Clarkson will love this album and the best tracks are sure to attract some new fans too.
Theresa Kelly is a third-year student majoring in English literature secondary education. She can be reached at TK780615@wcupa.edu.