Kelly Clarkson My Life Would Suck Without You
Review of New Single From American Idol's All I Ever Wanted Album
Jan 21, 2009
From the first strums of the "Since You've Been Gone" sound-alike guitar, it's obvious that Kelly Clarkson has returned to a more commercial sound on "My Life Would Suck Without You" than anything released from her previous album, My December.
The original American Idol winner received a cold reception to that more difficult long player, so it comes as no surprise that she once again embraces the pop/rock/dance sound and writers that made her a superstar with 2004's Breakaway album, for which she earned two Grammy awards.
Life Would Suck Without Max Martin and Dr. Luke
Lyrically the song, penned by Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald and Claude Kelly closely cousins "Since You've Been Gone", one of Clarkson’s signature hits, and marks a far departure from the darker material recorded for 2007's My December.
That said this pop song has its edge. Sung from the point of view of a jilted lover, Clarkson finds her man on her doorstep with his tail between his legs. “Guess this means you’re sorry/ You’re standing at my door,” she sings, “Guess this means you take back/ What you said before/ Like how much you wanted/ Anyone but me” – true pop dysfunction, with a danceable beat.
Produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke, who have worked collectively and individually with pop sensations *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Pink, the song mirrors the latest dance/pop trends in current radio music, making this song an almost guaranteed hit - possibly one of the biggest hits of 2009.
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted
On her official blog, Clarkson admits to enjoying the new Pink album. Taking a page from her attitude booklet, Clarkson infuses her vocals with force and determination - showing the world she's still an independent woman even if her brief stint into songwriting produced few remarkable results.
"My Life Would Suck Without You" shouldn’t, however, be viewed as a sell out but instead a return to form for one of the pop world's brightest stars. Popular music, especially dance music, rarely gets the credibility that it deserves, and this song will be played on the radio until all the life is sucked out of it, but that doesn't make it a bad thing.
Filled with layers of synths, a huge chorus and a title that gets attention, "My Life Would Suck Without You" luckily doesn't suck.
Kelly Clarkson's new single is available now. Her All I Ever Wanted album is due for release 17 March 2009.
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