Kelly Clarkson Covers “Cry Me a River” (VIDEO)

By On 09/02/2012 · 17 Comments · In American Idol, Kelly Clarkson

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Justin Timberlake’s breakup song “Cry Me a River is the perfect song for Kelly Clarkson to cover. The passion, the angst, the f*ck you lyrics–why did it take her so long to take it on?

Kelly finally did tonight in concert, choosing the song her her fan requested cover in Tinsley Park, IL.

Watch below.

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  • fuzzywuzzy

    Nice rendition. I would usually be more enthusiastic but I’m not fond of this song. lol

  • Incipit

    Heh. It never fails. I see that title – I sure don’t think of Justin Timberlake – not with the many versions of the classic “Cry Me A River” out there – starting from the ’50′s and Ella Fitzgerald and moving right up to the present day, and Jeff Beck in 2011. 

    This song shares a bit of lyric for the title, and some of the attitude, that’s all. Wonder if Kelly has ever tried the original? That song Wails! It would be cool to hear, IMO.

  • Hazehel

    why did it take her so long to take it on?

    Because it is not an easy song to sing live and sound good (I think the song only sounds good as a studio production), and she sounds painful in this.  She probably should have sung in a lower key.

  • windmills

    I think Kelly can do a truly spooky, haunting version of this song so I’m a little surprised she went for a rock version of it. It was definitely an ambitious thing to do to try to work over that song in such a short time, and the original key would’ve been very awkward for her. I bet she’d figure a great version of this one out if she took more time with it. 

  • http://twitter.com/doesmonaknow DoesMonaKnow

    Thanks for posting these concert covers!

    I don’t really care what pronouns she sings but the inconsistency with it was distracting. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ENXWTPQX7WDUGFKDMOUHAWCQMY Van

    Here’s another video (not the best quality) but it captured a cute moment at the end. Fans gave her flowers and she mentioned her boyfriend’s there and he didn’t give her flowers. HA! Then she says, “I love you baby,” and continued to tell the audience that he gives her flowers all the time. Adorable. Happy for her! :D
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOeTwF_IXNc&feature=player_embedded

  • seldomused

    Is Joe Cocker’s “Cry Me a River” the same song?  If so, his is quite different and I absolutely prefer his to the one Kelly sings.

    Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWaj9psZdA

  • lollypop12

     JT sounds good live on this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PygUR33ZzhA

  • Incipit

    Is Joe Cocker’s “Cry Me a River” the same song?  

    No, seldomused, he’s doing a hard rock version based on the original song of the same name – the one from 1953 by Arthur Hamilton, which started life as a jazzy blues number – a “Torch Song”.

    Here’s a look at all the artists who have covered ‘that’ “Cry Me A River” before and after Joe Cocker.

    Barbra Streisand’s take from her debut album is highly regarded,  Aerosmith has covered it, in 1982 – and it was used for the 2010 Winter Olympics – there is a Gene Krupa drum version, a guitar version, and quite a few foreign language versions - 

    Some parts of the melody are so iconic they have been referenced in a film score – “Giorgio Moroder used the 6 notes corresponding to “Now you say you love me” to create part of the soundtrack of Midnight Express in 1978.”

    Many people only have to hear those first six notes – and they can immediately identify the song – I’m one of them. There’s only one “Cry Me A River” for me. *wink*

  • Incipit

    Is Joe Cocker’s “Cry Me a River” the same song?

    No, it isn’t, seldomused,  Joe Cocker is doing a hard rock version of Arthur Hamilton’s famous 1953 Torch Song, Kelly is covering Justin Timberlake’s very different song, that has the same name. 

    Google and youtube would give examples of both, I would think.

    ETA – My first post answering the question, just below this, keeps disappearing and reappearing – Disqus in the Twilight Zone – since I don’t know which one it would be safe to delete – I’m leaving both, up to moderation, if there’s any way to tell.

  • lovetheusa1776

    Julie London’s recording, for me, is still the most memorable.

  • http://twitter.com/doesmonaknow DoesMonaKnow

    He has the backup singers helping out a lot and throws it to the crowd some, but man was Madison Square Garden pumped for him. I remember watching that HBO concert special. I was going to ask if they still do those anymore but I remember Gaga had one last year (I think they showed part of it during Idol, hyping it as a Lady Gaga performance but it was just the S10 Top 4? sitting around the Idol mansion watching her on TV).

  • Hazehel

    I don’t think he started well, although it gets much better as it goes along. It’s very much a performance rather than just singing.  I’m tending to think that he didn’t actually sing in some parts where he was dancing.  It is in any case a professional edited production (they can edit out imperfection and fix other problems).  Compare with this performance in live broadcast -
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q91jhIIf6Go  
    He doesn’t sound so good there. The last falsetto note is painful.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_F3XJE5GRAUMYR7Y5RYZUW7SC4U md

    What’s with all the covers? Kelly has a decade of her own material to work with.

  • http://twitter.com/doesmonaknow DoesMonaKnow

    It’s just one song a night, which is hardly unusual for a touring singer, even a big star. When U2 played the Rose Bowl they did a cover of Stand By Me. I hardly see the big deal here.

  • Incipit

    It’s just one song a night

    True, just about everyone I can think of throws in a cover on their set – Kelly explains in the other thread that it is to make each show unique for that audience – so I gather her set list doesn’t change other than the cover?

    But I can also see where it keeps things fresh for the artists too, even the ones who change up their set list every night like to do a cover, because they are fun!

    As a listener, I find them interesting, with varying degrees of coolness…

    IMO. Of Course.

  • heartly

    I did not like this one and it could very well be that I don’t like the original to begin with, but this wasn’t enjoyable to me at all.

    What’s with all the covers? Kelly has a decade of her own material to work with.

    It’s one slot in her set that changes every night that a fan gets to pick the song for.  She does two covers in her set, the great We Are Young (it’s killer live, there’s a great energy in the crowd for that one) and a random song.  It just seems like she’s doing a lot of them in one show when they get posted.  Well she is doing a lot of them because she’s doing a good number of shows, but they are one time deals.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a concert where the main acts haven’t performed at least one cover song.