New Kelly Clarkson Album Titled “Masquerade”

By On 01/03/2009 · 20 Comments · In Uncategorized

According to the Wall Street Journal, Kelly Clarkson’s upcoming album, due to be released on March 17, will be called Masquerade. Here what they have to say about it:

The “American Idol” winner’s last album, “My December” in 2007, was supposed to be the singer’s big personal artistic statement, filled with raw rock songs that Ms. Clarkson wrote largely on her own, without input from the hitmeisters whose tunes made her a star. The album yielded only middling sales, however, along with a canceled concert tour and a humiliating fight with label head Clive Davis over the direction of her music. For her fourth album, Ms. Clarkson is “in a period where she wants to take on the pop world again,” says RCA general manager Tom Corson. “She’s ready, and she’s got all the right support.” That includes the input of writer-producers like Max Martin, Howard Benson and Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, who were behind some of Ms. Clarkson’s biggest pop hits.

The first single from the album, “My Life Would Suck Without You” is set to be released to radio on January 19.

While Kelly goes for the hits, competing with the likes of new pop queens Rihanna and Katy Perry, I want to put in a good word for her last album, My December.

Maybe it wasn’t all that commercially viable, but I appreciated Kelly’s attempts to stretch herself. The sublime “Irvine,” in particular, showed a different, deeper Kelly. And anyone who has seen her perform Patty Griffin’s “Up To the Mountain” knows that Kelly is often way better than the pop material she’s had to sing.

Here’s hoping Kelly’s pop comeback with Masquerade is successful. I expect it to be filled with irresistible pop confections.  But, here’s also hoping she gets the opportunity to write from the gut again. My December proved there’s something there worth exploring.

 
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  • snuffles

    I wish the very best for Kelly. She’s the only female Idol contestant I’ve EVER liked enough to root for after 7 seasons. That says a lot about Kelly’s appeal to me.

  • phoenixml

    I can’t wait to hear Kelly’s new music. I like the title – she is certainly following the trend of pop divas though. Britney with “CIRCUS”, P!NK with “FUNHOUSE” and now Kelly with “MASQUERADE” – I definately see a pattern! (And Carrie’s “CARNIVAL RIDE”)

  • IGetCranked

    But, hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also hoping she gets the opportunity to write from the gut again. In my opinion, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s something there worth exploring.

    I agree MJ. I have never been able to understand why singers can’t show different sides to their music w/o backlashes. All ppl have different sides to them so why aren’t artists allowed to show it? I’m talking consumers not labels who are all about the dollar.

  • wonderwhy

    I love Kelly Clarkson. My December is the only CD of hers that I own and I thought it was very good. She’s expected to be pop and she strayed from that with My December and took a lot of criticism for it. I’m looking forward to her new CD, though. What she has over current female pop “stars” is a fantastic voice and the ability to sing.

  • Duke

    I just got a GREAT feeling about this album after reading this.

    I totally agree about the title fitting today’s top-selling artists- thats deff the route kelly and her producers are trying to take and im overjoyed.

    I am dying to hear MLWSWY, its goota be leaked sometime soon.

  • YellowClouds

    Am I the only one who sees a connection with “Masquerade” and the fact that on this album she’s supposedly not making the music she really wants to make?

    I’m happy to learn that the rumored title “True You” was indeed a rumor. Masquerade has a dark, mysterious vibe to it which I like.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    I agree MJ. I have never been able to understand why singers canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t show different sides to their music w/o backlashes. All ppl have different sides to them so why arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t artists allowed to show it? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m talking consumers not labels who are all about the dollar.

    Exactly. Consumers have different tastes in music too. I mean, I love Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”, but in the same breath, I love John Mayer’s “Gravity”… two completely different songs, for two completely different moods, but I still love both of them all the same. I don’t get it either, IGC.

    Clive Davis wanting to bury “My December” before it ever got a start just reeks of ego and power trip to me. And truthfully, I can tell you right now that if this album is successful with lots of radio-friendly pop hits and her label and the media bill it as a “comeback”, it’s going to piss me off. MD may not have been a commercial success when compared to “Breakaway” but it didn’t sell NOTHING either. People bought it, people liked it, there are songs off of it that are gems. There might not have been radio hits on MD, but that doesn’t mean that she disappeared off the face of the planet, or had a nervous breakdown and shaved her head, or any of that crap.

    Obviously, I love Kelly. I own all of her albums, and have my favorite songs on of each of them. So, I’m really cheering for her with this album. But, I’m not going to forget MD either. There are some beautiful songs that, as MJ said, begin to show more of the depth of Kelly Clarkson past just the SUBG Queen of Pop thing.

  • BootStar

    I didn’t start watching Idol until season 3, so I’m not really all that familiar with Kelly’s stuff, but I’ve always liked her public persona. I bought “Breakaway” several years ago and had had no idea it was Kelly singing. The only other song of hers I own is “Irvine,” which is fantastic. I thought she did a nice job on “Up to the Mountain” but as a huge fan of Patty Griffin (who wrote the song), I didn’t feel the need to buy Kelly’s version.

    I’m curious, did critics receive “My December” favorably? As someone who doesn’t spend a whole lot of time following pop music and trends (until Season 7 of Idol, that is), my impression was that My December was her best album and that she’d “stuck it to the man” and paid the inevitable price. Just added to her cachet for me.

  • http://annieandersonblog.com Annie

    MJ – I totally agree with you. My December may not have had any radio hits, but it was a great album. Have to say it’s my favorite of all of them, even. I hope she gets the opportunity to write from her gut again as well.

    Now I’m going to have to go searching for an “Up to the Mountain” vid. ;-) I haven’t seen it.

    Out of all the idols, Kelly is still my favorite and I can’t wait for her new album.

    ~ Annie

  • hypertwink

    Am I the only one who sees a connection with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Masqueradeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and the fact that on this album sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s supposedly not making the music she really wants to make?

    Nope, I was going to post it, realizing that I think I was too slow in the pick up. It’s a little ninja star to TPTB that our little Texas Rocker Chick is stealthily admitting, “This is so not me.” Which makes the cover of MLWSWY a little bit more subversive than just being turned into Kelly Perry.

  • dv

    this is one of my favorite UTTM performances with Reba
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdCaP7cDPNQ

  • SallyinIllinois

    What I don’t understand is why was My December a “failure”….it sold close to 1mill, that’s darn good in this economy. And it was the #1 album in Australia. I wish writers wouldn’t deem everything that sells well a “failure”. Some artists would kill for Kelly’s numbers.

  • abbysee

    Sarah, your entire post deserves repeating, but this must be quoted because this is exactly how I feel.

    Obviously, I love Kelly. I own all of her albums, and have my favorite songs on of each of them. So, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m really cheering for her with this album. But, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not going to forget MD either. There are some beautiful songs that, as MJ said, begin to show more of the depth of Kelly Clarkson past just the SUBG Queen of Pop thing.

    Sally, I agree with you, I am pissed off at people telling me what is a success and what is a failure. I will always admire Kelly for having the balls to go off the reservation even a little, and the old suits that pushed her off the ledge and the lemings that followed pissed me off as well. From what I can remember, the early reviews were awesome, and then Clive and his minions started arting as if Kelly had peed in their cheerios, and the rest is history. I want My December to be revisited again sometime in her career for the solidly good cd it was. My son, who mostly listens to Rap (mostly Jay Z because he thinks everyone else is crap) adores Kelly and loved My December. I can’t wait to hear what Masquerade sounds like.

    What I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t understand is why was My December a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“failureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.it sold close to 1mill, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s darn good in this economy. And it was the #1 album in Australia. I wish writers wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t deem everything that sells well a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“failureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Some artists would kill for Kellyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s numbers.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    I want My December to be revisited again sometime in her career for the solidly good cd it was.

    I believe, at some point, “My December” will be revisited, and finally appreciated.

  • dante

    Up To The Mountain is one of my very favorite Kelly songs:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKAGHnCdyzw&feature=related

    I like most all her songs including the pop ones, but UTTM shows off her incredible versatility and is just incredible IMO.

  • Niall

    My December will be appreciated in the long term. I think history will be very kind to it, and to Kelly.

    Am I the only one who sees a connection with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Masqueradeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and the fact that on this album sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s supposedly not making the music she really wants to make?

    It was the first thing that came to my mind! I think in a perfect world where she had carte blanche she’d do a much different cd. However she’s well suited as a pop princess and I think her new cd will get her right back to the top of the charts. If she can pull off another highly successful cd done RCA’s way she might have the clout to force them to let her be all artsy and experimental again.

  • One

    I like Kelly but she’s not the same singer anymore. She has gone through some tough times and needs to find herself. I wish her all the luck.

  • marco5ny

    “My December” in 2007, was supposed to be the singerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s big personal artistic statement, filled with raw rock songs that Ms. Clarkson wrote largely on her own, without input from the hitmeisters whose tunes made her a star.

    Kelly co-wrote a couple of songs on her first album and half of the songs on her second album including the Top 20 hits Behind These Hazel Eyes, Because of You and Walk Away. Clearly she is a solid — and commercially viable — songwriter and her label even “allowed” it. The lyrics of many of these songs are “angry” or about being independent. Clarkson co-wrote every song on My December so it was not a solo effort. The big difference is that “My December” is even darker and less driven by “hooks.” Clarkson was able to make songs on Breakway more universal and relatable and, frankly, more balanced away from her own experience. I hope she is able to find that balance again. Two “niche” albums in a row in such a young career would increase the erroneous perception that she was not largely responsible for the success of Breakaway.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Two à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“nicheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  albums in a row in such a young career would increase the erroneous perception that she was not largely responsible for the success of Breakaway.

    She was smart to go back to crafting Pop songs with the hit guys. Her career would have been over if she hadn’t.

  • oceana

    I have My December, and appreciate Kelly’s writing, but the musical arrangement on many of the songs is discordant to me. I think some of these songs would be better if they were re-arranged with different music backing her up. I know she wanted this kind of almost metal sound, but to me it didn’t showcase the songs well.