Kelly Clarkson releases long-awaited album, ‘chemistry’ addresses if she’ll return to The Voice
Kelly Clarkson has unveiled her highly anticipated tenth studio album chemistry, available now to stream and download via Atlantic Records. The 14-track collection features production by long-time collaborators Jesse Shatkin and Jason Halbert, with melodies and lyrics helmed by the American Idol OG winner.
This week The Kelly Clarkson Show host is out promoting the highly personal set. It’s her first studio album since The Meaning of Life in 2017. Since then, Kelly has been through a lot. She split from Brandon Blackstock, her husband of nearly 7 years in 2020. The two finalized their acrimonious divorce in 2022.
The album chemistry details the relationship, from the heady fist days of “chemistry” and “favorite kind of high” through the pain of a relationship falling apart in “red flag collector” and “mine.” In “Rock Hudson,” she calls back to her hit “Piece by Piece” which was about finding “the father that is great.” She writes in “Rock Hudson”: “by the way, piece by piece/i found out my hero’s me.”
Steve Martin plays banjo on “i hate love” which name checks his movie, It’s Complicated and drummer Sheila E plays on the closing track “that’s right.”
Back in April, Kelly performed the entire album at the Belasco theater in Los Angeles for a room full of fans. She’s releasing the tracks from that concert as music videos. Listen to the album on Youtube below.
Kelly reveals that she may not return to The Voice, but she’ll “never say never.”
Along with releasing a new album and performing in an exclusive Las Vegas engagement, chemistry…an intimate night with Kelly Clarkson, opening Friday, July 28, 2023 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, she is also moving her daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show to New York City. American Songwriter asked her if she’ll return to coach The Voice, which films in Los Angles.
“I love The Voice,” she said, “I love working with all those people. I love working with different artists. My move is gonna make it quite difficult to do the show, so I never want to say never, but it’s definitely gonna change,” She added, “I definitely wanted to make sure that Blake (Shelton) and I got one last season together.”
But she won’t rule out a return to her big red chair! “I’m moving to New York, and the show doesn’t tape in New York, but I never like to say never because I just love the team so much.” Kelly coached on The Voice for nine seasons, winning the show four times.
Media Roundup
Kelly has been everywhere. Here’s what she said and where.
- Simon Fuller let Kelly out of her 19Entertainment contract because she was unhappy. After winning American Idol, Kelly was unhappy with the 19E management deal the show forced her to sign. She fought with one executive over her image. But when she finally reached out to honcho Simon Fuller, he was very accommodating to the point that he let her out of the 19E management contract and promised to set her up with someone new. “He let me out and that never happens … Simon Fuller is an incredible man.” Of course working with RCA head Clive Davis was another story…. (Howard Stern)
- Kelly’s ex-husband pushed her to do the daytime talk show. Also she reveals that working on the first season of Idol was chaos–nobody really knew what they were doing. When the show gave her money for clothes, she pocketed it! She also says in so many words that the investment of American Idol management in their contestants is why so many have succeeded. (Conan O’Brien)
- Couples therapy did not help Kelly and Brandon. Kelly shares that while solo therapy helped her work through emotions, during couples counseling with her ex, she knew deep in her heart the marriage was not going to work. Kelly finally came to the conclusion “I can’t fix this,” adding that there was “no amount of hope” that could mend the relationship. (People, Apple podcast)
- Kelly stayed in her marriage because of ‘Ego’: She didn’t want her kids to go through what she did as the child of divorced parents. (Today, We Can Do Hard Things podcast)
- Kelly texted her ex about the album – “We did have a little text exchange about it,” she said. “I don’t even remember why or how it happened, but I was like, ‘Hey, I didn’t just diminish us down to one (thing).’ You know what I’m saying? It’s all in there, the ride. The beauty is in there, as well. Now, there’s a lot of pain, but that’s what happens, for all of us.” (Today, Video) Kelly also admits there are songs she didn’t release because she didn’t want to harm her children. Some details of the relationship she will take to her “grave.” (Video)
- Scooter Braun was angry with Kelly. After Taylor Swift split from Big Machine Records without ownership of her masters, Kelly suggested to her on Twitter that she re-record her albums. And Taylor did exactly that, devaluing her old catalog in the process. Scooter Braun, who owned BMR at the time, reached out to Kelly’s manager. He felt that Kelly attacked him in public, but she swears she didn’t know anything about his feud with Taylor. (People, Sirius XM with Andy Cohen)
- She had a plan for the Belasco performances, but the writers strike changed things – “Plans changed, because you have the writers’ strike, so a lot of our promo that we had in place, obviously, we couldn’t do — a lot of our big things. So, we’re pivoting. We’re releasing things from the Belasco, because of the lack of availability to promote how we normally would. (Variety)
- On the Rolling Stone report that her staff was unhappy – “I definitely was blindsided. But I think the important thing is, we get into this mindset of canceling everything or everyone. And that’s not unhealthy because it’s like, “OK then …” Because what you’re saying is every time somebody says something, then it’s just over. And that’s not how you work on things. You have to progress. You have to go, “Oh man, well, maybe we can do better at this. Obviously, we might have missed the mark here, so what can we do better?” (The Hollywood Reporter)
