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.
