Kelly Clarkson’s professionalism is unmatched.
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During the most recent episode of NBC’s The Voice, the “Since U Been Gone” singer provided valuable advice to contestants that were hesitant to step outside their comfort zone.
Knockout Rounds have officially arrived on Season 23, and the competition is heating up. Before team Niall’s Ross Clayton and Jerome Godwin III went head to head, Niall Horan said whoever “sells” their song the best will move forward to Playoffs. Godwin covered Lewis Capaldi’s smash hit “Someone You Love,” which was a risky decision for the high-energy performer.
“Everything I’ve done so far is up-tempo,” shared the vocalist. “So I just want to give something different.”
Meanwhile, Clayton delivered a chilling rendition of “Dirty Work” by Steely Dan. The performance served as a tribute to his late father, who passed away when he was only 12 years old. He told the judges that his father would play Dan’s album, Can’t Buy A Thrill on repeat.
Country music legend Reba McEntire stepped in as a “Mega Mentor” and was impressed by Clayton’s unique sound and captivating stage presence.
“A great stylist. If you hear Ross on the radio, you’ll know immediately that’s him,” said the icon. “If I was a record executive, that’s what I would look for.”
Horan ultimately picked Clayton to move forward to the next round. He believes that the newcomer has a “tone that cuts through.” On the other hand, Godwin’s act had multiple “pitchy sections” and lacked emotion. Clarkson believed he had a “wall up.”
Although the Alabama native won’t be walking away with the grand title, Clarkson advised him to channel his feelings during a live performance moving forward.
“Sometimes, I feel a song so much that I have to go dead inside,” said the platinum-selling artist. “Cause I don’t want to bawl.”
Clarkson is far from a surface-level songwriter, as she is known for her razor-sharp lyrics and storytelling soul. Come June 23, the hitmaker will release her vulnerable album titled, Chemistry. The forthcoming project will reveal details surrounding her public divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
During an Instagram live, Clarkson confessed that the record was refreshing and healthy to write.
“It was a very personal record,” she admitted. “It was very good for me to be able to experience the whole relationship on this album because to dimmish something to just bad would be a disservice. I was very worried about it because I didn’t know if I’d want to talk about it all the time, ’cause I don’t enjoy that. I think that it’s very important to still be the same artist I’ve been my whole career, which is very open and honest.”
The highly anticipated album will include singles “Mine” and “Me,” which was co-written by “abcdefu” singer Gayle. The project will also include a track titled “I hate love,” featuring actor Steve Martin.
Chemistry Track List:
Side A
- skip this part
- mine
- high road
- me
- down to you
- chemistry
- favorite kind of high
Side B
- magic
- lighthouse
- rock hudson
- my mistake
- red flag collector
- i hate love (feat. Steve Martin)
- that’s right (feat. Sheila E.)
Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal
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