Did You Know? Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” Was Originally Written for P!nk

Since you been gone / I can breathe for the first time / I’m so moving on, yeah, yeah / Thanks to you / Now I get what I want / Since you been gone, plays the powerful pop rock hit, “Since U Been Gone.”

Upon the song’s release in 2004, Kelly Clarkson had staked her claim among the pop stars of the new millennium and “Since U Been Gone” only solidified her stardom. The song was the perfect vehicle for her powerhouse bellow, and today, it’s impossible to separate the voice from the tune. However, the song was never intended for the American Idol winner. In fact, she wasn’t even the second artist in line for the song.

P!nk on the Brain

“Since U Been Gone” was written by Swedish songwriter Max Martin and American producer Lukasz Gottwald, better known as Dr. Luke. They had originally penned the tune with P!nk in mind. However, for unknown reasons, the “Who Knew” vocalist turned it down.

When asked several years later if she regretted the decision, she responded plainly. “No, because listen to Kelly Clarkson sing it. Songs find their home.”

Listen to her talk about Clarkson below.

When P!nk passed on the would-be hit, the songwriter-producer duo shopped it around to another pop icon of the early 2000s, Hilary Duff. “Since U Been Gone,” however, proved too tough for Duff who reportedly turned down the song because she was unable to hit the tune’s higher notes.

By the time “Since U Been Gone” made its way to Clarkson, she didn’t like it in its original version and requested a small, but significant change to the sound.

From Pop to Pop Rock

“The first time I heard the song I thought it was a little poppy, so I asked if we could rock the track a little,” Clarkson shared of the song upon its release. “We put some heavier guitars and harder drums on it. Now it’s explosive.”

The singer helped steer the song we know and love in the direction of what we hear today, an almighty breakup anthem with fire and grit that still resonates now. Under Clarkson’s tutelage, the song would go on to win a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and endure as one of her most classic works.

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