I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’d recently gotten into the music of Kelly Clarkson. Well, I ended up digging up enough material on her to turn out a fairly exhaustive profile for The New Ledger of her formula for success and place in the culture (consider it a counterbalance to all the Bob Dylan content on the site). I’ve always had a soft spot for people who made a career path where one didn’t exist before, and Clarkson isn’t quite like anybody else in the music business. I also came to the conclusion that she is, with the exception of Justin Timberlake, probably the naturally funniest person in the music business.
6 thoughts on “Democracy’s Pop Star”
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Oh no, Crank, not Kelly Clarkson?!
What’s next-the Captain and Tennille?
Wait. Is there something wrong with the Captain and Tennille?
Salmon – You wound me, sir.
BTW, not entirely on topic here, but the whole Perez Hilton-Will.I.Am fracas yesterday was one of the funniest celebrity-idiot stories I can remember, and succeeded in making both of them look like utter fools. (Among other things, Will.I.Am clearly doesn’t have a lawyer with the sense to tell him not to post a video on the internet justifying an alleged assault). I loved the fact that Perez gets punched in the face and gets GLAAD denouncing him for the word he used to provoke it.
Anyway, Clarkson and John Mayer, of all people, get the day’s awards for some of the best kicking-Perez-when-he’s down smack. (You had to go to Mayer’s Twitter feed to get the full effect). See here, which has a roundup of celebrity commentary, and here, which has Clarkson’s second interview on the topic.
Yes American Idol has many problems but Kelly Clarkson is a great singer with a wonderful voice and she has carves out a very nice career while,it appears, maintaining a level head.
I mainly listen to heavy metal, but I find Kelly Clarkson to be outstanding when she’s in rocker mode. She may have the best voice in the business today.
I don’t understand why people diss american idol. Compare Clarkson to someone like Britney Spears, who was basically packaged and created by the music industry and foisted on us. Clarkson had to beat out tens of thousands of competitors just to get on the show, then she had to be the best singer among 12 finalists and be the best, week in and week out. American Idol may be sponsored by the corporate music industry, but it produces talent much better than the standard way they find stars.