Kelly Clarkson

This album has it all, big anthemic radio-friendly smashes, Dark, emotional and personal ballads and more catchy hooks than you can ever wish for! I was already a fan of Kelly Clarkson and was anticipating the release of Breakaway months in advance and even I couldn't have imagined anything this good. It's most definately one of those albums you can leave on and not skip any tracks and still find yourself singing along to every single track.
1. Breakaway - The opener, co-written by Avril Lavigne is anthemic and to be honest better live when the crowd sing it back but still a nice easy opener if a little decieving. Personally my least favorite on the album. 7/10
2. Since U Been Gone - Does this need any explanation? really? If Breakaway is the perfect pop/rock album, Since U Been Gone is the perfect pop/rock song. 10/10
3. Behind These Hazel Eyes - One of my personal favorites on the album. Dark, angry, emotional but still radio-friendly. Very melodic and killer bridges topped of with stellar vocals to rival Christina/Mariah etc. 10/10
4. Because Of You - The first ballad on the album, the lyrics are unbelievable when you think she was only 16 when she wrote this. The strings really make this song for me twinned with again outstanding vocals. 9/10
5. Gone - Very upbeat, used as the opener on the Addicted Tour and it really gets the crowd going. Very strong vocals throughout with a driving beat. 8/10
6. Addicted - A firm favorite among fans. "Haunting" sound and lyrics, powerful vocals and great control make this a standout track, if that's possible on this album! 8/10
7. Where Is Your Heart - Things really slow down here, soft vocals and piano that build up into powerhouse ballad. 8/10
8. Walk Away - Sassy, sexy, slinky single material, which was proven. The guitar riff sets the tone for the verses and kelly's voice takes over in the chorus. 9/10
9. You Found Me - A really uplifting, chilled out song once again kelly delivers with the vocals. 8/10
10. I Hate Myself For Losing You - Not a song about an ex...a song about family. Very emotional and brutally honest lyrics show how talented Clarkson really is. The emotion she conveys both with the lyrics and voice is astonishing. A sense of urgency prevails this monster of a song. 9/10
11. Hear Me - Another one of my personal favorites. Probably the most "Rock" song on the album driven by the heavy guitar riff in the chorus. For me the middle 8 sets this song apart. 10/10
12. Beautiful Disaster (Live) - A Live acoustic piano version of the song from her first album Thankful. She performed it on tour and said she loved the song and version so much she wanted it on her second album also and it's not hard to see why after hearing this beautiful version. Basically a stripped version of the before "dusty rock" song. Really makes you notice the lyrics and the emotion and control is her voice is conveyed so perfectly. 9/10

I would reccomend this album for anyone who's a music fan in generl, weather it be pop, rock, R&B, Soul, anything! You only hear albums like this once every so often and very rarely with an artist of such promise and modesty.

Kelly Clarkson is a phenomenal chanteuse; one can know that by hearing her sing a line or two. I got my first dose of her from when she was apart of the American Idol squad. Soon after I heard her sing, I picked up her debut album, "Thankful." "Thankful" was a good album, but I was looking forward to the growth I thought that I would hear on her sophomore album. The trouble with that is, "Thankful" was a pop album with a few rock influences; "Breakaway" is 100 percent rock and roll and I was not pleased with that. Music listeners can't truly hear the splendor within Clarkson's voice when it is being backed by so many loud instruments like guitar and drum. Songs like the wonderful "A Moment Like This" and "The Trouble With Love Is" really help you to appreciate her remarkable vocal instrument and those songs are found on her debut. With "Breakaway", there is "Where Is Your Heart?", "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", the title track and "I Hate Myself For Losing You", the rock and roll sounds drown out Clarkson much more than they should. Lyrically, I was not impressed with anything on this album. The lyrics were decent, but none of the subject matter is memorable. Even her delivery is just okay. I know what she is capable of doing vocally, but, unfortunately, she did match her potential on this album.

This is a three-star album but I wouldn't recommend it because the only thing that makes it distinctive is the fact that she tries her hand at another style of music. I support Kelly Clarkson, but I cannot get into this album, but it does not look like she will be doing pop music anytime soon so I will just continue to enjoy "Thankful."

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Breakaway"
2. "Beautiful Disaster"
3. "You Found Me"
4. "Because of You"
5. "Since U Been Gone"

This was awesome!! the CD came almost in mint condition. Thank you for such great service!!

THIS IS THE BEST CD I HAVE HEARD FROM KELLY CLARKSON SO FAR. I HAVE FOLLOWED HER CAREER FROM THE TIME SHE WAS ON AMERICAN IDOL.
GREAT VOICE.
I SEE AN EVEN GREATER CAREER AHEAD OF HER.
GO KELLY GO...........

This is Kelly's best album. It's so personal and emotional. Every song is a hit. Standout tracks include Breakaway, Since you've been gone, addicted and the best song on the album is Beautiful Disaster. This album ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have been a kelly clarkson fan since the first season of american idol and now its almost 2009 and she still got it! I got this CD a couple days after it came out and listened to it as soon as i got it i knew it was a big step from breakaway, which was also a good cd, this cd is a must have and there is not bad song on here but my favorite is sober it just has the best beat and i like how its slow in the beginning and then gets fast i like songs like that! You need to get this if you don't already have it! Trust me it's worth it!

I'm in my early 30s and am not much of a mainstream pop music person generally. I find it canned and cliche for the most part. I love Kelly Clarkson's music, though. I'd been thinking of buying this CD for a while and am very glad I finally did. It has been in heavy rotation for about a month and I'm pretty impressed. Some of the criticisms I'd read about it being a little heavier and a little darker were actually things I thought I would like and that proved to be true. Lots of loss and betrayal and longing and grappling, which is what I'm up to these days in my personal life. So many of the emotions and lyrics on this CD resonate with me on a very specific and personal level. Some might say the whole CD is an expansion of "Beautiful Disaster," which is a tremendously powerful and bitter sweet song, very emotional and walking the line where pleasure meets pain. Kelly Clarkson is a passionate singer with tremendous talent. This CD is not exactly a walk in the park on a sunny day, but it comes across authentic to me as far as being a little deeper and brooding and capturing a lot of struggle and difficult emotions. There are only two songs on this CD I don't like. "Yeah" just seems like a mess. It could be sexy but somehow it just doesn't come together quite right. Maybe it'll grow on me. It just kind of seems like fluff in my opinion. I don't like "One Minute" either. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the CD and just seems kind of random to me. It reminds me of that Madonna song "Ray of Light" for some reason soundwise. Those songs keep this from being a five star CD, in my opinion, though other songs certainly make up for them. I don't like "How I Feel" as much as some others. It reminds me of Pat Benatar's voice and music. That's not a bad thing. I think Pat Benetar is incredible. The song is just a little too pop singleish for me, though I can't argue with her jaded sentiments. I could take or leave the hidden track "Chivas," as well. Stand out favorites for me are "Sober," "Maybe," "Be Still," and "Irvine." "Maybe" is my favorite. It is very emotional and the words connect with a lot of my own feelings right now. It seems really honest, passionate, and vulnerable. It is like a cry from the soul of desperate hope. That sounds like a snip of bad adolescent poetry, but I said it. The song really does seem like that. "Judas" is closely linked with some of my feelings, as is "Don't Waste My Time." All that mixed up emotional stuff around, "You hurt me so much but I still love and want you and don't know what to do with all these feelings" stuff. "Be Still" is very radio friendly, I think, and kind of tender and seductive and relaxing. The song kind of seduces you and sucks you in and is the only tranquil and happy song on the CD. It doesn't fit well for that reason but it really is pretty and would be a good"making love' song, I think. "Sober" was the first song to get my attention. Deep lyrics with sincere emotion. I don't know if Kelly Clarkson has actually had a substance abuse issue, but she sings the song like someone who really knows what that struggle can be like. "Irvine" seems very personal and I appreciate the honest and spiritual aspects of the song, though it is melancholy. Moments such as that song, as well as "Haunted," make me think Amy Lee. I make that comparison favorably. I love Amy Lee. I love "Never Again" in that Alanis Morisette "You Oughta Know" angry kind of way. I saw her perform it on American Idol and thought two things. One was, "Wow, that girl can sing." The other was, "Wow, that girl is angry." I didn't watch American Idol the first season and didn't pay much attention to Kelly Clarkson until "Break Away" came out. I still play that CD quite a bit and think it is extremely good. On both of these CDs, Kelly Clarkson's vocal ability is very well showcased, as is her ability to show raw emotion and still sing well. She is just one of those people who could sing almost anything, I think. She possesses tremendous talent as a vocalist and I respect that a lot. She always seems to be saying, "I'm kind of a mess" on this CD, and there was some of that on "Break Away," such as with "Because of You." Kelly Clarkson just seems more serious and cynical than your average teeny bopper pop star. She's a little more troubled, I think, and willing to express some hard feelings and experiences. That is very real. I appreciate the authenticity and believe her to have substance as well as talent. This is a CD very much worth owning.

"My December" is Kelly's best album to-date. Her albums just keep getting better and better and I think they will just keep getting better as the years go. She will definitely be around for years and years to come, and we can surely expect great things from her. Not that we expect anything less.

It is great that Kelly decided to stick up for herself and make the kind of record that she wanted to make, the kind of record that is her. Every song on this record was written by Kelly and that just shows how incredibly talented she really is. It is a huge relief that Kelly's album was finally released because with all the fuss over it, it seemed that the album would not be out at all.

I bought this album the day it came out and I have listened to it non-stop and I never get tired of it. The songs on this album are very emotional, and show a much more mature rock side of Kelly. There is a lot of power, edge, and rawness in the songs, and some of the lyrics have that haunting quality to them as well. A lot of people will be able to relate to her songs.

Kelly's songs and lyrics are very inspiring in my opinion as they have inspired me to write some great lyrics of my own.

Kelly's songs get you hooked and when you listen to them you feel like you are listening to something personal, like this album was made just for you. It's that way with "Breakaway" and it's that way with "My December" too.

If you haven't listened to this album yet, then you must have been living under a rock. So get out there and give it a listen. And once you do, you'll want to get your hands on it yourself.

This is my first serious exposure to Kelly's music. I've heard her hits on the radio, and liked most of them, but I was never drawn to her enough to buy a CD until an unusual string of events led me to this one. I'm glad, because what I heard from the previous albums didn't come close to this. We all know she has a good voice - that's why she is where she is today - but it's what she can do with it that counts. For one thing, she's the first singer I've heard in a long time to actually ROCK in the classic rock tradition, like Pat Benatar and Ann Wilson of Heart. At the same time, her musicians, on the "harder" tracks, are doing modern (as in Linkin Park), sometimes grunge-like rock, with some decorative sounds thrown in by production, and Kelly's voice fits it like a glove. Examples: "Never Again", "One Minute", "Hole" and "How I Feel". Of course, there's more on this CD than hard rock, but even the ballad "Sober" is more like a power ballad than a pop ballad. Her lyrics show a strength associated with rock icons. In some songs, she lets her hurt show but also confronts and accuses the cad that is hurting her. Compare this to Pat's "Stop Using Sex As a Weapon", Heart's "Barracuda", and "You Oughta Know" by Alanis. For a complete change of pace, in "Be Still" Kelly is gentle and assuring, fair and reasonable. The soft music reflects this quiet confidence. Then there's "Maybe", which begins quietly with "I'm strong, but I break...", but develops into another song of hope and power. "Yeah" is a very interesting track in which she uses both high-pitched urgings and softer whispers to make her lover see things her way. Same for "Can I Have a Kiss". These 2 songs have something else in common: both stress the details of physicality, touching, kissing. The final track "Irvine" showcases Kelly's voice in a very intimate way, a moving song very much like a folk cabaret song, with acoustic guitar and subtle production. It also has a quality of cosmic pathos, as she wearily ponders, "Are you there, are you watching me...will you stay, stay till the darkness leaves...Can you feel how cold I am, do you cry as I do?" She sounds as "Torn" as Natalie Imbruglia was. More than any other, this track shows how Kelly has matured in her writing and in her performance. It is followed by a "hidden" track, similar in style but not as spiritual (not even close!). Taken as a whole, this CD is a rainbow of artistic statement, and I'm happy to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Kelly Clarkson has arrived!"

At one point until last week, Amazon had over 350 reviews listed with a 4 star average. What happened? The album is great. Original, edgy, different from the vanilla junk that's out there today. The only thing that stopped sales on this album from being outstanding was the inexplicable refusal by the label to help promote the album.

After listening to the Leona Lewis cd, I decided to give Kelly's debut another listen so that I could compare the two singers. The two main differences regarding the two are that we, Americans haven't gotten to know Leona in the same way that American Idol allowed us to get to know Kelly. And second, I personally felt that "something" when I listen to Kelly's cd - I feel her soul & belief in her songs (even the cheesy ballads) while I felt nothing while listening to Leona's disc.

The songs on this disc are a mix of rock, pop & r&b which was a good way to display her vocal ability and appeal to as many fans of American Idol as possible. My favorite tracks to this day are:

WHAT'S UP LONELY - good contemporary pop 'n' r&b track

JUST MISSED THE TRAIN - beautiful lyrics matched with her vocals, this is a really pretty track

MISS INDEPENDENT - this is still a great catchy pop track

YOU THOUGHT WRONG - excellent duet with Tamyra (wish they'd work on another track together soon)

THANKFUL - I love the simplicity of this song, she doesn't oversing it

SOME KIND OF MIRACLE - I love the choral arrangement of this soulful ballad

The other songs I like are: THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE, LOW & A MOMENT LIKE THIS - all really showcase her vocal ability but I guess I'd heard them so much that I'm kind of burnt out on listening to them repeatedly.

I'd recommend this disc to any fan just to compare how far Kelly has come as an artist.

Kelly is one of the singers that will likely be around for the long-haul. She's truly gifted, and able to adapt her voice to the music that she is presenting. Her main weakness is that she is singing a lot of music that other people are writing. I want to see her develop her writing gifts.

Kelly Clarkson is a great artist! I don't know why she doesn't like this album or MISS INDEPENDENT that song and this whole cd is great. I actually don't like her newer stuff i don't think that it is as great as her first!!

One good song: The trouble with love. And I already had it on the Love Actually soundtrack. Kind of a waste. I should have listened to the puking sounds my son makes every time Kelly Clarkson is mentioned. But that one good song is so good I hoped she had some others. Good voice, lots of talent. Rotten material. Aretha Franklin didn't get where she is by choosing bad songs. I guess that's the difference.

Although not ast good as Breakaway or My December, this is still a decent album.



The Great:

You Thought Wrong

Miss Independent

Just Missed the Train

Beautiful Disaster

A Moment Like This

Before Your Love



The Good:

Low

What's Up Lonely

Thankful



Doesn't Hurt, Doesn't Help:

Anytime



The Filler:

The Trouble With Love Is, but it's still not terrible

Some Kind of Miracle, but it's still not terrible



Overall, check out Breakaway and My December first, but also look into this one, because it definetely is a solid debut.

This was one of the first Kelly Clarkson made after her American Idol victory! A powerful voice in a little lady!

I've heard the live versions a very long time ago and THANK YOU AMAZON for finally putting it up for sale! Miss Independent from AOL sessions live is absolutely incredible and by far the very best she's ever done it before. I was so excited to see it after searching here and everywhere else for these live versions. Also, Hear Me on AOL Sessions is also done well... what would be very very cool is if they offered the entire album from AOL cuz I would sooooo buy it!
Kelly rocks and Breakaway was one of her best albums that I listen to every single day......

This CD is an example of a real rarity these days... that being a CD that has more than one or two good songs, and this is one that grows on you and gets better every time you hear it. In fact my personal opinion is that the first 10 songs on disc one are worthy of calling this a crossover rock, pop, and even punk album. Not since Heart and Benetar was around has there been such a talent that could do this (IMHO). The girls got pipes! and traverses from sensual to searing with amazing ease.
This definitely outshines her "Thankful" CD by light years! Missy K would do well to use the same producers, songsmiths, and musicians on her next project, as this was surely a winning team.
Don't do like others have and go too easy listening soft now Kelly, keep knocking out some those kicking songs...

Kelly Clarkson is an amazing singer. Her vocals continue to stun many people worldwide. Her driven passion, hard work and talent continue to blow the minds of people. Kelly is truly a star and is pretty hard to top. Kelly Clarkson truly has talent!

This IMPORT CD contains not only "Breakaway" but a Limited Edition Enhanced CD with 6 Live/Tracks and Remixes and 3 Music Videos and redone photography. This CD really is one of the best Pop CD's out there! The new photography that replaces the old photography is just icing on the cake! Kelly sounds amazing in all of the live tracks and remixes! This is the CD/IMPORT to buy! I reccomend it to everyone {especially if you love pop music and/or are a die hard fan of Kelly!} Rock on KC!

This album is simply the best! It showcases the great depth, range, and versatility of Kelly's voice within a very diverse menu of songs!! She is a shining star with a velvet voice. Kerry Underwood may eventually out-sell Kelly in total record sales and she is a wonderful talent as well, but Kelly is the bomb! Kerry should probably stick with country, where as Kelly can sing virtually every form of music out there! I'd love to see her record an R&B album and sing it live on tour!

To get to the point:

This Taurus had no say, in how these words, the music or the lyrics were formed with these songs (AMLT; a GEM of a ballad and BYL; cute) are pop perfection. The emotion She happens to put into Her songs is simply amazing. She's also cute, and I "miss" her nose ring, if She no longer wears it, and would appreciate the deny or the affirmation that She is still sporting it! =P

Anyway,

Cover Art: B
Inside Art: ? (Don't own, know the singles by <3)
Songwriting: A- (A++ --> AMLT), (B- --> BYL)
Vocals: B
Production: B
Overall: A

4.625 = 4.63

4.63 stars.

I'm not a huge fan of Kelly but these are two of the songs that I do enjoy by her. These songs are both well-written pop ballads and her voice is wonderful.

Come on....my dog can write better lyrics then this. I wouldn't pay for this single if my life counted on it. These 2 songs are so dumb, my ears bleed if I have to listen to them.

The over-enthusiastic use of pitch correction software and full-on compression makes her sound like a robot. Can she actually sing? You'll never know from listening to these songs. I suppose if you don't know anything about music or recording it might be passably pleasant. Look for Ms. Clarkson to make frequent excuses for poor live performances where an ATR-1 can't be slipped into her vocal signal chain.

The subject says it all. However, I suggest that you, the customer, buy Kelly's full-length CD, "Thankful", with these two songs at the end, as opposed to this lousy single.

First three times I heard this, I was like, "It's OK. Think I like it; it's angry, bit angrier than the anger-lite Breakaway stuff before, guitar-driven, yet something was wrong; it wasn't very musical. Sure, the "ding, ding, ding's" in the background were very awesome, some tinkering WAS going on. But it wasn't very...connected, for lack of a better word.

But after 10 or so listens, it grew on me. Then I got the album and it was great. Now, I'd rate it at a solid 8.5/10, meaning it's good, but I also agree with others about the other tracks on the album: Most are just better.

Never Again is like this, categorized: Judas < Chivas < Never Again < One Minute < How I Feel < Yeah < Irvine << Don't Waste Your Time < Can I Have A Kiss? < Be Still << Hole << Maybe < Sober

Cover Art: B-
Inside Art: ? (have the album, not the single)
Songwriting: B
Vocals: B
Vocal Emotion: B-
Production: B
Length: A-

4.25 stars.

Overall: B-

this lame release gives us the LP version and the Dave Aude edit. I don't understand WHY the record company couldn't have just put the full length Dave Aude mix and the full length Jason Nevins mix on this CD single.

Kelly Clarkson returned this year with the darker sound of "Never Again", a song full of anger and hate. Vocally she has never sounded better. While I prefer Kelly singing pop instead of rock, it is still a listenable song that takes Kelly in a deeper direction than we are use to hearing her sing. I think it's better than "Walk Away" or "Since U Been Gone" (both I thought were highly overrated). Overall a nice and welcome return from Kelly Clarkson. I reccomend this if you like Kelly Clarkson but are looking for a different sound from her.

I'm glad I went with my gut and bought this album instead of listening to the gossip about the Record Label saying the album wasn't good enough. You cannot listen to this album and not realize what a legend in the making we have going here. I admire that Miss Clarkson held on to her integrity and went with her own true artistry instead of doing those pop manufactured pop songs so many artists are willing to sell out for.
You will not be disappointed. Check out the beautiful and sometimes heartwrenching ballads. She shines is "Sober," "Irvine" and "Be Still." "Don't Waste Your Time" and "Judas" would be great for radio. My favorite so far is "Maybe." Going back to listen again!

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of American Idol. However, the last couple of times I have seen Kelly Clarkson perform I have become a fan of her. This new album is surprising to me because it is very raw and electric sounding. I didn't think she had it in her. My favorite songs are the first "Never Again", I blast it in my apartment all the time(sorry neighbors) and the last song "Irvine", this song is very haunting and it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. This is a great cd to listen to if you have ever been dumped. I know that she had to fight with Clive Davis to get this album out. I am really glad she did.

Cover Art: C+ (Cute Meh)
Inside Art: ?
Songwriting: A-
Production: A-
Since U Been Gone - 5.25 stars.
Miss Independent - 4.5 stars.
Since U Been Gone (remix) - 4.5 stars.
Since U Been Gone (video) - 5 stars.

4.81 stars.

She NEVER really does cease to amaze Me. Here's hoping that 2008/2009 brings Her best album YET. It will be tough beating the soulfully-tinged Thankful though!

Overall: A

I paid almost full price for this CD and it had only 2 songs....DON'T BE FOOLED. SPEND YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE.

kelly clarkson is our favorite singer and she never lets us down, this cd is great.

What a bunch of irratating noise this song is. The loud guitars and angry yelling wouldn't sound out of place on the latest Avril Lavigne CD. But that's how it goes in 2006. Musical talent has become extremely rare in this day and age. Nobody does anything that requires any musical talent what so ever. In order to have a hit, you have to "rock out" and "kick @ss" just like Avril Lavigne. Crank the volume up to 10, scream the lyrics, smash your guitar, and ROCK OUT!!! Music that sounds like music is "cheesy" and "manufactured". In order to be a hit, it must ROCK OUT! So keep screaming Kelly. Make the worst noise you possibly can, because that's what sells these days. ROCK ON!!!

there is something about Kelly Clarkson that makes me always take notice when she sings. she doesn't sound Novelty at all&has truly distance herself from American Idol. I like Her voice&this song is pretty Good&catchy. it's the kind of song that wouldn't be out of place from the Pat Benatar catelog at all.it works for Kelly. I like How She uses her voice.

I have the American version of the cd and the aussie single of "Since U Been Gone" which includes the bonus tracks and they are fantastic! This album proves that Kelly can "Breakaway" from anything and go beyond then she ever expected! Ms. Clarkson welcome back!