Kelly Clarkson : NPR

'Since U Been Gone': The Crossover Pop Needed, The Anthem Rock Deserved

Kelly Clarkson performs during the KISS 108 FM Jingle Ball in Lowell, Mass. in 2004 — the year her second album, Breakaway, cemented her status as a pop superstar. Marc Andrew Deley/FilmMagic/Getty Images hide caption

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American Anthem

'Since U Been Gone': The Crossover Pop Needed, The Anthem Rock Deserved

August 30, 2018 • The Kelly Clarkson smash wasn't just a great pop song: In 2004 it was a cultural bellwether, a sign that the walls between mainstream and underground were starting to crack.

The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+ (60-41)

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Music Features

The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+ (60-41)

July 30, 2018 • This list tackles history in the making, celebrating women and non-binary musicians whose songs are redefining genres and attitudes and changing our sense of what popular music can be in this century.

NPR Music's best 100 songs of 2017. (Clockwise from upper left) Goldlink, Margo Price, IBEYI, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Tyler The Creator, Big Thief, SZA and Sharon Jones. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Best Music Of 2017

The 100 Best Songs Of 2017

December 13, 2017 • The songs of the year reflected deep needs — for safety, respect, money, self-definition, revolution — and often delivered their own form of satisfaction.

Kelly Clarkson Returns With 'Love So Soft'

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All Songs TV

Kelly Clarkson Returns With 'Love So Soft'

September 7, 2017 • Clarkson makes a bold-but-restrained return with the first single off her new album, Meaning of Life, which drops October 27.

Hear Two New Songs From 'The Hamilton Mixtape'

The Hamilton Mixtape, out Dec. 2, features covers and remixes of songs from the Grammy-winning musical. Theo Wargo/Getty Images hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Hear Two New Songs From 'The Hamilton Mixtape'

November 4, 2016 • The long-teased collection of Hamilton covers, demos and reinventions includes a remixed "My Shot," featuring The Roots and Busta Rhymes, and Kelly Clarkson's version of "It's Quiet Uptown."

Anatomy Of A Hit: Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone'

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Music News

Anatomy Of A Hit: Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone'

December 2, 2014 • What makes one song sound like another? Sometimes it's coincidence; sometimes it's plagiarism. And sometimes, it's the byproduct of deliberate craftsmanship.

Anatomy Of A Hit: Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone'

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Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

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Review

Music Reviews

Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

Fresh Air

November 15, 2013 • Whether glossy and heartfelt (Clarkson's Wrapped in Red) or earnest and playful (Lowe's Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family), these albums can help conjure a holiday mood in the month before Christmas.

Two Sides Of Holiday Cheer From Kelly Clarkson, Nick Lowe

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Ryan Tedder: A Hit-Maker With A Golden Touch

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Music Interviews

Ryan Tedder: A Hit-Maker With A Golden Touch

January 15, 2012 • As a songwriter and producer, Tedder has crafted smash singles for Adele, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and others, as well as for his own band, OneRepublic.

Ryan Tedder: A Hit-Maker With A Golden Touch

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Kelly Clarkson's new album is Stronger. Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Harper Smith/Courtesy of the artist

Music Interviews

Kelly Clarkson: A Pop Star Survives

January 7, 2012 • Clarkson has come a long way since winning the first American Idol way back in 2002, but the road hasn't always been easy.

Kelly Clarkson: A Pop Star Survives

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These Go To 11: Songs Best Heard Extra-Loud

The fictional band from This Is Spinal Tap plays a real-life concert in 1984. Nigel Tufnel, the guitarist played by Christopher Guest, favored amplifiers whose volume could be cranked up to 11. Ebet Roberts/Redferns hide caption

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All Songs Considered

These Go To 11: Songs Best Heard Extra-Loud

November 9, 2011 • In honor of Nigel Tufnel, the Spinal Tap guitarist who cranked his amps past 10, this week's show is all about the songs that sound best when played at top volume.

These Go To 11: Songs Best Heard Extra-Loud

1:01:54

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Kelly Clarkson's Vocals Keep Getting 'Stronger'

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Harper Smith

Review

Music Reviews

Kelly Clarkson's Vocals Keep Getting 'Stronger'

Fresh Air

November 3, 2011 • The former American Idol winner has just released her fifth album, Stronger. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the record doesn't contain Clarkson's strongest material, but still shows off her powerful vocal cords.

Kelly Clarkson's Vocals Keep Getting 'Stronger'

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Jennifer Lopez onstage at Mohegan Sun on Oct. 22 — unfortunately without her ex-lookalikes.

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The Record

Is It Real Or Is It Pop?

October 27, 2011 • How can we know what's real and what is staged in the distant world of the super-famous?

Marina Diamandis of Marina and The Diamonds performs live at the Reading Festival on August 27, 2010 in Reading, England. Simone Joyner/Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

Hey Ladies: Pop Stars Vs. Role Models

September 28, 2010 • Is it possible to sell a bunch of records and be an iconic female musician in 2010?

Hey Ladies: Pop Stars Vs. Role Models

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The Secret Of Dr. Luke's Success (Might Stay A Secret Forever)

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The Record

The Secret Of Dr. Luke's Success (Might Stay A Secret Forever)

September 20, 2010 • The songwriter-producer has a all-access pass to the top of the charts, but what is it that makes a Dr. Luke song is hard to pin down.

Icons, Inspirations, Women In Music — And You

MC Lyte inspired Tell Me More producer Jamila Bey to pick up the mic as MC Me. Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

Icons, Inspirations, Women In Music — And You

September 2, 2010 • MC Lyte has been an inspiration to many, many women. Who inspires you?

Setback Or Progress? Ann Powers On The New Lilith Fair

Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan at a performance in New York's Central Park earlier this summer. Jemal Countess/Getty Images hide caption

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The Sound of a Generation

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