[Review] Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger is Full of Classic Clarkson Themes

My favorite Kelly Clarkson song? Breakaway. My Favorite Kelly Clarkson album? Breakaway.

Indeed, Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway album, set the course that will define her music. And now we have her fifth album Stronger. What does it offer that we haven’t heard from Ms. Clarkson?

The first track Mr, Know It All exposes us to classic Kelly Clarkson – honest, straight to the point, and aggressive. The title track What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) is as close as it gets to an anthem.

Think you left me broken down / Think that I’d come running back / Baby you don’t know me, cause you’re dead wrong. / What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger / Stand a little taller / Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone. / What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter/ Footsteps even lighter / Doesn’t mean I’m over cause you’re gone.

With a personal issue to overcome – theme, it was near Christina Aguilera’s Fighter, but while Fighter is full of angst, What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) is on a positive tune. Darkside, at first, I thought was the first lighthearted song in the album, but the chorus boomed so loud it was a sudden surprise. Honestly is a bit wailing. Frankly, it’s one of my least favorite tracks in the album. You Love Me is pop-ish and another one of those Classic Clarkson songs.

Einstein, perhaps, is an interesting song with an interesting title. The song mixes Clarkson’s woman-has-a-voice-in-any-relationship theme with an edgier and more in-your-face lyrics: I didn’t get it the first time / But don’t think I’ve been so blind / Yeah I may not be Einstein but I know dumb plus dumb equals you. I love every word of it.

Standing in Front of You is very very mellow dramatic – lyrics-wise and music-wise. I Forgive You is like her earlier song Walk Away, only this time it’s more Rock than Alternative. Hello is like an old song with a pop touch.

From here on, one can say that the album is nearing its end because it feels like majority of the best songs in the album are right in the opening tracks. You Don’t Deserve Me is another dramatic song with a sense of “firmness” in the lyrics. Let Me Down is another wailing track. I wish Ms. Clarkson will stick to her formula but of course, it will not always be that way. You Can’t Win has some sexy hooks, and Ms. Clarkson let her voice ooze with a more suggestive appeal, though not entirely. Non-upbeat songs closes the album with the ballad Breaking Your Own Heart and the soulful Why Don’t You Try.

Kelly Clarkson has co-written 6 of the tracks in Stronger – one of which is my favorite Einstein. It was always good that it is the singer that writes her own music – though majority of her input are the ones that I rank lower in terms of what I enjoyed from one to thirteen.

Just like her earlier albums, the songs in Stronger touches the same themes Kelly Clarkson have been singing all this time – woman empowerment – be it in any relationship, or in any society as a whole. Just like most of her previous songs, Clarkson is back to tell us that the women of today are more mature, more comfortable in their own skin, have their own say, and have the ability to lead. It is in these types of songs that Kelly Clarkson excels best. And these are the songs that the teenagers of today should be listening to, not Rihanna’s S&M, not Britney’s Criminal.

To sum it up, did I enjoy Stronger? Short Answer – Yes. Can it rank higher than Breakaway now?

Close to it. On the same level

Rating – 4 over 5

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