Yes, it really has been that long since the very first “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson, was crowned at the young age of nineteen. On that night of the series finale, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest stood on stage with Clarkson and fellow frontrunner, Justin Guarini. Before announcing the winner, Simon Cowell said, “If America gets it right, they are going to make the American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson,” and they did just that. Through tears of joy, Clarkson performed “A Moment Like This”, which will be forever known as her signature performance on the show. A beautiful new mix of the song is included on Kelly’s Greatest Hits—Chapter 1.
Over the past decade, Clarkson has released five hit albums: 2003’s Thankful, 2004’s Breakaway, 2007’s My December, 2009’s All I Ever Wanted, and 2011’s Stronger. She has also received two Grammy awards and has had seven singles and three albums go multi-platinum. These seven singles, along with many more, are included on Clarkson’s first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits—Chapter 1. Kelly’s best known tracks, “Since U Been Gone” and “My Life Would Suck Without You” are the first to appear on the tracklist. Both anthems are powerful and addictive, earning their spots as the greatest hits of the greatest hits album. Straight off of Clarkson’s debut studio album Thankful is “Miss Independent,” which was probably the first of Kelly’s songs to ever become famous. The track introduced fans to Kelly’s signature pop-rock sound and her amazing soprano vocal range.
Some of Kelly’s more recent hits have also been praised, as they are included on the greatest hits album as well. “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” “Mr. Know It All,” and “Don’t You Wanna Stay” were all released within the past year, and each has shown the world that the first American Idol definitely still has it. “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a duet with country singer Jason Aldean, broke out fast and was quickly nominated for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” at the 54th Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, the song did not win the Grammy, but it did earn a place on Greatest Hits—Chapter 1. However, a song that did not snag a spot was “Dark Side,” a single that erupted on the charts this summer.
Being Clarkson’s most successful album to date, Breakaway provided the album with five songs. With “Since U Been Gone” and “Breakaway” as the favorites, it was pleasing to see that “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Because of You,” and “Walk Away” were brought back, too. Altogether, these five jams represent the epitome of Clarkson’s musical career so far. Not as popular was Clarkson’s third album, My December. The album’s only real chart topper, “Never Again,” is featured as a greatest hit as well. As for All I Ever Wanted, only two tracks from it have been added to the playlist: a song almost everyone knows the words to, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” and a tune that caused a controversy for sounding too much like Beyonce’s “Halo,” called “Already Gone.” It was surprising to not see Clarkson’s radio-friendly hit “I Do Not Hook Up.”
Also added to the tracklist on the album, are Kelly’s next two singles: “Catch My Breath” and “People Like Us”, which are being introduced for the first time. Available on November 19, 2012, Kelly’s Greatest Hits album is sure to please fans that have stayed with her since the beginning, as it will remind them just how far Kelly Clarkson has come since winning the first season of American Idol a decade ago.
