After conquering the world of pop music, Kelly Clarkson veered in a different direction with 2007's My December. Now, Kelly & that big voice that made her the inaugural American Idol have returned with her fourth album. All I Ever Wanted takes into consideration Clarkson's rock & country influences as of late to create a pop album that is more polished than ever. There was no denying Kelly's comeback with the #1 single "My Life Would Suck Without You." Never fear though: the hits don't stop there!After the wonderfully catchy lead single is "I Do Not Hook Up," another addictive gem. Kelly belts out like only she can on the ballad "Cry," while the uptempo perfection continues with "Don't Let Me Stop You." Title track "All I Ever Wanted," compared to its surrounding material, is a grower, but sounds like it would be great live.
Ryan Tedder, the man behind Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" & Beyonce's "Halo," works his magic on "Already Gone;" he & Kelly are an excellent match. Ms. Clarkson brings out her sexier side on "If I Can't Have You," yet another perfect song. The next two tracks, the calm "Save You" & the wild "Whyyawannabringmedown," complement eachother very well.
Katy Perry co-wrote "Longshot," one of my favorite songs on the album. Although the influence can be detected, Kelly is much better than Katy could ever wish to be. "Impossible," another Ryan Tedder original, follows & is lyrically intriguing. One of Clarkson's early demo leaks, "Ready," can be heard here in finished form. The track crosses genre lines & proves that Kelly can successfully release her own material as long as the proper production team is behind it.
All I Ever Wanted closes off with the funky "I Want You" & the gorgeous "If No One Will Listen." However, if you get the deluxe edition, the fun has only just begun! It baffles me how fun, enjoyable "Tip Of My Tongue" didn't make the final tracklisting of the standard edition. If that decision wasn't bad enough, the 100% singleworthy "The Day We Fell Apart" tops off the album with a bang!
Not much beats the feeling of having a Kelly Clarkson album live up to your expectations. In fact, the ridiculously talented artist offers up this time around a well-rounded pop effort that just brings it! All I Ever Wanted doesn't fall flat once & will definitely not leave you disappointed.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
1 comment:
I am glad to see that Kelly's reviews are back up to par. While i loved her last album, it didn't rate as highly with a lot of people. Everyone seems to be back on the same page.
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