Kelly Clarkson: A Fallen Idol?

What a difference a year makes. In 2006 the American Idol winner had a golden night at the Grammy awards in recognition of her mega-successful pop album, Breakaway. Today Clarkson has canceled her tour, fired her management, and is in the middle of a very public battle with her record company. Rumors are flying that her new album, My December, will be pulled before its June 26^th release date. It all begs the question, what happened?

Expectations were modest for Breakaway. Clarkson's debut album, Thankful, sold well enough but received lukewarm reviews. So when Breakaway became a hit machine, tuning out one chat topping song after another, it was a genuine surprise. The biggest shock may have been Clarkson herself who had matured from a sweet Texan girl into a pop rock princess. This side of Clarkson had been hinted at on the Christina Aguilera penned "Miss Independent" but it was "Since U Been Gone" that really exploded. Even people who hated Idol found themselves singing along to the infections chorus. Themes of lost love and overcoming heartache weaved through Breakaway on songs like "Walk Away" and the ballad to bad childhood "Because of You". The dark themes showed a side of Clarkson that the public hadn't seen during her stint on Idol and they loved it.

My December promised to be even darker. Clarkson described it as "raw" and "personal" in early press releases. But RCA executive Clive Davis felt that the album was "too negative" (at least that is how Clarkson described it in an interview with Entertainment Weekly) and the label sat on the album for months while trying to convince Clarkson to let them tinker with it. In a gutsy move she declined and tried to hold on to her artistic integrity by refusing to let them change a thing.