Disco de Kelly Clarkson: “Thankful”

Kelly Clarkson's debut effort blows her competition out of the water. With a mix of R&B, Blues, Jazz, Dance, and even some Alternative, this girl is the definitive pop star, and she can be damn proud of it. She is NOT to be compared to the likes of Avril Lavigne or Britney Spears, for her voice reaches astronomical levels not normally heard from young artists in mainstream pop music. Her strong, emotional voice brings to mind a young Celine or Whitney, only with it's own distinctive qualities, and the songs on this album are all worthy of her astonishing pipes.

Highlights of this album include: "Miss Independent,"the first single; "Anytime," a Celine-worthy, emotional power-ballad; "Just Missed the Train," a guitar-driven pop song with great, meaningful lyrics; "Thankful," the title track, which brings to mind Alicia Keys; "You Thought Wrong," Kelly's collaboration with fellow American Idol Star Tamyra Gray; "Beautiful Disaster," another guitar track that is reminiscent of Sheryl Crow; and my personal favorite, "Some Kind of Miracle," a beautiful, midtempo jazzy number.

Other great songs include "The Trouble With Love Is," "Low," "What's Up Lonely," and of course, making an encore performance, her stickily sweet, yet strong, AI ballads, "Before Your Love," and "A Moment Like This."

With her debut album, Kelly Clarkson has established herself as a true artist. She has not been molded by her management, but has followed her own instincts to create the most amazing debut album in years. I am looking forward to hearing from her for many years to come.

I usually agree with Simon Cowell that the two biggest problems for the finalist on "American Idol" are that these kids have trouble selecting songs that work to their vocal strengths and that their performances are usually on a par with cruise ship entertainment. So in looking forward to "Thankful," the long awaited debut album from the Kelly Clarkson, the former cocktail waitress from Burleson, Texas who became the first American Idol, I was interested to see what series creator Simon Fuller and the rest of the producers would come up with in the way of songs. We already know the woman can sing (I did not join the bandwagon until after the controversy about Tamyra Gray being voted off at which point I watched the final three and immediately said, "I'm sorry, is there a question about which one of these three people can really sing?").

If the selection of the first single is any indication then the decision was to move Clarkson's musical career in the direction of Christina Aguilera. That would be because "Miss Independent" was started by Aguilera and producer Rhett Lawrence (the song was leftover from the "Stripped" album), and finished with Clarkson. Those who thought there would be more ballads in the wake of the record breaking single "A Moment Like This" need to remember that the show's producers had to come up with a song that could be sung by the other finalist, Justin Guarini, as well as Clarkson. Unfettered by this common denominator approach, Clarkson gets to totally let loose on this funky, up-tempo song with the mondo attitude that should appeal to her female fan base. Other producers on the album have worked with No Doubt, Jessica Simpson, and Avril Lavinge, which gives you an idea of the musical direction being mapped out here.

Clarkson co-wrote another pair of songs on her album, "You Thought Wrong" and "Thankful," both in collaboration with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and the Underdogs (Justin Timberlake). Both of the songs focus more on melody and harmony than power, especially "You Thought Wrong," which is a duet with Tamyra Gray, whose recent star turns on "Boston Public" were threatening to make people forget who won the concert (be honest: have you heard anybody on the second go round of "American Idol" sing anything as well as Tamyra did "I Will Also Love You" on the Fox school drama?). In other words, these songs not only play to Clarkson's strengths as a vocalist, they are showing some growth in that regard as well.

If I were going to predict the next two singles to come off of "Thankful" it would be "Anytime" (which she has already done live on "American Idol") and "Just Missed the Train," although I would not be surprised if the title track was thrown out there instead. "Low" is one of the better tracks as well. There are also new mixes of "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love," which should satisfy both those who picked up Clarkson's single or neglected to do so. The bottom line would be that this is a solid album and not a great album, but Kelly Clarkson is still relatively new to the big leagues. There have been too many recording artists in the last couple of decades who had great debut albums and never came close again. I would rather see somebody put together a solid foundation and build on that onward and upward. On that score we can be "Thankful" this album provides the next step up the ladder for Clarkson.

Track listings for "Thankful":

1. The Trouble With Love Is

Kelly Clarkson is alot of things. Mariah, Whitney or Toni Braxton she isnt, and thats absolutely wonderful. At a time when singers like Mariah, Whitney and Toni Braxton fail to score a hit song its refreshing to find someone who can sing, and not overdo it. We arent punished with Celine and Christina's never ending screeching. Instead we are treated to a mixed bag of potential hits, and not-so-bad filler material. Definite hits are "Miss Independent", "Beautiful Disaster" (why wasnt that the first single?), and the over the top, Whitney should be ashamed for not trying hard enough gem called "You thought wrong". Seriously. Kelly and guest vocalist Tamyra Gray wipe the floor with anything Whitney Houston has done in the last 5 years. And if youre looking for love songs,, theres a real classic called "The trouble with love". Reminds me of when Mariah sang, instead of whispering. Get this one while you can. And when Tamyra releases her album, get that one too.

Kelly Clarkson has surpassed all expectations on her debut album Thankful. For everyone who thought this was gonna be another teen-pop album filled with ballads like A Moment Like This and Before Your Love, you will be disappointed. Kelly Clarkson proves why she was chosen the American Idol and puts out a very sophisticated pop/rock/r&b album. Her voice is incredible as we all know, and she proves she can sing any type of music. Starting off the album is the stunning jazz/blues ballad The Trouble With Love Is. Next comes the funky, edgy Miss Independant, something we would not have expected from her. Low is the best song on the album. This one is more of a rock power ballad in the likes of Sheryl Crow. Her vocals are breathtaking here. Some Kind of Miracle is another beautiful ballad which showcases Kellys powerful pipes. Whats Up Lonely is smooth R&B. Just Missed the Train and Beautiful Disaster gear more towards adult comtemporary/rock ballads. She truly shines vocally on these 2 tracks. This is where she sounds the most at ease. You Thought Wrong is the powerhouse duet with Tamyra Gray. All I can say is that this song is HOT! The 2 are powerful together and each give fierce vocal performances. Thankful is a fun, mid tempo track written by Kelly, and then she ends with Anytime, a dramatic power ballad. Kellys voice is in full force on this one, hitting high notes all over the place. We are then treated to, as they say, new mixes of her 2 AI ballads, and honestly, I dont know whats so new about them. Kelly Clarkson is no one hit wonder. She is a phenomenal performer, with a diverse taste in music that will gain her praise and longevity in the music world.

I would venture to say that Kelly might even be the next Celine Dion. Her vocal ability is nothing short of amazing. For a first attempt, this album exceeds all expectations. There are undoubtedly numerous tracks on this album that could be released as singles and easily rival Billboard's top pop artists. My personal favorites are "What's Up Lonely" and "Thankful", with "Just Missed The Train" and "Miss Independent" coming in a close second. "Some Kind of Miracle" and "Anytime" are also incredible. The album effectively combines different genres of music, including rock, pop and R&B. Kelly seems to have taken a cue from Christina Aguilera, who introduced a variety of music flavors into her latest release. I'll be really excited to hear Kelly's next album, as I can see her maturing into an unrivaled talent in an industry flooded with overhyped artists with mediocre singing ability. It's refreshing to finally hear a new artist with such a raw talent.