By Dianne Austin


Sometimes I judge things too soon.

I think Kelly Clarkson has the best female pop voice today, but I thought she might have sold out on what she decided to do with her new album Breakaway (RCA, 19 Entertainment Productions). Before it came out I heard snippets of a couple of her songs, and it sounded like that “bubble-gum for hip hop today” sound I hear on the top 40 stations. I couldn’t believe it. But then I listened again, and I got it completely.

Kelly took some risks with this one. She didn’t stick with her original style—she got a little “edgy” for Kelly, meaning she tried new ways to go with her voice. There’s only a couple of misses, in my opinion—the rest are right on the money. She changes it up—adjusts her voice to sound less full-throated and comes across younger and more raw on a couple of tracks.

My major criticism of Kelly’s album has to do with the lyrics of many of the songs. Ironically, she did not follow through with her title theme--the idea that the young woman from the small town and uncomplicated life wants to break out, travel somewhere exciting and begin her adult life. If she had gone with this theme, it would have been a positive message for the youth of today.

Instead the songs are filled with angst, disempowerment of women and self-criticism. In Addicted the metaphors used to describe an emotional attachment are heavy with references to a dependence on drugs. I Hate Myself For Losing You contains self-loathing and despair. It’s a little scary when a young woman asks the question “What do you do when you look in the mirror and staring at you is why he’s not here?’

But I should remember, I’m not twenty anymore, and to tell you the truth, I thought today about what it feels like to be twenty while I listened to her CD, and I can honestly say, I was then able to relate. This came about especially when I was listening to my seventeen year old daughter say “Please don’t talk” because she loves the lyrics for all these new songs. The trouble is, I’m a mom, and I have to worry about what the role model is saying to my kid.

I adore “Because of You”. Kelly sings it with such passion and pain. It makes me believe she suffered at some point in her life because of an older guy who did not treat her very well. This is a fabulous song. Do I want my daughter to hear what it has to say? No. Am I being overprotective? Maybe, but I feel that there is way too much angst and female self- deprecation here--something too many young women exhibit when they’ve been spurned by first boyfriends.

Yet, those feelings are somehow put on hold when you listen to “Where is Your Heart”. The words here are not prime examples of smiles and flowers, yet everyone can relate to them because they seem to scratch at your soul. You can be fifteen or fifty, with a first love or an ongoing one which has lost its passion—it doesn’t matter which, because the words are cross-generational. This is the true test for great song lyrics. Kelly sings this song with fervor, and although it is not the blues, the way it comes across makes one think of that genre of music.

I really like the title song, but my favorite on this album is “Walk Away”, probably because of my love for pure and simple rock and roll. The first time I heard it was while I was driving alone in my car and when it came on, I couldn’t sit still. Since then every time I hear it and I’m driving, I must dance in my seat. I’m sure other people on the road think I’m a lunatic; can’t help it.

No, Kelly doesn’t sell out on this LP, although she digresses from her usual style. After all, it’s called Breakaway, and it’s just what she is doing here. I like that she takes risks and explores with her voice and her style. She made some good choices.

Now, Clay Aiken has choices to make. As he approaches the recording of his sophomore album, his fans are screaming for “edgy” and he resists. He thinks they want him to be overly sexy, nasty, a bad boy-- something he’s not. He wants to showcase his “organic” voice, be true to himself, stay away from angst, and keep with positive, family-oriented material.

I think that he can still hold on to those elements and his integrity and yet “Breakaway” just a little. Edgy does not have to mean abrasive or bizarre. For Clay it can mean trying other genres of music: rock, blues, jazz. He could sing about a subject he’s never broached before. Whatever he decides, I know he can pull it off, because he is an unbelievably talented vocalist who is ambitious about what he wants to accomplish. If he takes this advice and just one of the songs comes across, it could even mean, dare I say it--(shhh) airplay!

Some advice at this point in the game for Clay and Kelly is this: take a lesson from each other.

Kelly Clarkson made some nice moves with this new album, and Clay will only stand to gain if he takes a good look at what was done with it.

However, when it’s time for her to go on tour, Kelly should sit down at her computer, download several tour videos of Clay’s, and watch closely. Because when it comes to live, onstage and a rapport with the audience, Clay Aiken’s got the market covered.


Editor: Michelle Arce