Celebrating 20 years since her big, season one win on American Idol, Kelly Clarkson is ready to open up to fans like never before with the release of an album surrounding her heartbreaking divorce with ex, Brandon Blackstock.
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Clarkson has revealed the album has been two years in the making and will release in 2023.
“It’s coming out next year. And this is an important album,” she told Variety in a recent interview. “I’m working on this in therapy: I have a hard time vocalizing what I’m feeling sometimes, so music is helpful for me. It’s just been really healing. I recorded the record quite some time ago.”
The album will be the 40-year-olds first non-holiday, major studio release in more than five years. Her last big studio project was Meaning of Life, which released in 2017.
“I hadn’t really been working hardcore on an album until I needed to,” she shared. “I was just very busy. There were so many jobs, and I’m a single mom — well, even with being married, it’s a lot, trying to fit kids’ schedules in and all that stuff. But then the whole divorce thing happened, and I needed to write it.”
She continued, “And then I didn’t know if I was going to release it, because you can be very angry in that state of mind. So some of the songs, they definitely cover the gamut of emotions; there’s everything on the album. It’s almost like the arc of a relationship, because the beginning is so beautiful and so sweet, and then it evolves. And sometimes it doesn’t evolve how you want.”
Kelly plans to take the new music on the road, and while it’s taking her and her team lots of coordination to make it work — she promises fans it’s going to happen.
“I know there are other guys and girls out there that have been through this kind of breakup who are going to need to scream at the top of their lungs — you can come and join me,” she said.
In addition to new music, Kelly is readying to premiere season four of her talk show on September 12. Fans can expect exciting new moments with special guests including Garth Brooks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton, and many more!
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