Kelly Clarkson Don't Take No Clive
Not that we took Kelly for a liar, but reports about in-house battles with Clive Davis and BMG about the direction of her forthcoming record My December seemed tough to swallow. (Kelly and Clive duking it out over her decision to shun producers and write her own tunes? C'mon.) Turns out, that's exactly how it went down. In a bungalow! Via Entertainment Weekly:
EW: For months after you delivered this record there was no word as to when, or whether, it was coming out. Did you have any contact with Clive Davis?KELLY CLARKSON:I found out he was in L.A. I called him and was like, ''Why are we talking through people, dude? Let's just meet.'' He was like, ''I agree.'' So I went to his bungalow where he stays here and we had a nice talk for a couple hours. I was like, ''You don't like the music; that's cool. You don't have to love it.'' There's no hard feelings. And that's why I don't like [our differences] to get out in public. I don't want to be the Joan of Arc of the music industry.
EW: But he didn't toss your work in the trash, right?
KELLY CLARKSON: Hell, he still could. That's the beauty of my life.From what we've heard, Clive shouldn't worry. "Never Again" is no "Breakaway" hit, and it's no "Since You Been Gone," but it is a ballsy rocker from America's favorite Idol. The record's out June 26th, and it'll be interesting to see how it sells. Predict a massive fall-off in sales? She may not have the writing chops of past collaborators Max Martin and Dr. Luke, but she does have Mike Watt and that oughta help her nab that coveted subset of diva-loving Minutemen/Stooges fans.EW: Are you worried about how your fans will respond to the darker material?
KELLY CLARKSON: That was one of the label's things; they were like, ''It's just too negative.'' I'm like, ''Well, I'm sorry I've inconvenienced you with my life.''
Posted at 12:47 PM
Tags: Clive Davis | Kelly Clarkson
I wonder how all the stereo-snobs are going to take this. On the one hand, she's a pop princess of sorts. On the other hand, she's trying to write her own material and dictate her own career--very indie. I'm guessing she'll still get blasted.
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The first american idol is the only american idol worth talking about. They got it right the first time, and that was the only time.
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I don't know....its not like she won American Idol with her songwriting skills and artistic integrity. If she actually has songwriting chops, then more power to her to prove it...but she should definitely expect some pushback since she's only being paid for her face and her voice.
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I love how she just dials up Clive Davis and calls him dude.
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Diminishing returns.
She'll do another album. It'll bomb.
Then she'll be forced to do an album or two of covers to satisfy contracts. Probably be a Jeff Buckley song in there to massacre. Those will bomb.
Then she'll buy some new tits and pose in Playboy.
Then she'll do Vegas baby, Branson, and every county fair across the midwest.
In 10 or 15 years, after pumping out some puppies, she'll come back as a country/pop artist.
You just watch.
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I take it you're a feminist, Tony G?
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History IS on Tonys' side on this one..
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Wow, she's just like Marvin Gaye fighting Berry Gordy to make 'What's Going On.' This is historic. I guess it's safe to assume that this album is as powerful and important as that one was, right? Right?
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It isn't snobbery. There are bands that hammer through decades trying to be noticed, writing and recording on a shoestring. And yet I'm supposed to feel upset that a label boss has issues with Clarkson who, essentially, is part of our collective consciousness because she won a game show.
She has a good voice and she's pretty, but the songs I've heard from her have all the creative risk of someone interviewing high school kids with the statement, "school sucks, don't it?" Even the new ones, the ones Clive reportedly hates, still meander through the "I love you so much / I hate you so much / You hurt me so much / and You wish you still had me so much" minefield. Fine for a debut album from a young singer thrust into the spotlight, but she's not young anymore. Three major label releases makes you a veteran, and still there is zero creative growth.
So if this sounds like snobbery, I apologize. Clarkson is better than a lot of navel-gazing indie poppers, but that's not saying a whole lot. At least those guys are eking it out on their own. Their mistakes are their own. Clarkson's been handed a golden gift of a career, but all that's truly been done with it is so much going through the motions.
By the way, the new Silverchair disc is awesome.
DwD
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I kind of love Kelly Clarkson.
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Dw Dunphy,
Points for the ironic Silverchair reference. It's probably worth pointing out that four (five) other individuals have been giving this same silver platter opportunity and have not been able to capitalize on it the way that Kelly has. Part of it is because she was first, but not all of it.
Like any song stylist, it's silly to attack or praise her for songwriting abilities. It's not what she's there for. She has a strong voice, and makes good song choices (her or her handlers). At the same time, win, lose, or draw, I give her credit for trying to assert some of herself in her music. Whether it's sincere or a personal PR maneuver, it's not what the label's scriptwriters planned, so big up on her.
I also want 'Well, I'm sorry I've inconvenienced you with my life.'' written somewhere in my funeral program.
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i think, tony g., that you have actually just described britney spears, not kelly clarkson. just watch.
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Steve,
Of all the Idols, Kelly has done the most with her Wonka ticket. But all we've seen in the past decade are pop princesses following in the footsteps of luminaries like Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. While Tony G. is being a little rough around the reference, there is a definite trajectory to be reckoned with, and the crash point mostly winds up at topless.
I'm not asking Clarkson to be an earth shattering singer/songwriter. She's not Neko Case. But she tries to reconcile instant superstardom and musical credibility in the oddest ways, as if the 'cred' dialog bolsters the reality that she just made her third debut. It doesn't. But I'd be happy enough if, in between her big-shot CDs, she put out a couple of lo-fi mp3s really striving to work at songcraft.
I know, I know. It's a silly wish that I would like to see an Idol break out of this plastic flywheel and sprocket of hollow recordings, spun around on hackneyed sentiments, buzzwords, false emoting and the dread diva "workin' it". But I'd like to think that something of lasting substance and merit will come of a half decade of game show theatrics and winking at the camera.
Is that so wrong?
DwD
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Come on you guys. She has so much talent.The record labels were pushing off old and rejected material for her to do her album with. They actually sent her one of LINDSEY LOHAN's songs from her CD for her to make and put on her CD. Yall need to give her some PROPS. Sort of like a "Snap-Cup", Snaps to you KELLY. I sure as Hell will be buying your new Cd. Rock on..........
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By the way, this is not meant as a nasty rebuttal Steve. You made good points. But I've known tons of well-deserving musicians in my life who never got squat. Some continue, others quit. In the grand scheme of Simon Cowell's star machine, Clarkson is really the only one with the full potential to go farther.
I think she's wasting that shot and it just rattles me a bit.
DwD
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Has anybody considered the possibility that this whole "Clive Davis didn't want to release my album, but I fought for it!" story was simply created as a way to market the album?
It seems like a whole lot of free press to raise market awareness of the album to me...
It's not like she's recording a Yoko Ono screeching album. That lead single is about as mainstream as one can get...
Just wondering!
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"subset of diva-loving Minutemen/Stooges fans."
That would be me.
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I'm not an AI fan nor am I a big Clarkson fan. But, I'll give her some credit for standing up for what she believes in. The world is plenty big enough for gumball pop music, shoegazers, death metal, alt.country and everything in between.
I figure, if you like the music, cool. If not, cool. Choice is a beautiful thing.
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Speaking of previous AI winners, Clive Whatsisname of the NY Post just wet his pants over Fantasia's performance in The Color Purple on Broadway.
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She kinda looks as though she has downs-syndrome.
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I agree with dsven. I personally don't believe this story, but I like her anyway and I will hear her new record when it comes out. Then we'll see.
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i have to agree that i think its a pr move, also - but i do believe she is really writing the new songs....cause, well, its not that good :)
ok, actually, i just wanted to say i love silverchair.
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Full agreement twinnstar. Except about silverchair
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I've heard the album (seems pretty much everyone has now). It is very disappointing, bland, forgettable. I know she doesn't want to do mainstream music but come on! These songs could put people to sleep or just plain bore you (irvine's creepy whispering, judas' boring sound, chivas' cheesy lyrics, yeah's shouting in the chorus, AND the songs how i feel, hole, one minute). Sorry, Kelly. The critics have pretty much all said this is a bomb and indeed it is. I think RCA was right... they should scrap it and start over! Thankful and Breakaway are 10x better than this.
People who have successfully done NON-mainstream music have shown the music can be unique and not tacky. Check out Siobhan Donaghy's album Ghosts. Now that's a great CD.
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First, I am a Kelly Clarkson fan and If someone gave me a Lindsay Lohan track to cover I'd be offended. Two different calibres of talent-- one has it-- one doesn't in the singing world. Second, Kelly popped out two albums that by standards today did incredibly well. I think her trying to something new on a third album is deserved. Look at it this way-- if you are true fan of her music--you'll like it and buy it. If your someone that likes some of her songs-- it's probably not going to be an album you'll love. Either way, it's going to sell. As an artist--I'd rather be appealing to my fans than to a record label that wants cookie cutter music. Have you listened to the radio lately? It's unorginal with a few exceptions. Continue writing Kelly...at least it's orginal and you have a voice to back it up. Beside, growing creatively is about trying new things-- songwriting included.
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To Be Honest, Clarkson is such a refreshing change from the Britneys, Aguileras or Rhiannas. All their music tailors to the mainstream "right here and now" type of music and all sounds the same at any particular time. At least when you listen to Kelly Clarkson, you instantly get the idea that she's different, is beginning to have her own sense of music style. Besides, she's gotten big enough, that her career will never die out. She may not always be selling 5 million copies of her future albums, but she's won enough people over to have a solid career for the rest of her life.
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