Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Great singer, great music, great album
Disadvantages:	Some weaker songs, not original

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Simon Cowell was asked on the most recent series of American Idol who had the best singing talent, America or England. There have so far been 8 series of American Idol and I believe 3 series of X-Factor and a few other shows before that. If you look at the talent that we have apparently produce, Shayne Ward & Leona Lewis, yes they are good singers and the latter did brilliantly but how many of you even remember the last winner's name. However Simon chose America and for a very good reason, there have been 8 series and over 15 people I can think of from the top of my head have released an album and sold well around the world.

I'm getting ahead of myself here, the review isn't about X Factor or American Idol, it is about the first ever winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson.

Who is Kelly Clarkson?

Kelly Clarkson is an 20 something year old American singer, who shot to fame in the first season of American Idol 8 years ago. Since then she has released 3 albums, all which have shot to success and have shown just what a brilliant artist Kelly is. I'm doing a review on her second and best album. Enjoy.

The Album

Here's a list of all of the tracks and my opinions on them

Track 1- Breakaway

This is the first track on the album, it's a good mix of pop and rock, and her voice really shines through in this song. This track I have just found out, is co-written by Avril Lavinge and you can sort of here that in the lyrics. It's different from other tracks on the album. Kelly carries it off perfectly. The track starts off quite slow, and is like a ballad almost, but it still manages to be not just a poppy song, it's got quite a rock feel to it, which Kelly was trying to do with this album.

This was the first single from the album, it's not the best on the album by any means but it's still a very powerful track with some amazing vocals. It's very catchy as well, you will always find yourself singing along to it. A fantastic track and well worth checking out, some amazing lyrics as well so well done to both Kelly & Avril.

Memorable Lyrics: "I'll spread my wings, I'll learn how to fly, and I'll do what it takes, till I touch the sky, make a wish, take a chance, make a change and Break Away"

Rating: 8/10 (A very good strong track, a great opener for this fantastic album)

Track 2- Since U Been Gone

The song starts off with a very strong bass beat and shows you it's going to be a good song, but doesn't really prepare you. You only really see what you might get from the song when it get's to the bridge. It starts off as a lightish pop song, but the chorus makes it that much darker. The song is about breaking up with someone and realising that breaking up was the best thing to ever happen.

This was a great hit for Kelly, very dark and very well sung. Very powerful vocals from her, especially in the chorus. The lyrics are very powerful and you find yourself being able to releate to them. A very powerful and decent song from Kelly Clarkson, not her best on the album, but a great pop rock song, which is loved by many fans over the world. The use of instruments focuses a lot in this song, it's mainly what you usually see behind pop rock singers, a great up-tempo use of guitars/drums and of course the bass.

Memorable Lyrics: "But since you've been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so movin' on
Yeah yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get
I get what I want
Since you've been gone"

Track 3- Behind These Hazel Eyes

One of the best songs on the album, seriously a fantastic song. The lyrics are dark and Kelly delivers them with such conviction and emotion that it really makes it probably the best song on the album. The production of the song is amazing, it starts off quite powerful and then it's just Kelly, drums and a guitar and then the chorus kicks in an it becomes a very rock dark song.

Another track which is written by Avril Lavinge, however this one you don't notice is as much. It's slow but at the same time, very rocky and very in tune with the rest of the album. The track is about letting a man or woman into your life, but in the end they hurt you, despite this however your not going to let them have the satisfaction of knowing they hurt you. A very chilling and well produced track and a brilliant addition to the album.

I would recommend this track, it's one of Kelly's best tracks on the album, the vocals are very strong which is what you come to expect from Kelly. Well done to Avril Lavinge as well, I have only recently found out she wrote some of the tracks on the album, but listening to them closer you can here her kind of style.

Memorable Lyrics: "Seems like just yesterday
You were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight
Everything, it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong
Now I can't breathe
No, I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on"

Rating: 9/10 (A brilliant and strong track over played on the radio a bit too much. A good video as well)

Track 4- Because Of You

The strongest track on the album. This is the first ballad and it works so well. This is one of the tracks which was written by Kelly when she was younger and it is beyond doubt the best track on the album. This track is a lot slower compared to the first 3 on the album; however it fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. There is one thing I've always struggled with on this track; I have to admit I did go searching on Wikipedia (shock I know) but this track has always said to me domestic abuse. The lyrics and the video showed this however, no one else in any other reviews on this track, has ever said this. On Wikepedia however a quote by Kelly Clarkson put it into perspective and it really makes sense now.

The song is about the cycle of families. It's about Kelly dealing with the fact that her parents went through a messy divorce when she was younger. In the video Kelly and her husband I assume are arguing and he goes to smash a picture, before this happens she freezes time and looks around and sees her younger self. This is where the song becomes quite emotional, because Kelly delves into her past a lot here, she shows us that her life and her parents weren't always so shiny and even throwing objects at each other. Kelly watches all this, and then ends the freeze and embraces her husband and daughter.

This track is very slow, and the vocals that Kelly uses on this track are just amazing, she really shows off the vocal range that we all know her for. I would automatically jump onto youtube and check this track out if you've never heard it, beautiful and meaningful.

Memorable Lyrics: "Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid
I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with"

Rating: 10/10 (Such a brilliant and beautiful track, really poignant lyrics)

Track 5- Gone

Not only is this a brilliant track, it really fits my style of music that I love. This is a lot more upbeat and rockier than the previous tracks, however still fits into the flow of the album brilliantly. The lyrics are amazing and powerfully sung by Kelly, however she doesn't sound as real as she does on the previous track, her voice seems to have some sort of distorter on it, it's very echoey and ruins the song slightly, however not too much.

This track is one of the best to sing along to, not the best on the album by far, it doesn't sound as real as other tracks and her vocals are not up to par as other's, but it's such an upbeat track and really get's you singing along and back into the upbeat feel of the album after the previous ballad.

Memorable Lyrics: "Sometimes shattered
Never open
Nothing matters
When you're broken
That was me whenever I was with you
Always ending
Always over
Back and forth, up and down like a rollercoaster
I am breaking
That habit
Today"

Rating: 8/10 (A very good track, however her vocals are brilliant, but not as good as on other tracks)

Track 6- Addicted

Another slow but still rocky ballad. A lot like Because Of You, but a bit more rockier and it goes with the style of the album a lot more. It's about having someone whose always on your mind and you can't get rid of them. It's a slower track, but still it works so well. Kelly's vocals on this track are amazing, the track does have a certain Evanescence feel to it, especially in this chorus, however this is of course a given, when I found out that Ben Moody who was in Evanescence for a while.

I can see why people love this track, however I've always found it to be quite unmemorable. It's a great song when you listen to it, however you'll struggle to remember it, unlike other tracks on the album. It's seems to have everything, her vocals are very powerful as are the lyrics, it just doesn't get under your skin like other tracks which is ironic as this is what the track is about. A nice track, but nothing special.

Memorable Lyrics:

Rating: 6/10 (A brilliant track but doesn't have the same qualities as the other tracks on the album, not too memorable)

Track 7- Where is Your Heart

Another slow track and so much better than the previous one. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while, and this track I knew the lyrics just from a few bars, and that to me, shows a memorable song. It's not only a slow song, it's quite a soft song. It's very soft throughout, but that doesn't mean that Kelly doesn't show us her brilliant voice. The track itself is about knowing where you stand in a relationship and asking where does his/her heart lie really as she doesn't really feel it's all directed to her.

This is one of the best ballads on the album, so powerful but not too overpowering at the same time. They make good use of the instruments on this song. They use a lot, but don't make them too overpowering for the song or for Kelly's voice. The drums in the chorus are a great addition, they make the song have a very strong beat and it goes so well with Kelly's voice and really makes it worth listening to.

A very powerful and strong song. Well worth checking out.

Memorable Lyrics: "It's like you're a drug
It's like you're a demon I can't face down
It's like I'm stuck
It's like I'm running from you all the time
And I know I let you have all the power
It's like the only company I seek is misery all around
It's like you're a leech
Sucking the life from me
It's like I can't breathe
Without you inside of me
And I know I let you have all the power
And I realize I'm never gonna quit you over time"

Rating: 9/10 (A brilliant, powerful but still at the same time slow track)

Track 8- Walk Away

Another memorable song. The video always sticks with me. It starts off with people waking up and the radio is announcing that Kelly's new hit single is going to play, and then it cuts to Kelly and she begins to sing, then throughout the song the camera pans to different people singing along to the song. Not a brilliant video, but very memorable all the same and it makes this song even better.

Kelly shy's away from the slow songs and the tempo goes up and she produces a very cool song. You'll find yourself tapping your foot along with the song, to me this song is a grower. What I mean by that is that if you don't like it the first time you hear it, you'll find yourself singing it and then will go back for me and realise, that it's a great song, Kelly's voice is very strong, it's a lot different to her other material, the only track you can compare it to is Since U've Been Gone, but this is a lot more upbeat.

Kelly has produced a magnificent track here, it's very addictive and you will find yourself loving it, however there is one gripe. There is a bit in the middle where she goes into an almost rap kind of thing, the similarity to Pink hit's you and the rest of the song, I kept on saying to myself, this is too familiar to Pink, it's nothing really unique which is why the low rate.

Memorable Lyrics: "You've got your mother and your brother
Every other undercover
Tellin' you what to say (say)
You think I'm stupid
But the truth is
That it's cupid, baby
Lovin' you has made me this way
So before you point your finger
Get your hands off of my trigger
Oh yeah
You need to know this situation's getting old
And now the more you talk
The less I can take, oh"

Rating: 6/10 (A great song, but in no way original, a very strong resemblance to Pink in this track)

Track 9- You Found Me

One of the weaker tracks on the album, the tempo slows but is no way as slow as Where is your heart or Because of you. It stills has a great rocky beat to it, but like Addicted it's got everything, her vocals are powerful as are the lyrics, however it just doesn't seem to stick in your mind. Which is a great shame as the lyrics are amazing, but she doesn't deliver with this song as she does on other tracks. I believe this is probably the weakest on the album, it doesn't really have much going for it other than the fact that her voice is amazing as are the lyrics.

The album I've always loved as it's not too rocky, as I don't believe it would suit her voice like Pink is able to carry off, however there aren't too many pop songs. There's a great mixture, however this song is just too poppy. This track to me is what I called a skipper, you'll listen to the first few bars and you'll go straight onto track 10 like I am going to.

Memorable Lyrics: "You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me
You found me"

Rating: 5/10 (Weakest track on the album, not brilliant, nothing memorable at all about it)

Track 10- I Hate Myself For Losing You

This track to start with I thought was going to be brilliant, it isn't memorable as I don't even remember hearing it before, but it had a great mixture of pop and rock in it. However, being a Pink and Avril Lavinge fan I could not help but compare, and this song is almost a copy of both of them. It was too familiar and nothing unique, but the fact that it's a brilliant track can't be taken away from her, it's got some great lyrics and her vocals are brilliant however it is just a bit too familiar.

The track itself is about not realising what you have until it's gone, which seems to be quite a common theme at the moment, it's very powerfully sung by Kelly but doesn't seem to have any uniqueness that some of her other tracks.

Memorable Lyrics: "I woke up today
Woke up wide awake
In an empty bed
Staring at an empty room
I have myself to blame
For the state I'm in today
And now dying
Doesn't seem so cruel
And oh, I don't know what to say
And I don't know anyway
Anymore"

Rating: 6/10 (Too familiar, a lot like some Pink & Avril tracks. Just no real uniqueness to this track)

Track 11- Hear Me

I hadn't remembered this track from before, but it's stunning. The vocals, the lyrics and the arrangement of the song is just brilliant. She starts off soft and then the chorus get's loud, she's never too overpowered by the instruments and then goes low again. This is a very well produced track, with some amazing vocals from Miss Kelly Clarkson.

This track is a great addition to the album and shows what Kelly is all about. The lyrics are about someone who thinks they are happy being themselves but realise that truthfully they need someone and they're really calling out for someone. Amazing piece of rock music and yes I will call it that. It's not a pop track, it's very deep and full of great instrumental pieces.

Just a very strong track and a great start up for the last song. Well worth checking out.

Memorable Lyrics: "I used to be scared of
Letting someone in
But it gets so lonely
Being on my own
No one to talk to
And no one to hold me
I'm not always strong
Oh, I need you here
Are you listening?"

Rating: 9/10 (A beautiful and strong track, one of the rockiest one's on the album and very unique)

Track 12- Beautiful Disaster

This track is just amazing, so powerful and so well arranged that it's one of the stand out tracks on the album. It's just Kelly and the piano and it's a re-arrangment from Kelly's first album and it's so powerfully sung that you really find yourself sitting down and taking notice. It's a shame this was at the end as it should have come after Because Of You In my opinion, but what a way to go out with a bang. Not as good as Because of You but such a beautiful track.

When she get's into the song, her vocal range really shines as does the control over her voice. The emotion she conveys through her voice is just magnificent and really makes this track what it is. Not only are her vocals brilliant here the lyrics are beautiful.

The original version was very rocky and this version is done live and it's just Kelly and a piano and it really shows what Kelly's all about, how strong her voice really is and how strong the lyrics on this album really are.

Memorable Lyrics: "His magic and myth
As strong as what I believe
A tragedy with
More damage than a soul should see
And do I try to change him
So hard not to blame him
Hold on tight, hold on tight"

Rating: 10/10 (Another very strong song, so beautiful)

My Opinion

2 or 3 years ago I loved this album, no doubt about it I would have given it 5 stars, however now listening to it, I'm not so sure. There are too many gripes that I have with the album. She's a very strong singer, but I like artists who not only sing well but write their own music, this to me just adds to the emotion of the album. I think the only one she even co-wrote was Because Of You and I know it's the best on the album, but it made some of the weaker tracks, which could have been more emotional if they came from Kelly's heart less emotional.

This is not a problem thought and you can't really take too much away from her talents. She was the first ever American Idol and probably the best selling and most talented American Idol. This is not her first or last album; however this is her best album so far. Her first try was good, a contrived effort as best which was way too poppy and didn't have any emotion, then this album came out. It had everything that Thankful didn't have and everything that My December her most recent effort didn't have. It's full of emotion, the lyrics could have been better if written by her in my opinion, but still she shows us what she does best. Rock/Pop songs with a great amount of vocal range and control which makes you listen to each word.

The album itself is a big mix of songs, it starts off with a very pop but still at the same time not going too poppy song. It's a great up-tempo song which is a great start to this album. The next few songs are brilliant, leading up to Because of You which is amazingly strong, the slow songs are where she does it best though. This is where she is able to show off her vocal range and control over her voice, not a lot of singers especially female singers have this control that Kelly does.

The album may have a few weak links but these weak links aren't too bad, the only reason I call them weak links is because of the familiarity you have when listening to them, a lot sound like they have been taken off a Pink or Avril Lavinge album and changed around, but this is not a bad thing. For Kelly maybe, as it's not really original and unique work, but for us, it's just more great tracks to listen to. I think there's one track I don't really enjoy and I tend to skip which for me is a shocker as I'm the type to skip through anything.

Like I said at the start Kelly originated from American Idol which might scare a few of you off if you've not ever seen American Idol. It's nothing like X Factor, there's actual talent there and they do put through the ones that can sing and don't obviously rig the vote because no one of course would vote for that loser to win, the winners in all 8 seasons have been worthy, they have all gone on to sell million dollar records and a lot of them have broken quite a few records themselves including Best selling Rock Album ever, Fastest selling Country album ever. This success all started with Kelly and despite the fact that I myself didn't enjoy her latest album, she's still a fantastic singer, no doubt about it.

Despite on some songs, me saying that there are some comparisons, Kelly's voice is very unique. It's just the way she uses it sometimes, shows you that she's either worked with Avril too much or picked up too many bad habits. Her voice has a very sombre tone to it and works really well with most of the lyrics and instruments used on the album.

I think everyone I know, well every girl I know has this album in their collection. Whether they listen to it or not is a different thing. When it first came out, everyone fell in love with this awesome singer who sung some brilliant songs which had them singing along. Since U've Been Gone became a very popular track at school as did Walk Away. This shows that different people have different opinions. For me this album's tracks are outshone by the slower numbers on the track, but that is my opinion, however in most of the places I have looked a lot of the people prefer her singing more upbeat tracks which don't use her control and vocal range as much which is a shame.

Kelly Clarkson & Her Voice

Like I've said previously, the reason why this album is worth buying is because of her amazing voice. A little fact here for you, Simon Cowell was not a fan of Kelly, right up until the live shows, he had to eat his hat though and has always had it rubbed in his face and rightly so. Kelly is very talented, her style of music is brilliant and her voice just adds to the picture. This is what she got known for and this is what she'll be remembered for.

The Lyrics

I always thought that Kelly wrote her own lyrics, and to find that she either didn't write them or only co-wrote them was a disappointment. I'm a big fan of singer/songwriters and it's what music I love the most, as I believe it has more emotion from the lead singer if the lyrics are their own and not just that they are singing someone else's lyrics.

However this cannot take away the lyricists on the album, with the likes of Ben Moody & Avril Lavinge lending a hand, the lyrics on this album are just brilliant. Some very powerful songs, which do mean a lot to a lot of people. They are all meaningful, upbeat or sad. This is a great addition to the album, even if she didn't write them herself.

Originality

Some of the tracks are amazing, very unique and very Kelly Clarkson, however others are almost complete copy's of Pink's songs or Avril songs which does make the album less appealing. However if your not reviewing the album like I am, you'll forget about this, I assure you. You'll just think its' a brilliant album and well worth the money you pay for it.

Should You Buy The Album?

Despite not being as original as I would liked, the album is pretty good. Her vocals are brilliant as are the lyrics and the songs themselves. The album is well produced and well put together and is really an enjoyable album to listen to. I believe you can get the album pretty cheap off amazon.co.uk and play.com, or even itunes if you wish. It's a brilliant album, one that I think most people will enjoy, and one that I think a lot of people will have in their homes already.

© Kirsty

Hoped this review helped, I love all your rates/reads/comments, especially the latter. Any constructive criticism would be great as well so I can get better and edit it a little for higher rates.

Thank you for reading, this work is solely my own, no one else's.