I had this album when it first came out all the way back in 2004. At the time I wasn’t particularly a Kelly Clarkson fan, preferring hip hop and RnB but somehow I ended up with this. I did like one of the songs on the album – Since U Been Gone so I listened to the album and surprisingly (for me) fell in love with it!
Who is Kelly Clarkson?
Kelly Clarkson shot to fame after winning American Idol. This was her second album, after releasing Thankful after her win. Reviewers say that this album is aptly named because she was moving away from American Idol and the general music and instead making her own mark on the music industry.
The Album
Breakaway – This is a relaxed but extremely strong opening to the album. It is a song reminiscing back to childhood and wishes and dreams. The tempo of the song is slower than a lot of songs on the album. I love this song because it works so well. The verses are sang quite quietly and effortlessly and the chorus shows off Kelly’s talents as she holds notes and ranges her voice. I really like this song, it is very catchy and one that I cant help but sing along to. Definitely one of my favourites on the album.
Favourite Lyric: “I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly, I’ll do what it takes til I touch the sky”
10/10Since U Been Gone – I think personally that this was the song that really got Kelly noticed in the UK. Prior to this, her songs were popular, especially Miss Independent but this was a massive hit, it was always on the radio and it really grabbed people’s attention. The song is fast paced and has a bit of a rock vibe to it. The lyrics refer to a break up – but not how upset she is – how relieved she is. It is such a feel good song and if I feel a bit rubbish and then hear this I feel 100% better after a little sing song – girl power!!! It has a very upbeat tempo and Kelly does an excellent job here of showing off her vocal skills. A well deserved, well known song.
Favourite Lyric: “You had your chance, you blew it, out of sight, out of mind”
10/10
Behind These Hazel Eyes – Another very popular song that was released as a single. This song slows down a little and the beginning of it is very quiet and really helps to highlight Kelly’s wonderful voice. As the song progresses it gradually picks up a more rocky beat. The lyrics refer to a break up where she has had her heart broken and now she’s not quite sure what to do.
Favourite Lyric: “Swallow me then spit me out, for hating you I blame myself”
9/10
Because of You – A beautiful song that it touching and inspirational. This song is a classic tearjerker and has a slow pace with quiet background music so that Kelly is able to really project her raw emotion into the song and hit the listeners hard. The song talks about being badly hurt in a relationship and how now she has had to make changes to her life in order to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Favourite Lyric: “My heart cant possibly break when it wasn’t even whole to start with”
10/10
Gone – We head back to the rock vibe now with Kelly promoting herself as the strong woman rather than the heartbroken girl we have seen in the last couple of songs.
I really like this song and love the upbeat tempo, the lyrics talk about a relationship that simply isn’t working anymore.
Favourite Lyric: “Now all our memories, their haunted, we were always meant to say goodbye”
9/10
Addicted – This song begins with a very sad tone and when Kelly’s voice begins over the piano it sounds very haunting and really grabs the attention of the listener. The song picks up pace a little for the chorus but keeps the morbid tone. The lyrics are referring to her being addicted to a man but her recognising that its not healthy and that shes not herself anymore.
Favourite Lyric: “It’s like you’re a leech, sucking the life from me”
9/10
Where is your heart? – This is a slow song which follows on nicely from the previous song. The lyrics are about Kelly wanting her boyfriend to show some sort of emotion because she really doesn’t understand how he feels. Its quite a touching song and one that I’m sure many can relate to.
Favourite Lyric: “I want your heart to bleed, that’s all I’m asking for”
8/10
Walk Away – An upbeat tempo accompanies lyrics filled with attitude for this song. Kelly’s voice is accompanied by an electric guitar but it isn’t a particularly rocky song. I really like the tune of this song though and its very fun. The song is about a man not knowing whether to stay with her or leave her and his family also putting their eggs in the basket!
Favourite Lyric: “I want a man by my side, not a boy who runs and hides”
10/10
You Found Me – This is a song about how when she was in a low place and nobody else seemed to be helping, someone found her and helped. Its got a good tune to this song and I would say that this was one of the more pop like songs on the album. Its got quite a fun tempo and it’s a good one to sing along to.
Favourite Lyric: “Please don’t wake me from this high, I’ve been comfortably numb”
8/10
I hate myself for losing you – This song takes on a rock vibe and is also quite pop like at the same time. The lyrics describe how stupid she feels after losing someone she cared for because she thinks it was all her fault why he left. This song seems as though Kelly is really beating herself up about something so not a great one to listen to if you are feeling a bit down about yourself!
Favourite Lyric: “What do you do when you look in the mirror, and staring at you is why he’s not here?”
8/10
Hear Me – This song is about Kelly being desperate for someone to come back into her life and find her because she cannot carry on alone. This is a good song but for me, its probably the least memorable on the album. It is strong and has a good tune but I just feel that in comparison to the rest of the album it is ever so slightly weaker.
Favourite Lyric: “And I’m hoping my dreams, bring you close to me, are you listening?”
7/10
Beautiful Disaster (Live) – One of Kelly’s most well known songs. This is recorded live from a concert so it really helps to showcase how great Kelly is both on and off stage. The lyrics talk about Kelly being desperate to help somebody when they are struggling with life.
Favourite Lyric: “But he’s so beautiful, such a beautiful disaster”
8/10
Opinion
As I’m sure you can tell from my review I absolutely love this album and I feel as though its one of those albums that I know inside out and will forever be able to pick up and be transported straight back to when I was listening to it every day. I listened to it this morning for the first time in quite a while but I knew all the words, the lengths of pauses etc. It’s one of those albums that you will never forget.
On first listen, some may feel that the songs are quite similar with their vibe but they are all extremely individual, tackling different issues and also sounding very different. It’s one of those albums that you can just listen to all the way through. I’m a nightmare for skipping to my favourite then skipping back to something else, but this is one where honestly, I rarely skip anything because its all strong material and I enjoy it all. I have been known to skip back to Since U Been Gone a few times just to have a bit of a ‘I can conquer the world!’ moment.
The lyrics on this album all fit with the songs wonderfully and there are some wonderful lyrics which provide both emotion and humour. This album is thought provoking and relevant to the vast majority of the population.
I feel as though the whole album is really strong. As I said, if I had to pick one song that I feel is slightly weaker than the rest it would be Hear Me but this is most certainly not a weak or even middle of the road song. The album contains no fillers whatsoever and its obvious that a lot of time, effort and love went into this album to produce Kelly’s signature sound.
Summary
If you are considering this album now, it can be downloaded from Amazon for £4.49 which I think is an exceptional price for an album that is likely to provide hours upon hours of entertainment. If you’re unsure, it can be heard on Spotify for free.
The album was released in November 2004 but I don’t think it is at all dated or now irrelevant.
Total runtime of the album is 44 minutes 37 seconds.In my opinion, this is a fantastic album and definitely is one that I will return to time and time again. There are absolutely no fillers on this album and it is a fun album which highlights Kelly Clarkson’s fabulous voice very well.
Breaking Away was the best thing Kelly did! 
