My December - Kelly Clarkson

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Lacking inspiration
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	More Rockier Edge / Written by Herself
Disadvantages:	Unoriginal / Repetative / More than a few Poor Tracks

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Recently released, My December is Ms Clarkson’s third album release and though much anticipated has received extremely bad reviews from critics and the media, ultimately resulting in low sale tickets in America. But is the album really as bad as it seems to be?

**WHO IS KELLY CLARKSON?**

Well Kelly Clarkson was the winner of the very first Pop Idol in the USA way back in 2003 and since winning her crown released her first major album release ‘Thankful’.

**THANKFUL**

Released shortly after her glory, Thankful was ultimately a pre-recorded album written by your average ‘pop’ songwriters who must sit at their computers reeling out their constant mush. To be honest the album wasn’t a complete disaster as it suited Kelly Clarkson’s voice quite nicely, but to be honest it did nothing for her popularity and didn’t do anything new. Selling just 3 million copies worldwide did earn her the Number 1 spot in USA whilst not even charting over here in the UK.

**BREAKAWAY**

Released in 2005, Breakaway was a much more independent album for her selling 11 million copies worldwide and resulting in being the 8th best selling album of 2005.It also won a Grammy and brought instant fame for Kelly Clarkson re-issuing her as a POP?ROCK icon of the recent years. It peaked at Number 3 in the UK and also Number 3 in USA.

So ultimately due to the huge success of Breakaway, ‘My December’ was inevitably going to get huge attention and was seen as many to see whether or not Clarkson could make it big. This album was a much more personal album that her previous two as she was given rights to co-write every single song on the album, but because of disappointment by many, critics have harshly judged her writing abilities.

**COVER/INLAY**

The artistic front cover really does imply the right attitude for the album in terms of Kelly Clarkson’s further development into the harder POP/ROCK market as many of the songs are more guitars based with a rockier beat and tempo, with much more darker lyrics. It’s a great Cover and resembles the sort of artwork associated with Amy Lee and Evanescence.

The inlay presents other pictures of Kelly Clarkson with her most recent hair style amongst artistic and historic backgrounds. It really does work well. The lyrics for each song is given inside the Inlay.

**TRACK LIST**

1. Never Again
2. One Minute
3. Hole
4. Sober
5. Don’t Waste Your Time
6. Judas
7. Haunted
8. Be Still
9. Maybe
10. How I Feel
11. Yeah
12. Can I Have A Kiss
13. Irvine

With the inclusion of an extra track, My December has more tracks on it than Breakaway but fails to provide any bonus tracks or CD-Rom extras which is a little disappointing for the Kelly Clarkson fans but the diversity of each track on the album more than makes up for it.

#Never Again#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer)

Released as the first single, Never Again resembles many of the songs released from ‘Breakaway’ but adds a more rockier edge in terms of drums and vocal abilities. She really does change her voice to suit the mood of each line, emphasising particular phrases. This song does everything to show Clarkson’s ability at hitting those high notes in anger fuelled song.

Lyrically the song talks about how she has an anger towards a past love who has left her for somebody else, but she explains that despite what he has done she has left him in the past and grown into her own person. Some of the lyrics are quite amusing, full of sarcasm and wit and in my opinion is a highly well written song. It is more mainstream than any other song on the album and will appeal to many especially her teenager audience.

Never Again peaked at Number 9 in the UK and Number 8 in the USA.

'I Hope the ring You gave to her turns her finger green.'

#One Minute#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Kara DioGuardi / Chantal Kreviazuk / Michael Raine)

To be released as a single, One Minute goes into a new direction as it uses a mixture of guitar work and keyboard to produce a high tempo song that becomes quite catchy. I fail to see how this song could be released as a single because it is not as mainstream as many and although fans will love this many will simply flick over. This isn’t a bad song and perhaps is one of the stronger tracks on the album, but vocally isn’t as impressive.

Lyrically the song describes someone who changes mood quite frequently not really knowing what they want in life switching from being happy to sad, from angry to depressed and continuously thinking about the past.

'The Next minute you're slowly sinking into something black.'

#Hole#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Dwight Baker)

Impressive guitar work really lights this song up and makes it a great strong track on the album. It sounds very similar to work by Nickelback, but with a much more scarily depressing lyrics. Again Kelly Clarkson really gets into the song vocally and ranges her tune to suit individual parts of the song. I’m surprised this is not to be released as a single actually as it perhaps will appeal to many.

Lyrically she describes how she has given up on everything and feels so empty. Very much like a hole inside of her draining her of her feelings and later asking for help.

'Secrets, Eating at the core of me.'

#Sober#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Aben Eubanks / Calamity McEntire)

Already released as her second single in America, Sober is the first ballad to appear on the album. Musically, there is a nice tune playing in the background, mixing simple guitar strokes with violins and saxophones.

Her voice is quite soft compared to the rest of the songs and it works well, but to be honest it isn’t a great ballad and a fails to capture any emotion that is needed to believe what she is saying.

Lyrically it describes her efforts of getting over somebody, praising herself for not straying away from who she really is and for not giving into temptation of going back. It’s a nice song lyrically, but quite samey after a while and near the end of the song she looses some of control she has early on and her voice sounds quite adverse and wailing.

'Nothing's real, Until you let go completely.'

#Don’t Waste Your Time#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Malcolm Pardon / Dredrik Rinman)

Much similar to ‘Never Again’, Don’t Waste Your Time is a little more mainstream and includes a catchy beat that plays over and over again. Vocally, Clarkson does what is needed to have a catchy song, but to be honest its just your average song, there is nothing great about it and it follows a formulaic remedy of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, which again gives it a samey feel.

Lyrically she talks about leaving someone and telling them to leave her alone and stop trying getting her back because she wants to forget about what the relationship was about. Again this isn’t a bad song and can be considered by many to be a strong track.

'Don't waste your time trying to fix, What i want to erase.'

#Judas#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Dwight Baker)

Upon first hearing this song I was drawn in by the beat that plays through the song mixed with Clarkson’s blunt voice creating a new pattern to her usual singing style. The verse’s flow on quite nicely, but when the chorus erupts it goes back to her overused shouting at the top of voice, screaming each word out and this really lets the song down as it is drawn back to a repetitive pattern used over and over again. Its like taking two steps forward then ten steps back.

Lyrically it is quite cleaver as it describes how she stood up for someone for them only to betray her and let her down and again this isn’t poor, just not very new or strong.

'After we'd been through so much, how could you let me down?'

#Haunted#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jason Halbert / Jimmy Messer)

The problem with this song isn’t that it’s a weak song both lyrically and musically, it is in fact with the way the song plays out. When I first heard this song I knew I recognised it from somewhere else. Upon doing some investigative work I realised it sounds very similar to both an Evanescence song from ‘Fallen’ and an Avril Lavigne song from ‘Under My Skin’.

It starts off reverberating gothic gospel like beats and carries on to reflect a gothic theme. It just doesn’t sound original enough and the guitar music that appears in the chorus sounds too similar to the rest of her album.

Lyrically she talks about she is haunted by voice in her heads that metaphorically represent the questions she needs answering since somebody in her life has left her all alone.

'I can't survive unless i know you're here with me.'

#Be Still#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Aben Eubanks)

Be Still is the first real let down on the album, possibly one of the weakest songs on the album. It is the second ballad on the album and musically has a slow tempo with even softer keyboard sounds and resembles some of the rubbish on her very first album. The problem isn’t her voice as she matches the mood quite nicely with gentle smooth sounds, but lyrically it’s very boring, very unoriginal and quite unemotional.

It talks about how ‘we’ need to be still and let all of our worries go and make a new start.

'Foolish one with the smile, You don't have to be brave.'

#Maybe#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Aben Eubanks / Jimmy Messer)

Maybe provides a second consecutive let down of being a bad track on My December. It’s just a really powerless track that doesn’t grab you anywhere. Even the acoustic guitar playing in the background pushes you away from the dull lyrics. The song has no pattern and sounds quite dreary also even when the harder guitars start halfway through the song.

Lyrically it talks about how she needs to be loved by someone who understands what she is all about and needs to forget all about her faults of being stubborn. Lyrically is just doesn’t grab you.

'I'm strong, But i break, I'm stubborn.'

#How I Feel#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Dwight Baker)

How I Feel musically sounds brilliant with a bouncy feel probably due to the high energy from the guitars and drums, but vocally Clarkson lets the song down. It sounds very monotonous and like she’s trying to rush lots of lyrics out into a verse. Resulting it into a big rushed mess.

Lyrically it talks how she blames herself for being heartbroken again because she was too curious about someone. Meaning now she is loosing hope in believing that there is someone out there who is right for her.

'Heartbreak everywhere i step.'

#Yeah#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Malcolm Pardon)

Yeah has a very ‘Dallas Texas’ feel about it with his country style electric guitars and funky keyboard tunes. It sounds quite energetic but the problem that lets it down is her voice again. In the chorus she goes too high with her voice and sings in the style of an out of tune church choir. It really doesn’t suit the music playing until later on in the song when she uses quiet words.

Lyrically she talks about how she needs more from somebody so she needs him to change so she can help him help herself. The lyrics in this song too random and all over the place and seems very much like a filler song.

'Lay back, Enjoy the fall lover i won't hurt you.'

#Can I Have A Kiss#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Jimmy Messer / Dwight Baker)

Apparently this song has been taken so well it could well be a single in the future. I really hope it isn’t because even though lyrically it is quite sweet and favourable, everything else about it is too repetitive and unoriginal. Its also not very mainstream meaning it will bound to flop hugely.

Musically similar guitar beats are used and it sounds quite tiresome and again unemotional. With what she is trying to say your suppose to feel for her, but the music does nothing for the song.

Lyrically she talks about she is below somebody both in stature and in person but longs to be touched by someone higher to know what it feels like. Its quite a cute message actually.

'Don't Move, I want to remember you just like this.'

#Irvine#
(written by Kelly Clarkson / Aben Eubanks)

Everything about this song is uninspiring, droning and blank. Used as another ballad Irvine uses more acoustic guitar sounds to slowly beat away in the background and with the mix of her tame vacant voice, this song really should not be on the album. Its one of those songs that you dive to the CD Player to turn over as you really don’t wont to listen to it.

Lyrically again its quite lame as she talks about how she is alone but thinking about somebody else who is superior to her emotionally and she wants him to stay with her until she is alright again. The sound of it sounds quite nice but in its execution its utter rubbish … honestly.

'Are You there? Are You watching me?'

Overall, My December is at best an Average OK album that isn’t as original as advertised or stated, offering a random mix of good, satisfactory and inferior tracks. I can truly understand why her record label wanted to scrap this whole album and why many critics have flopped it, but to be honest it is reasonable for what it is. Many of the tracks are listenable though commonplace and many of her teenage audience will see some resemblance to themselves but it is hard to see what type of mood or feelings she is trying to evoke as lyrically many of the songs are quite different.

I only recommend this to true Kelly Clarkson Fans but not to the POP/ROCK genre’s fans. There’s much more variety and choice out there than My December and will probably disappoint many anyway. Lyrically she has done well on many songs but again i can see why critics have branded her as a porr songwriter. Some songs are far to random and don't make much sense taking 'yeah as an example'.

**ADVICE**

Other Albums by Kelly Clarkson:

Thankful
Breakaway

My December is better than:

‘I Am Me’ (Ashlee Simpson)
‘Speak’ (Lindsay Lohan)

My December is Worse than:
‘Breakaway’ (Kelly Clarkson)
‘Fefe Dobson’ (Fefe Dobson)

If You Like This You May Like:

Fefe Dobson by Fefe Dobson
Under My Skin by Avril Lavigne
Autobiography by Ashlee Simpson

Price:
(as from 08/07/2007)

Play.com: £8.85
Amazon.co.uk : £8.99
CDWow.com: £7.99

Website: www.kellyclarkson.com