Like every other American Idol fan, I was eagerly awaiting the release of last year’s winner Kelly Clarkson’s debut CD. I was anxious to find out if the American Idol could survive on her own merit, or if she was doomed to fade in the shadow of the extremely popular show. Truthfully, after listening to the album I am still not sure. The first two singles, “A Moment Like This” and “Before Your Love,” along with “Thankful” and “Some Kind Of Miracle,” are true testaments of the young song bird’s raw talent. The soft ballads and strong vocals somewhat remind me of Mariah Carey’s “Vision Of Love” days.
Now, a pop star Diva’s album would not be complete without at least one female anthem. Who better to take advice on being a woman than the Diva of Dirtiness herself, Christina Aguilera, who co-wrote Kelly’s third and current hit single, “Miss Independent” (Surprise! Surprise!).
The album’s second anthem, and my personal favorite is “You Thought Wrong,” featuring, fellow idol finalist Tamyra Gray.
However, that special moment that comes when you are listening to an album and you can almost feel what the artist feels, never happened. I still do not know Kelly Clarkson. The girl can definitely sing, and there are some great songs, but I would expect nothing less from big name writers such as Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Diane Warren, and Executive Producer Clive Davis.
Realistically speaking, we will not know for sure if Kelly has what it takes to be a star until she is finished riding the wave of American Idol frenzy, and she releases a strong second album. All and all this was a pretty good first try, and I give it three stars.