From the moment she won American Idol in 2002 up until the release of electropop opus Piece by Piece in 2015, Clarkson was contractually chained to Sony’s RCA and Simon Fuller’s 19 – producing some of the decade’s best pop anthems, but not without, as she herself has recalled, sobbing down the phone to her mother about the ugly underbelly of the music industry.
Now signed to Atlantic, this is the juncture at which she takes a breath, spreads her wings and reveals the true extent of her artistic prowess. This first album of her new chapter is a remarkable ride.
In many ways, Meaning of Life is a big change of pace for Clarkson: there are no euphoric power-pop choruses of the same ilk as Since U Been Gone or My Life Would Suck Without You; no fizzy nuggets like Heartbeat Song.
But make no mistake; this is still, crucially (and mercifully), a pop album.
The difference this time is that she’s never before sounded like she’s having this much fun. Honestly, she’s in her absolute element here; whether it’s ending Whole Lotta Woman with that infectious cackle, or the sheer confidence she exudes on Love So Soft and Heat, she’s flawlessly showcasing the exact same likeable, sassy personality that helped her shoot to fame in the first place.
And that voice is still to die for. It’s not just the sheer power of the instrument, it’s the way she emotes with it; and the millions of people who blubbed at that now-famous performance on Idol’s “final” season (see video below) won’t be disappointed by the defiant balladry on I Don’t Think About You or the immensely rousing Move You.
It’s hard to know what to compare this record to, and for some reason the best way to sum up Meaning of Life in that regard is to call it a peppier, more playful alternative to Adele’s 25. And indeed, much like the British hitmaker, Clarkson has matured in the public eye without succumbing to the pitfalls of fame or the sorts of mistakes that lead to a shortened shelf-life. She’s just been quietly getting on with it, and the art has never been better as a result.
Her so-called “imperial phase” may have come with the Breakaway era over a decade ago, but if ever there was a time for Clarkson to start commanding the kind of global credit she deserves, this is it. Meaning of Life may not spawn a single as all-conquering as her previous hits (although the viral popularity of Piece by Piece in 2016 certainly proved she can still top a chart) – but as a complete album, it might just be her best yet.
And given the standard of her past discography, that’s really saying something.
Meaning of Life by Kelly Clarkson is out now.