Kelly Clarkson releases an entire album of revenge songs

Had been thinking about what great revenge songs have been coming out lately. Like Flowers by Miley Cyrus, “I can send myself flowers… I can love me better than you can.” Or Vigilante Sh*t by Taylor Swift, “I don’t start sh*t but I can tell you how it ends, don’t get sad, get even.”

Or what about Billie Eilish’ Watch, “I’ll sit and watch your car burn…” and the ultimate revenge of them all, “I just killed my ex, I still love him though…” from SZA’s Kill Bill.

Then what do you know? I came across an entire album of revenge songs — Chemistry, the 10th studio album by Kelly Clarkson — and it is simply fantastic.

Not that Clarkson has not done this before. Her big hit, Since U Been Gone, is a good revenge tune. “Since you been gone/ I can breathe for the first time.” But not in such an epic way as she does in Chemistry.

From the lovely opening ballad, Skip This Part, “Can I skip this part where I fall to pieces…” down to the rocking Mine, “Someone’s gonna show you how one’s heart can be used like you did mine…” and down through all 14 tracks, Clarkson runs across the gamut of dialogue that the jilted wish they are able to say.

That this is so is understandable. Clarkson was going through divorce proceedings with her husband of seven years, producer and talent manager Brandon Blackstock, while working on Chemistry. You can bet that she deeply felt every song she recorded.

I Hate Love where comedian Steve Martin, who is also a great musician, plays the banjo, provides the clincher, “I hate love and ‘The Notebook’ lied/ ‘It’s Complicated is more like what happens/ so you can keep Gosling and I’ll take Steve Martin/ I hate love and all its shine/ not all that glitters is golden/ and sometimes love can leave you behind.”

Recriminations and the like, not withstanding, Chemistry is an excellent album where Clarkson explores rock, country, power ballads and all those other offshoots of pop music. And her singing is just incredible, a full-bodied soprano who can growl or cajole through a whole vocal range with ease.

It is sad that she had to go through that divorce. But I say that American Idol really got it right on its first time out. The reality talent show and its viewers picked out the 19-year-old Clarkson for its first winner. It has now been over 20 years since and Clarkson remains the winner who just keeps on proving that she is every inch an idol.

As a singer, she just keeps turning out hit after hit, some of which she wrote herself. A Moment Like This, Before Your Love, Miss Independent, Because of You, Breakaway, Since U Been Gone, Walk Away, Behind These Hazel Eyes, My Life Would Suck without You, Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), etc.

Clarkson also has this wonderful Christmas album, Wrapped in Red. It includes the beautiful single Underneath The Tree, which I am glad to say, we will soon be able to listen to at the right volume.

July even for Yuletide obsessed Pinoys is still considered too early for Christmas music. So, I play them soft. But not anymore in the next few months. I say you should keep Clarkson’s Christmas album in mind when the right time comes.

By the way, Clarkson is now also a successful award-winning talk show host. Her The Kelly Clarkson Show is great fun to watch and it always seems like she genuinely enjoys the interviews.

She is also a successful book author. She has released two books for children, River Rose and the Magical Lullaby and River Rose and the Magical Christmas, both of which come with a new song by Clarkson, of course.

Clarkson fans need not worry, she is doing very well. Besides as she sings in High Road, she promises to be stronger.

“…and now I’m older/I’ve learned some lessons/ to become stronger you have to listen/ keep it open/don’t try to hide it/ and if you need love/ don’t try to fight it…”