Kelly Clarkson will always be the world’s greatest American
Idol. Not only because she was the first, but also because she
navigated an unproven career path, years before all the
spotlight-hogging Jennifers and Davids crassly manipulated it. Plus,
she totally rocks. Clarkson’s follow-up to 2007’s unfairly maligned
My December makes things right with her record company (execs
were pissed about the last album’s dark and too-personal tone),
preserving much of the spunk that made 2004’s Breakaway —
and its breakthrough single, “Since U Been Gone” — such a blast.
All I Ever Wanted is sugar-coated pop with enough crunch to keep
everyone (Top 40 fans, hipsters, Idol junkies) happy. And it
kicks off with a double dose of classic Clarkson: “My Life Would Suck
Without You” and “I Do Not Hook Up,” which juggle the 26-year-old’s
dichotomy of being an independent woman with a needy streak. The
ballads go over the top, but that’s expected from any Idol alum.
The difference is that Clarkson is truly a great singer — check
out her worn-in rasp on “Don’t Let Me Stop You” — with integrity
to match. — Michael Gallucci
This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2009.
