In honor of the Pop-Rock queens birthday earlier this week, it only seems fitting to put together her Top 5 most beautiful and epic performances, live and in studio. Buckle your seat belts and grab some tissues, it's going to be a wild ride.
5. Because of You
You probably expected this to be No.1 right? Though it's Kelly's biggest hit WW and one of her few smash ballads, Because of You isn't her best. But that doesn't mean it's not beautiful. Though the lyrics could be viewed as cliché, the fact that the song captures Clarkson's most pure and unfiltered thoughts from when she was 15 and going through her parents divorce makes the track even more potent. She's not screaming for attention, she's wailing for things to change. It's raw and very real, making her all the more relatable.
4. I Know You Won't
Originally a Carrie Underwood track, Kelly made sure no one could come within 100 miles of touching her impeccable cover. The growls, the falsetto, the belts make her sound convincingly angry, desperate and sad all at once. With her final "You won't" at the songs closing, Kelly has convinced herself and her audience that she knows things won't change, no matter how hard she tries. It's baffling how personal she gets to the song, when she didn't pen a single word to it. That's a true artist and singer right there.
3. If No One Will Listen
Another cover, Kelly took Keri Noble's If No One Will Listen to extraordinary heights. She's never sang the song live, and has rarely acknowledged its existence, which is such a shame because her cover is nothing short of a masterpiece. Her voice quivers through exhausted breaths in the bridge, before taking the final chorus to a magisterial height. Kelly drives her passion into her audience's gut, making sure that everyone feels as devastated and protective as she does.
2. My Country Tis' of Thee
After Beyoncé and the President of the United States took the stage before her, how was Kelly supposed to one up her predecessors? By delivering the greatest version of My Country Tis' of Thee the world has ever seen, no hyperbole. Seriously, her soprano chops blasted high E's throughout the National Mall and television sets across the world, giving the United States one of it's most crowning and regal moments of patriotism ever. It's such a shame that from this day everyone only remembers Beyoncé's lip-synching scandal over someone who sang live and killed it.
1. Sober
If you ask any hardcore Kelly Clarkson fan what their favorite song from her is, they'll probably say Sober, and for good reason. It's one of Kelly's lyrical highs from her entire career, and a vocal one as well. I don't have to say much because one listen to the track will allow it to speak for itself, but let me just say: Holy **** that bridge!