dtobias's Full Review: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson first became famous through the American Idol program, where she was the first season's winner. A hit single, "A Moment Like This", followed, but after this her continued career seemed in doubt; the movie she did with runner-up Justin Guarini, From Justin to Kelly, was a big flop both commercially and critically. Her debut album, Thankful, didn't offer that much to be thankful for; while it's fun to listen to, it's very problematic musically. The lyrics were mostly a lot of hackneyed cliches about love strung together, and the music sounded plastic and artificial. You came out of it thinking that she's got a decent singing voice, but hasn't been given very good material on which to use it.
Well, now she has. Her second album, Breakaway, is everything her first album wasn't, and puts her in position to contend for the title of the best of the current crop of young divas. Clarkson delivers strong, confident vocals for songs with powerful lyrics, which she had a part in writing (she's listed as co-writer on several songs). It's a very solid performance, one which gives a good indication that she has a long-term singing career ahead of her instead of just fifteen minutes of fame.
Here are the songs on this album:
1) Breakaway
This is the "radio hit", also promoted heavily by Disney because it's on the soundtrack of Princess Diaries 2. An abbreviated version of its video can be seen frequently on the Disney Channel. A catchy song, and one I like to listen to, but musically and lyrically speaking, it's the worst on this album, full of words that ought to rhyme but don't quite manage, and an overall theme that's been overdone already. Disney, in particular, seems to have a special liking lately for songs about escaping from wherever you came from, spreading your wings, and flying away to seek fame, fortune, or whatever it is you're craving, in the process informing everybody that your life is your own and you'll live it without everybody else butting in. In recent times they've released songs like that from Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and Raven; adding one from Clarkson to this collection suits their agenda. I can just picture all these singers being ordered by domineering, manipulative corporate management to sing songs about how they're going to independently live their lives their own way. Clarkson isn't a "Disney Girl" like those others, anyway; the song was just a one-time project.
2) Since U Been Gone
What's with the cutesy spelling of "you", anyway? The song isn't written by Prince, who's the only one who should be allowed to get away with that, even if everybody and their tween-aged sister is doing it in instant-messaging programs. It's one of several of her songs that are a surprise; they're not what one might expect from the title -- in this case, rather than a sobby lament of a lost love, she's actually thanking her former lover for breaking up, because "I can get what I want, since you've been gone." Unrelatedly, Weird Al Yankovic had a song called "Since You've Been Gone" (with correct spelling and grammar) with a more humorous take on the departed-lover thing.
3) Behind These Hazel Eyes
Speaking of Weird Al, the opening riff of this song reminds me of his "Nature Trail to Hell". Then, the main hook of it reminds me of Hilary Duff's "Who's That Girl". These resemblances are probably purely coincidental; there are only so many notes in the musical scale, so once you've heard enough songs, they're going to start reminding you of one another, though such things do sometimes get before judges and juries in copyright suits.
4) Because Of You
They spelled "you" correctly on this one. It's another surprising song that's not what you'd expect from the title, which looks like it could be just another sappy love song. It's not. What she owes to the unnamed "you" of the song is not love, but life lessons; she says "I will not make the same mistakes you did." Powerful stuff, though you never do find out just what this person actually did to her.
5) Gone
Another hard-edged one; has she suffered one or more painful breakups in recent history? She seems to want to sing about it.
6) Addicted
Again with the hard-hitting stuff; couldn't she have thrown in something lighter to relieve the pressure? Worse, this one seems to be describing a bad relationship she's still entangled in, while the earlier tracks were about ones she'd escaped or been set free from. They're good songs, but all of them in a row is a bit much to take.
7) Where Is Your Heart
As par for the course on this album, there's a troubled relationship involved in this song, though for a change it sounds like one that might actually be able to be saved. It's a ballad that's moody, but not bitter and angry to the degree of the earlier songs.
8) Walk Away
She asks the question "Should you stay or should you go?", then answers it with the song's title... what other answer did you expect, given the tone of this whole album?
9) You Found Me
Finally, a positive-toned song... it's about time. OK, she's trying to define herself as a singer with more depth than sappy love ballads, but does that mean that every song of hers has to be an angst-ridden lament? There's not really anything sappy about this song's sound either, but at least it's about a relationship she's happy with.
10) I Hate Myself for Losing You
We're back to failed relationships again, though she seems to be blaming herself for this one instead of the other guy.
11) Hear Me
She's crying out to somebody who's "gotta be out there somewhere"... I don't know if it's yet another lover who got away, or just some unknown person somewhere out there who's right for her. Anyway, more anguish.
12) Beautiful Disaster (Live)
She takes one of the better songs from her first album and does a well-done live performance of it for this one. Being a song about yet another problematic relationship, it was the exception on her more positively-toned first album, but fits right in on this one.
In summary, the songs and the singing are all very good; but I find myself wanting to listen to something a little less depressing.
When Kelly Clarkson became the first American Idol in the fall of 2002, no one could have predicted the worldwide success as a recording artist that w...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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