Pop Unplugged Music Review
Title: Meaning Of Life
Artist: Kelly Clarkson
Label: Atlantic Records
This past weekend we’ve had the pleasure of listening to Kelly Clarkson’s eighth full length album Meaning Of Life. During promotional interviews for the record and lead single Love So Soft Clarkson stated that the record would be the soulful art that she always wanted to make, and art it is indeed.
Since her victorious departure from American Idol we’ve been presented with a predominately pop/rock sound that has increasingly ventured more towards the pop side with hits such as Stronger (What doesn’t kill you) and Because Of You. From her previous work we always knew Clarkson could sing, but on this record her voice goes beyond sole power. Throughout the record her earthy tone embodies the production, becoming one to form a sound that really resonates in your heart upon listening.
Having said that because her voice is so dynamic and soulful it can be hard to differentiate one track from the next as they all begin to blend into one, which can be considered good or bad depending on personal preference. With regards to churning out stand out singles and variation the album will perhaps fall a little flat, but if you’re more interested in consuming a whole body of sonically cohesive work that Meaning Of Life scores top points.
Given the title of the album it’s expected that there will be life lessons, an introspective journey into what makes Kelly Clarkson tick. Sadly this expectation doesn’t deliver entirely. There are a collection of songs where Kelly embraces her womanhood, details her split from RCA and and rises above the haters (Whole Lotta Woman, I Don’t Think Of You & Go High – the latter being an ode to Michelle Obama) but the bulk on the album are love stories, meaning the album could well have been entitled Meaning Of Love, unless of course Clarkson is trying to tell us that the meaning of life is to love – a lesson the world could possible learn from time to time.
So where does this stand in comparison to Clarkson’s previous work? Well it certainly is her most mature effort and feels a natural and well-timed progression leaving behind the Dr.Luke production and widening her collaborative pallet by working with Earth, Wind & Fire and RnB producer Mike Schultz. This growth both in music style and vocal delivery really does make Meaning Of Life one of Clarkson’s greatest body of music to date.
Standout Tracks: I Don’t Think About You, Slow Dance, Love So Soft
