Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted

Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted
By Rachelyn Gordon


Arguably the most successful American Idol winner yet, Kelly Clarkson is back with her fourth album All I Ever Wanted.

A catchy anthem that permanently etches itself in your mind is always a good way to start off an album, but the good impression eventually wears off after a string of otherwise cookie-cutter style forgettable songs. Worse still, the opening riffs of certain tracks halfway through the album start to sound similar to pop hits by other artists out there.

"My Life Would Suck Without You", the aforementioned catchy tune, speaks of the kind of relationship many will be familiar with - the love-hate type. Lyrics are penned accurately to capture the frustration felt in such relationships but at the same time, allowing the vulnerability of still being in love to show through. Extremely marketable and memorable, it is easy to justify this hit's radio success all over the world.

Sadly, this resonance does not carry through to the album's subsequent songs. "I Do Not Hook Up" may be a favorite with fans but may prompt a few snorts from skeptics who find it hard to believe that the pop songstress will practice what she preaches in this number.

Continue down heartbreak central and halt with a crash at songs "Already Gone" and "If I Can't Have You". The openings of these two songs resonate with such strong familiarity to Beyonce's "Halo" and Miley Cyrus's "Fly on the Wall" that you will have to stop to remind yourself that this is a Kelly Clarkson CD.

This apparent lack of originality is compensated by the attitude-laden "Whyyawannabringmedown?." A surprising choice of melody for the country-pop crossover singer, this tune has a rough, hip-hop edge to it, right down to the deliberate spelling and phrasing of the song title.

More could have been done to show off the vocal range that Kelly Clarkson is famous for; instead this album seems to be a further extension of her previous two, still focusing more on steering her image in a new direction. All I Ever Wanted ends on a rather somber and uninspiring note with the underwhelming ballad "If No One Will Listen".