Kelly Clarkson Shares How Working On "Chemistry" Was Therapeutic
Olivia Taylor (she/her) is a writer, self-proclaimed reality TV buff and uses "Real Housewives" references unironically. Her camera roll is filled with Twitter screenshots and she will definitely talk your ear off for as long as you will let her. Find more of her pop culture ramblings just about anywhere on the internet.
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Kelly Clarkson may be killing it on daytime TV, but thankfully this talk show host isn’t stepping away from music anytime soon. After six years, the three time Grammy winner and The Voice coach released a new album, Chemistry, last year. This album came in the wake of a sticky divorce, but Kelly was adamant about letting fans know her music is about more than nursing a broken heart. Here's what we know!
New music soon 🍷💔☀️ pic.twitter.com/c9mPNchiE2
— Kelly Clarkson 🍷💔☀️ (@kellyclarkson) March 26, 2023
Chemistry marked her 10th studio album and the first since 2017, which she teased earlier last year.
According to Clarkson, she worked on the album for nearly three years, but she wasn’t set on releasing it. Luckily, she decided to grace us with more incredible music.
Kelly Clarkson's initial thoughts about naming her album "Chemistry"
"It's called Chemistry because I was trying to find a word that really described the whole thing," Clarkson explained. "This album is definitely the arc of an entire relationship. A whole relationship shouldn't be brought down to just one thing. So there's the good, the bad, and the ugly kinda thing going on in it."
Some speculated that “the arc of an entire relationship” referred to her 2020 divorce from her husband of eight years, talent manager Brandon Blackstock, which was finalized in March 2022.
"Chemistry can be a really amazing, sexy, cool, fun thing, but it can also be very bad for you," Clarkson said.
In a video posted to TikTok, Clarkson shared an exclusive preview of "Mine," the first song released from the album on April 14, 2023.
Kelly Clarkson on divorce: "I want better for my ex"
Once Chemistry was officially out in the world, the songstress did press tours to promote it and give more insight about songs featured on it. During her appearance on the Today show, she admitted she did text Brandon Blackstock to gauge how he felt about the album.
While she didn't go into detail about their conversation, she said she assured him the album doesn't completely focus on what went wrong.
Our thoughts about "Chemistry"
We're not being biased when we say Chemistry 45 minutes of perfection, touching on the highs and lows of romantic relationships. In "mine," Kelly sings, "Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine (so unkind)." We've all experienced heartbreak that opened our eyes to what we want, yet still left us feeling defeated and deflated in the end.
Yet on "down to you," she says, "I can't dance with the devil on my back. Need somebody who can meet me where I'm at," proving that we don't have to let heartbreak dominate how we move through life. Kelly's resilience is something we've loved about her for years — I mean, this is the same woman who gave us, "Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won't forget all the ones that I love." She knows how to move forward confidently (and iconically, TBH).
Kelly bares her raw emotions for us to hear, leaving listeners to go through the journey of Chemistry with her. She continues capturing our hearts in song form...just like we'll continue to have this album on repeat!
Kelly Clarkson's updated thoughts about "Chemistry"
In a conversation with PEOPLE, the songstress said working onChemistry was therapeutic for her. "I cannot express how appreciative I feel for having that kind of healthy outlet...and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming," she said.
Figuring out when to end a relationship is never easy, but we're glad Kelly Clarkson is in a much better place.
Watch Kelly Clarkson's full interview with PEOPLE:
Have you listened to Chemistry? Let us know your favorite song in the comments, and find out the latest entertainment scoop with Brit + Co!
This story was originally published on March 27, 2023 and has been updated with new reporting.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM
Olivia Taylor (she/her) is a writer, self-proclaimed reality TV buff and uses "Real Housewives" references unironically. Her camera roll is filled with Twitter screenshots and she will definitely talk your ear off for as long as you will let her. Find more of her pop culture ramblings just about anywhere on the internet.
