Kelly Clarkson - "Piece By Piece" ALBUM REVIEW

It's been a few years since we got a proper studio album from the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. Sure, the Christmas album was a thing that happened, but I honestly never got around to hearing it. Her last album Stronger was okay, but as per usual, it featured plenty of filler content and a few songs obviously intended as singles.

It happens. The record labels want a few really poppy songs that they can market easily, and they're probably extras cautious with Clarkson after the lukewarm response to 2007's My December, which many praise as her best work but, you guessed it, didn't really have a hit single. 

With Piece By Piece, we find the superstar back for another album full of pop rock jams, ballads, and electronic elements, to give her music a modernized feel. Are there some halfway decent songs on the album? Sure. Lead single "Heartbeat Song" is harmless pop fun, with a strong enough hook that succeeds because Clarkson is, of course, a talented vocalist. The only problem? It's not exactly blasting off at the speed of light on the charts, a trend I've noticed among artists who saw tons of success throughout the mid 2000's. 

Daughtry, Nickelback, The Fray...I could go on, but you get the point. People have moved on to new things. Clarkson has managed to hold her ground more than most of her pop music peers through the years, even scoring a #1 single on her last record in 2011. The problem with her new record is that I don't hear a smash hit on the album. Not that she has to have one, but most of these songs feel very basic and predictable at their core. 

There are a few unexpected moments that I'm enjoying, such as the EDM influenced "Take You High", which actually manages to pull off a bass drop and vocal distortion without sounding super obnoxious and cheesy. 

"Dance With Me" is a pleasant piece of pop that sparkles with enough of Clarkson's persona to make it succeed. 

The album gets bogged down with a large amount of slower, more atmospheric and moody tracks, including a collaboration with John Legend on "Run Run Run", a cover of a hit song by German group Tokio Hotel. I honestly expected more in terms of the instrumentals on the album, especially with the likes of Greg Kurstin producing and writing on the album.

If I said this album was engaging and entertaining, I'd be lying. It's passable as a pop rock album from a once mega-popstar, but nothing more than that to me. If you'd like to see any more of my reviews, you can always check out my YouTube channel where I post multiple video reviews every week. 

"Piece By Piece"
RCA Records
Released Febraury 27th in the US
Album rating: 2.5/5 

-Jon from ARTV