Kelly Clarkson

Clarkson's second album continues to cement her place in the pantheon of young women who fall as easily into the adult contemporary market as they do into the teen beat category. Leaving much of the soulfulness of her debut for some heavier, rocking tunes, Clarkson comes on like a cross between the two Simpson sisters.

On Kelly Clarkson's second album, the ex-cocktail waitress turned hitmaker embraces her
rock side rather than the pop pageantry that put her on top of the American Idol heap. To
that end, Clarkson recruited former Evanescence members Ben Moody and David Hodges
to help write and produce, and on tracks such as "Because of You" and "Addicted," where
the combination of a piano-led melody with roaring guitars rules, you'd swear y... More >

Unlike young Hilary Duff, 23-year-old Clarkson feels the responsibilities of stardom, which demand melodramatic overkill. The doctors give her stronger pills than, say, Clay Aiken--the prefab kissoff of "Walk Away," the new wave heartbreak of "Since U Been Gone," "Because of You" may just describe an occurrence, here's the verb "implode," and "There's no light at the end of the tunnel/Just a bridge that I gotta burn" could hold up its end of a bargain. None of these survives Clarkson's larger-than-life ambitions or compressed-to-oppress production regimen. But she may have a heart, and it may end up in the right place. (Grade - B-)