CD Review: My December

Genre: Pop, Rock

Released: June 26, 2007

Kelly Clarkson followed her heart and produced her third CD, My December, against the wishes of some... and everyone at home waited to see who would win the battle: would Kelly's CD be a great success, or a mega-bomb like the naysayers predicted? 

Well, it really depends on who you ask. It's true - none of the songs on My December have become successful singles, but that is a measure of marketability, not worth. 

When it first came out, I hadn't heard any of the controversy, and so I expected an album similar to Breakaway - and when I listened to My December I was so disappointed. None of the songs had strong pop hooks, and there was nothing that sounded like "Since U Been Gone" or "Behind These Hazel Eyes", let alone "Breakaway". In fact, after the first few songs, every track sounded the exact same; I had to stop, and left the album alone for a month in disgust. 

Then, a month later, I heard "Irvine" playing on the TV; the haunting vocals and simple sound captivated me, and I nearly died of shock when I discovered it was Kelly Clarkson. This time around, I left all my preconceived notions of Kelly behind, grabbed some water and my computer, and listened through the entire album. My December taught me to NEVER judge an album after a first (or half a first) listen. 

Kelly has really come into her own on this album; it's definitely not material that is covered in a mainstream pop album, but she sounds heartfelt and finally honest on each track. They are tough, but never tough to listen to, and a couple of the songs are brilliant, particularly the sad and soulful "Irvine" and the addictive feel of "One Minute". Mind you, there are moments that feel awkward and overdone - "Hole" has too much going on that the vocals, at some parts, are drowned by the guitar, and "Maybe" feels like a leftover song that starts off too slow and finishes just as it's getting good. 

Overall, a very good effort - but I hope that for Kelly's next album, she can combine the best of Breakaway (catchy tunes) and My December (great confessionals and more interesting sounds) together, because I don't think I don't think I could stand another My December, but I don't want a Breakaway now that I've had a taste of the real Kelly.

Recommended Tracks: "Never Again", "One Minute", "Not Today" (bonus), "Yeah", "How I feel", "Irvine", "Chivas"

RATING

Melody: 4/5 Lyrics: 5/5 "Catchiness" factor: 6/10

TOTAL: 7.5/10