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| Atlantic | twitter.com/kelly_clarkson |
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Kelly Clarkson radiates raw charisma on Meaning of Life, channelling the spirit of her idol Aretha Franklin into an album of confident, sanguine soul-pop.
She struts and hollers up and down the length of Meaning of Life while knowing just when to dim the lights, with a flair for variety that recalls her best moments: vintage Kelly’s rollicking mid-aughts anthems (‘Since U Been Gone’), the crystalline frost of doleful My December highlights (‘Sober,’ ‘Be Still’) and of course the vibrant opening act of All I Ever Wanted — who else could drop a single as raucous as ‘My Life Would Suck Without You’?
A welcome reprieve from 2015’s over-glossy Piece By Piece, the rough edges of those extraordinary pipes are on full display on skyborne ballad ‘I Don’t Think About You,’ and the breathless pressure of ‘Heat.’ Meanwhile, an infusion of contemporary stylings lends a surprising juxtaposition of textures to ‘Love So Soft’ and album standout ‘Whole Lotta Woman.’
With its choreographed cadre of backing singers, its pumping brass section and its lattice of claps and clicks, Meaning of Life is warm and genuine and human, and easily Kelly’s most consistent album yet.