Watching American Idol's first season in 2002 was about as awkward as it could possibly be. The first time jitters from both the contestants and judges positioned the show to be as un-cool as well, the Andy Williams show back in the 70s. And then what to make of the winner's success after the show? Since it was the first season, its winner Kelly Clarkson was given the daunting task of not only proving the show really can produce pop stars, but that it also is a credible way to super stardom. This is the main reason for her much delayed debut album, finally arriving after seven months since the finale. Coming off the hype of her coronation song "A Moment Like This", it may have broken a record, but it still did not offer any viable career paths as it felt restrained, and just like the entire show, awkward.
So, in order to avoid ending Kelly Clarkson's career before it even began, her management decided to properly think and calculate her first full-length album. With two new mixes of "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love", it's instantly clear that this was a smart move. Since Kelly was largely absent in the audition process, "Thankful" basically follows in those footsteps as the second season was already nearing its end. Also smart was to essentially re-work Clarkson into an adult-contemporary sound that suited both her considerable pipes and endearing personality. All of that made for splendid entertainment on TV, and it audibly works just as well. Starting the album with "The Trouble With Love Is", a track reminiscent of Christina Aguilera's debut, it seems that both Kelly and her management have crafted a set that offers exactly what it should to make her a star. Her voice is lush -- the songwriting is strong -- the production is immaculate -- and the dance numbers are just as catchy as the laid back show-stoppers. True, it's nothing that will completely shake the mainstream of 2003, but it's still something special. As other veteran artists made a shift towards dance-pop and the Avril-frontiered punk-pop, "Thankful" stays true to Kelly's musical style and offers no gimmicks, even if her way to fame was very much that. But what also makes this album work is that Kelly Clarkson truly is a star, from the moment she took the judge's seat in her audition and through the entire season of phenomenal performances that saved her from both the bottom two and three, everybody was rooting for her. She's young, yet matured, she's fresh, and she's exactly what the times were crying for: a drop dead gorgeous brunette that was both visually stunning and with a vocal talent to match. And while she may be cleaned up and a tad bit faceless here, "Thankful" is still an impressive debut from a star who didn't seem like the perfect candidate for the AmIdol win, even though it is honor that she clearly deserved. This album was definitely over-worked to ensure its cross-culture appeal, but most of the time it works. "Miss Independent" is a sassy little pop tune, "Low" is an effortless and airy rock ballad, "Beautiful Disaster" uses angelic dance-pop to sink its hook, and her collaboration with fellow Idol contestant Tamyra Gray is worked exactly the right way to showcase their voices. And no one could deny the sheer power of the new mixes at the end, featuring glory notes unseen since Christina Aguilera's 2002 masterpiece "Stripped". "Thankful" may play a little long, regardless of its twelve track length, but it's still a breath of fresh air, and a reassurance that Kelly Clarkson is a true American Idol.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. The Trouble With Love Is 2. Miss Independent 3. Low
4. Some Kind of Miracle 5. What’s Up Lonelty? 6. Just Missed the Train
7. Beautiful Disaster 8. You Thought Wrong 9. Thankful
10. Anytime 11. A Moment Like This 12. Before Your Love
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