Kelly Clarkson

"I'm cute - and God I hate that. Because that's not cool. I'm like your niece, and nobody wants to date their niece. It's the chubby cheeks. The whole reason people voted for me on American Idol is because I'm an everyday, normal girl."

- Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1981) is a former cocktail waitress from Burleson, Texas who became the first winner of American Idol. In the end, she was up against Justin Guarini, her soon-to-be costar in From Justin to Kelly. Since winning Idol in 2002, she has had a fairly successful music career, with four albums and two Grammys to her name. Her success as a former American Idol contestant has few rivals not named Carrie Underwood. She will judge and also perform along with other artists Robin Thicke, Jennifer Nettles, and John Legend on "Duets". It is a new ABC singing competition show to air during the summer of 2012, starting with a two hour premiere on May 24.

Albums:

 * Thankful (2003): Included the song "A Moment Like This," which she performed after winning American Idol.
 * Breakaway (2004): Has since gone multi-platinum.
 * My December (2007)
 * All I Ever Wanted (2009)
 * Stronger (2011)

Tropes present in her work:
""Was it Erin Brockovich the whole time?! It's funny because I have no boobs but they're coming out. I realize why God didn't give me boobs, cuz if I had them, I'd show them off! I'd be a slut.""
 * Absolute Cleavage: In the music video to Since U Been Gone.
 * A Cup Angst: Admits she would get breast implants if the thought of surgery didn't Squick her out. At a VH 1 Unplugged show, after she seemed to be falling out of her tight dress she joked:

"If you stop, they'll just say you quit
 * A Minor Kidroduction: In the music video for "My Life Would Suck Without You," it starts off with a little boy giving a little girl a necklace, and then fast-forwards to adult Kelly now wearing the necklace as a bracelet and dating the boy who gave it to her.
 * Adorkable
 * Big Beautiful Woman: Only "big" by anorexic show-business standards, but she's proud of it. Her motto: "Rock what you've got."
 * Break Up Song: Most of her hits.
 * Catch Phrase: "Cool Beans!"
 * Creator Breakdown: It could be argued that most of her music leans this way, with very few love songs and happy songs in general. My December being the greatest example of this type of thing.
 * Curse Cut Short: In "You Can't Win":

If you don't, you migh lose your...shhh

You can't win, no, you can't win, no"


 * Darker and Edgier: Her third album My December.
 * Development Hell: Her company pushed back Stronger by about six months.
 * Does Not Like Shoes: She performs most of her concerts in her bare feet.
 * Fag Hag: To Clay Aiken.
 * Football Fight Song: "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", which will no doubt embarrass her. Lampshaded by British football forums, to much glee.
 * Girl Next Door
 * Hazel Eyes: Hence the title of her song "Behind These Hazel Eyes".
 * I Call Him Big Bob: Some fans affectionately refer to her noticeably large derriere as "Big Bob" after a fan in Manchester once held up a sign reading: "Kelly, Kelly, do your job, make our day and shake Big Bob!" She turned around and happily obliged, commenting "It's mighty big, but whatever!"
 * Lighter and Softer: Kelly's fourth album, All I Ever Wanted following the Darker and Edgier My December.
 * Old Shame: From Justin To Kelly.
 * Power Ballad: "Don't You Wanna Stay".
 * "Sober"
 * Rags to Riches: Kelly grew up very poor in a small town. Now she owns a large ranch with a Gone With the Wind-type house in Texas and also has a place in Nashville.
 * Rerelease the Song: "Because of You" was re-released to country as a duet with Reba McEntire. "Mr. Know It All" also got a remixed country release in 2012.
 * Signature Song: "Since U Been Gone."
 * Singing Voice Dissonance: When Kelly speaks, she sounds like just a perky white girl from Texas that drinks a lot of Red Bull (watch interview). When she sings... she doesn't. This is heightened by the fact that she can sing in a variety of styles: soul, rock, country, pop, big band, and ballads.
 * Small Girl Big Gun: Out of the 9 guns she owns (which in Texas is a small number), 5'3'' Kelly keeps a Colt .45 by her bed.
 * Subdued Section: "Mr. Know It All"
 * Truck Drivers Gear Change: ''A Moment Like This" and "Because Of You" are songs that go into a higher key just before it ends.
 * She doesn't perform the key change of "Because of You" live though. Probably because the part where she holds out the note at the end of the bridge is a much bigger finish. The audience always cheers after it and she doesn't need to gear-change into a higher key!
 * Woman Scorned: A theme in many of her songs and videos ("Since U Been Gone", "Never Again")