All I Ever Wanted

Performer: Kelly Clarkson
Engineer: Sam Watters; Craig Durrance; Davey Rieley; Emily Wright; Derek Bason; Hatsukazu Inagaki; Joe Zook; Louis Biancaniello; Mike Plotnikoff; Ryan Tedder; John Hanes
Producer: Sam Watters; Greg Ogan; Howard Benson; Kelly Clarkson; Louis Biancaniello; Max Martin; Ryan Tedder
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Kelly Clarkson (vocals); Max Martin (guitar, synthesizer); Dameon Aranda (guitar, background vocals); Michael Biancaniello, Alain Johannes, Phil X., Brian Ray (guitar); Ryan Tedder (electric guitar, strings, piano, programming); Jonathan Yudkin (strings); John Jarvis (piano); Howard Benson, Kim Bullard, Louis Biancaniello (keyboards, programming); Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards); Eddie Fisher , Josh Freese, Paul Leim, Aaron Sterling (drums). Audio Mixer: Serban Ghenea. Recording information: 4014 Mixing Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Ante Up Studios, Cleveland, OH; Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, CA; Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Chalice Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Chicago Recording Company, Chicago IL; Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Dr. Luke's; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Homesite 13, Novato, CA; Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Park; Mansfield Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Ocean Way Recording, Nashville, TN; Sparky Dark, Calabasas, CA; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA. Author: Emily Dickinson. Photographer: Mike Ruiz. Arranger: Ryan Tedder. In 2009, seven years after she won the first season of AMERICAN IDOL, Kelly Clarkson's musical career was still going strong. After the darker sound of MY DECEMBER, ALL I EVER WANTED is something of a return to form for Clarkson, harking back to the spirited, sprightly rock of her debut. With its punky energy, confessional lyrics, and sassy attitude, lead single "My Life Would Suck Without You" recalls the sound and feel of signature Clarkson hits like "Since U Been Gone." The album brims with catchy hooks, thanks to Clarkson's high-profile songwriting collaborators, including Katy Perry and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. This is well- crafted, radio-ready pop, and if the album has a weakness, it's that it does feel a bit calculated. Clarkson fans shouldn't mind, however. This contemporary singer's skills deserve to be as well-packaged as ALL I EVER WANTED; whether she's flirting with bass-driven grooves or anthemic hard rock, Clarkson makes the song her own with expressive vocal chops and commanding style. Thankfully, All I Ever Wanted is not Kelly Clarkson's atonement for insisting on releasing the dark, gothic rock record My December against the wishes of label boss Clive Davis in 2007 -- well, at least not entirely. All I Ever Wanted doesn't completely abandon the tougher rock edges of My December, but it does ditch the brooding in favor of angry spunk, all the better to prove that the girl who sang "Since U Been Gone" is back. And she is -- quite self-consciously on "My Life Would Suck Without You," the first track and first single on All I Ever Wanted, a song designed by Max Martin to be an explicit sequel to his "Since U Been Gone." It's effective, if a bit clinical, running contrary to Clarkson's greatest gift: her genuineness. My December might not have quite worked, but its messiness seemed an authentic reflection of a girl next door sorting through the aftermath of turning into an unexpected star and much of All I Ever Wanted is the opposite, attempting to run the most likeable pop star of the new millennium through the mill. Fortunately, it's possible to dampen Clarkson's spirit -- nobody could survive four Ryan Tedder collaborations without being brought down into his simpering murk -- but not to break it. She can break through Martin's machinations on "My Life" and comes pretty close to breathing some life into Tedder's cold R&B approximations, but those chilly sheets of synths don't suit her. Kelly is at her best when she's belting out a big chorus backed by loud guitars, or even singing a piece of pure pop like "I Want You," as effervescent a tune as she's ever sung. About half of All I Ever Wanted is as good as this and some of it even touches on Clarkson's hard rock infatuation and improves it, particularly on the bubblegum punk "Whyyawannabringmedown" -- complete with Kelly affecting a hysterical Johnny Rotten snarl -- the arena rocker "Don't Let Me Stop You," and "All I Ever Wanted," which turns the disco bass of Spoon's "I Turn My Camera On" upside down. Tellingly, Kelly takes two Katy Perry-written numbers (both produced by Howard Benson)-- "I Do Not Hook Up," co-written by new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, and "Long Shot," co-written by Glen Ballard -- and goes a long way in illustrating why she's a better pop star. Kelly sounds impassioned and invested in these numbers, selling every one of the skyscraper hooks, but better still she sounds relatable, pulling listeners into a song instead of keeping them at a distance. This is a rare talent and while it's not perfect, largely due to those dreary Tedder tunes, much of All I Ever Wanted does justice to Clarkson's considerable skills. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'I Do Not Hook Up' is another spitfire mix of melody and crashing guitars -- one of the most raucous odes to chastity in recent memory. Next comes 'Cry,' a big waltz-time ballad whose tune holds a hint of Nashville-pop twang." Entertainment Weekly (p.58) - "The introspection Clarkson favored so heavily on DECEMBER is still there; now, though, she has perspective....There are feisty independent woman anthems and soaring, impeccably constructed power ballads." -- Grade: B+ Blender (Magazine) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Top-of-the-line mechanics return for a high-octane mix that bounces between disco, emo and punk....In almost every setting, Clarkson is still her brassy, blues-weaned self..."

As the very first winner of the AMERICAN IDOL television show competition, Kelly Clarkson was inevitably pegged as little more than a manufactured pop commodity. The surprisingly versatile singer managed to survive against expectations, however, and released one of the most infectious singles of 2005, "Since U Been Gone." The success of the song not only endeared Clarkson to a tremendously diverse cross-section of the music listening population, it altered her status from mere contest winner to genuine pop sensation and pointed to a career worth following.

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