Kelly Clarkson

Since she's been gone, pop singer Kelly Clarkson has wizened up. After 2007's My December, her stubborn and disappointing foray into creative independence, she finally realized what it took to get back into the hit business: write hits.

The first single off of All I Ever Wanted co-written by Swedish pop song maestro Max Martin is "My Life Would Suck Without You" and its every bit as pogo and fist-pump-inspiring as "Since U Been Gone" (not coincidentally written by Martin as well). It’s an inspired beginning.

Clarkson keeps momentum going with the Katy Perry—co-penned "I Do Not Hook Up," which unintentionally reminds us in retrospect that the coy girl kisser is actually just a second rate Clarkson (Perry's contributions appear elsewhere on the sassy anthem "Long Shot"). Later on, "Whyyouwannabringmedown," the versatile vocalist even takes on Avril by out-snarling the Canadian brat with palpable, not manufactured, attitude.

But not every track is a pop-punk call-to-arms—the power ballad "Already Gone" is disaffecting and sincere, while the somewhat cloying "Save You" (both these songs feature OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder as co-songwriter) may be one of the few misfires here. But this is not for a lack of trying—the former American Idol winner's voice is impeccably strong all throughout the third record and it performs so winningly that it could potentially snap us out of our radio fixation with Auto-Tune. Granted, there's also an overwhelming fourteen songs, and that's a lot of Clarkson to digest in one sitting, but, ultimately, over-delivered or not, she's finally giving us all we ever wanted.

—Arye Dworken
03.19.09

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, All Music Guide