Kelly Clarkson’s 30th Birthday: The Top 10 Wisest Things She’s Ever Said (And Sung)

The world was introduced to the wonder that is Kelly Clarkson when she was but 20 years old, auditioning for (and eventually winning) the debut season of American Idol. How fast a decade flies by, huh? The pop star turns 30 today, and though she might be maturing into her third decade, she’s always exuded a confidence and sophistication well beyond her years. Whether it’s through her songs, her interviews, or even in a blog post, Clarkson has always remained outspoken, sharing her bits of advice and words of wisdom with her fans and the world at large. Read our 10 Favorite Kelly quotes that prove that the singer’s brain is as powerful as her voice.

ON PROFESSIONALISM:

“Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is ‘I’ll kick butt next time’ or ‘every performance isn’t going to be perfect’… you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.” (Via.)

“My label wanted me to sing ‘Never Again’ [on Idol Gives Back]. And I was like, To promote yourself on a charity event is beyond crass. People are starving and dying and I’m up there singing some bitter pop song? And believe me, everyone wanted me to sing it. Because they are jaded and they have no soul. Imagine sitting in a room full of people totally against you. Can’t they hear themselves speaking? Capitalize on AIDS? Are you kidding? Insulting an entire nation of people? I just refused.” (Via.)

ON RELATIONSHIPS:

“Oh no I do not hook up, up / I go slow / So if you want me / I don’t come cheap / Keep your hand in my hand / And your heart on your sleeve.” —”I Do Not Hook Up”

“Love is something you work at. It doesn’t come easily. There are going to be bad days. You are going to have to work at loving someone when they are being an idiot.” (Via.)

“People are really concerned about my relationship status. When I tell people I’m happy being single, they don’t believe me. They say: ‘You have to be miserable being alone’.” (Via.)

ON STAYING STRONG:

“People, you know, have a set idea of what a pop star should be. And my whole point is like, well, if I’m the pop star, then it should be whatever I am. There’s, you know, room for Katy Perrys and Adeles and Rihannas and Lady Gagas and Ke$has and me and Pinks. I think what’s great about all of us is that we represent something different.” (Via.)

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger / Stand a little taller / Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone / What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter / Footsteps even lighter / Doesn’t mean I’m over cause you’re gone.”
—”Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”

ON HER IMAGE:

“The one contract that I was offered – this was my favorite thing ’cause I deal with it on the daily now – I literally weighed 124. They told me if I lost 20 pounds that they’d sign me. And I was like, wow. And I had, like, an eating disorder in high school for a bit, so it’s like, I think God kind of put me through that to, you know, make me stronger for when situations like that kind of come up and still come up, obviously.” (Via.)

“I don’t wear makeup in public. I don’t worry about what I’m wearing. Hell, I wore pajamas to high school.” (Via.)

“I hate the gym!” (Via.)

Do you hate the gym as much as Kelly? (We sure do!) What are some of your favorite words of wisdom from Ms. Clarkson? Share them below in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter. And Happy Birthday, Kelly!