We Should Probably Talk About This Kelly Clarkson Cover
The cover from Kelly Clarkson’s “comeback” single was discussed a bit in the comments for yesterday’s 2009 predictions post, but I figured it deserved a thread of its own, since reactions have been pretty polarizing. Is it a sign that Kelly is really, really being punished for the flop of My December by being forced into a Katy Perry-like makeover, complete with crappy oral sex jokes (note the lollipop)? Is the title “ironic”? (I’d guess the answer to that one is “probably.”) Where do you find a font that has a “K” with a devil tail? What does this mean for the pyro-to-vocals ratio of her inevitable American Idol appearance? (Also, what’s that shade of lipstick she’s wearing? I think it would look pretty good on me, to be honest.)
Not everyone is as wary of the cover as I am, of course: Reactions from commenters yesterday that were positive included “looks like an album cover from 1977” and “I love the kinda Annie-ish tone to it. ” And British pop omnivore Tom Ewing thinks that it looks like a Pulp single. Maybe I’m just scarred by the last year of American pop—particularly “Suck” writer Max Martin’s credit on “I Kissed A Girl”—to think of these much better antecedents for the above imagery.
