Kelly Clarkson's "Kellyoke" Performance Of Fleetwood Mac Hit Is A Masterstroke
Jan 24, 2021 by apost team
There are many great singers around, many of them with their own styles. Talented as they may be, not every one of them can to do justice when singing covers of songs by different artists. One of the very few artists who can is none other than Kelly Clarkson.
Earlier this month in January 2021, the 38-year-old sang “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac for Kellyoke, a segment on her talk show where she performs her rendition of songs by other artists. Clarkson has done many great covers, and this one is no exception. Read on to see what we are talking about!
The OG American Idol
Kelly Clarkson catapulted to fame more than 12 years ago when she made her debut on American Idol’s first season in 2002. She was a humble 20-year-old cocktail waitress from Texas who had a dream to sing, according to History.com. And thanks to Clarkson's talent, she won, making her the first American Idol winner ever. The win accelerated the young singer's career, providing her with a recording contract. Since then, Clarkson has sold millions of albums, has earned dozens of awards, and has founded her own television show.
The Kelly Clarkson Show first aired on NBC in September 2019. One popular segment in her show is “Kellyoke,” where Clarkson performs covers of songs from various artists. The mom-of-two has been hailed by Billboard (and basically everybody else) as “one of pop music’s greatest singers, and if you watch any of her Kellyoke segments, you will be convinced that she is. In Kellyoke, Clarkson has been known to give unique renditions to popular classic songs like “Dream On” by Aerosmith, “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, and even “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi. She has impressed us all once again in one of her latest Kellyoke segments when she took on “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.
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Backed by a band in The Kelly Clarkson Show’s studio, the singer-songwriter gave the song her all, proving time after time that she is the master of covers regardless of the genre. Needless to say, fans loved her rendition of the 1977 classic. “One of the best covers of this song I've ever heard,” one comment read. “Kelly really needs to make an album of covers. Kellyoke has really showcased her incredible talent.” One witty comment read: “I’m tired of people saying she’s one of the best vocalists of this generation. She’s one of the best of all-time.” To date, The Kelly Clarkson Show has about 52 Kellyoke videos on their YouTube channel.
The meaning behind Dreams
According to Song Facts, all the members of Fleetwood Mac were going through a breakup at the time “Dreams” came about. The band consisted of five original members: Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham. In it, there were two sets of couples; Nicks and Buckingham, and Christine McVie and John McVie. Fleetwood was going through a breakup with his wife. It was reported that the members were doing a lot of drugs at the time as well. Despite the difficult time, they were able to work together to write and produce the song, but worked individually for most of the songwriting.
In an interview with the Daily Mail back in October 2009, Nicks shared his experience with penning “Dreams,” saying that it was a tough time, but a lot of good came out of it. “I remember the night I wrote 'Dreams.' I walked in and handed a cassette of the song to Lindsey. It was a rough take, just me singing solo and playing piano,” he said. “Even though he was mad with me at the time, Lindsey played it and then looked up at me and smiled. What was going on between us was sad. We were couples who couldn't make it through. But, as musicians, we still respected each other - and we got some brilliant songs out of it."
Clarkson is all too familiar with romantic entanglements falling apart. Clarkson is America's sweetheart, and while she puts on a positive face for fans, the past year has not been an easy one for her. Back on June 4, the former American Idol winner filed for divorce from her husband Brandon Blackstock. A talent manager by profession, Blackstock is also the stepson of Reba McEntire. According to Us Weekly, Clarkson cited "irreconcilable differences" on the paperwork she filed, while the classification on the case was "dissolution with minor children."
A source close to the couple spoke to Entertainment Tonight and explained that quarantine due to the coronavirus may have been the final deal-breaker in their marriage. The source said that the couple "had been having problems for several months and were making a conscious effort to work things out. They both hoped quarantining away from Los Angeles in Montana would help them work things out in their marriage, but instead, the change in environment was actually detrimental." Furthermore, they added that spending so much time together is what made their situation worse in the end.
In December 2020, Vanity Fair reported that although the two are separated, the divorce between Clarkson and Blackstock has not been finalized. Blackstock is also requesting $5 million a year in child and spousal support from Clarkson, although Clarkson won primary custody of their children, River, six, and Remington, four.
Blackstock, who is a Texas native, is expected to reside in Montana. Us Weekly further reports that the paperwork stated:
"The level of conflict between the parents has increased. The parties have a difficult time coparenting due to issues of trust between them."
The ruling means that Blackstock will be allowed to visit his children at Clarkson's home in Los Angeles. He was expected to spend Thanksgiving with them and will be joining them for the Christmas period as well, from December 19-25 until 2 pm. The monthly schedule will include Blackstock having the kids in LA, on the first and fifth weekends of the month, while on the third weekend they'll be able to visit him in Montana. Additionally, Blackstock will FaceTime his children every day "at a mutually agreed upon time."
USA Today reported that the document also includes a clause that neither Clarkson nor Blackstock are allowed to "speak in a derogatory manner" about the other to their children. They also found that both of them will be listed as emergency contacts on all of the kids' school forms.
What did you think of Kelly Clarkson’s cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family!