Kelly Clarkson Sang About Heartbreak & Longing In Emotional Cover Of Taylor Swift’s ‘Better Man’

Jan 27, 2023 by apost team

Kelly Clarkson first became a household name in 2002 following her win on the hit competition series “American Idol.” Since then, the singer has gone on to sell millions of copies of her albums and tour across the world. Some of her most notable hits include “Since U Been Gone,” “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “Because Of You.” With an incredible vocal tone and range, Clarkson has easily become one of the best and most recognizable singers in the world.

When Clarkson first entered the music industry, she had a very girl-next-door look with a bit of an edge. Like most superstars, her look and style changed as the years progressed, and Clarkson discovered more sides of herself. 

Along with being a highly accomplished singer, Clarkson has also appeared in a variety of films and TV shows and has gone on to become one of the most beloved women in the entertainment industry due to her hilarious personality and charming wit. She went on to become a judge for another singing competition series called “The Voice,” and is even the host of her own talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

Aside from interviewing celebrities on her talk show, she has made sure that she can still show the world how powerful a vocalist and singer she is. In her “Kellyoke” segment — a wordplay on karaoke — Clarkson performs a number of hits from other artists, covering well-loved songs from veteran musicians like Dolly Parton to younger ones like Taylor Swift. 

In her NFL-themed episode on Jan. 23, 2023, Clarkson sang Swift’s “Better Man,” perhaps one of the popstar’s most heartbreaking ballads from her country album “Red (Taylor’s Version)” which showcased how dynamic her vocal range is. 

Clarkson’s choice to cover a Swift song on her show was a full-circle moment for the two artists. This is because Clarkson was one of the first people who publicly suggested that Swift should re-record her previous albums, whose masters were obtained by Scooter Braun, without her consent. 

“@taylorswift13, just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don't own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I'd buy all of the new versions just to prove a point,” Clarkson famously tweeted in 2019, giving Swift the idea to do so. 

The song “Better Man” was written by Swift but was not initially included on the album “Red.” Speaking to Amazon Music, Swift revealed that she passed up on the song and lent it to the American country music vocal group Little Big Town. 

"I think that was what happened. I was either going to put on 'All Too Well' or 'Better Man,' and then I left off 'Better Man,' and then later on, years later, Little Big Town ended up recording that song, and it went to #1, it won CMA Song of the year, it was nominated for a Grammy. It was like the coolest thing ever, and I'm so grateful to them for doing that, and now I get to put out my version of it, so pretty fun moment,” she confessed at the time.

Thanks to Clarkson’s suggestion, Swift started to re-record her albums, starting with “Fearless” and “Red.” Eventually, she released the smash-hit “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” and “Better Man” on “Red (Taylor’s Version)” as a from-the-vault track.

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On a January 2023 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Clarkson gave an incredible cover of the song “Better Man.” Effortlessly singing the somber lyrics of the song, Clarkson’s rendition added layers and depth to it – which made it much more devastating than it really was. 

“Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again, but I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man. And I know why we had to say goodbye like the back of my hand, but I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man, a better man,” Clarkson sang. 

In the comments section of the video on YouTube, fans were moved by Clarkson’s rendition of the song.

“The fact that Kelly has probably been wronged by so many men in her life, from her own dad to her previous husband. It’s no wonder that she embodied the heart of this song. Absolutely beautiful,” a fan said. 

“This song is crushing if you'd loved someone who you wished was a better man. You can hear it in Kelly's voice because we know she's been there. This song has made me cry and get through a lot. Both versions prior to this were amazing. There's something about the way Kelly can put pain into her words that not many people can emote,” another user pointed out. 

In the past, Clarkson has been praised for adding a deeper interpretation of the ballads she sings in her “Kellyoke” segment, which proves that she is one of the greatest singers and storytellers of her generation. 

Isn’t Kelly Clarkson's interpretation of “Better Man” impressive? Are you a fan of hers? Which version of the song do you prefer more — Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift or Little Big Town? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends or someone who you think should hear Clarkson's rendition!