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**DanceWithLife** · 03-31-2008, 10:46 AM

DNA - After Hrs - Kelly�s no pop puppet - Daily News & Analysis

Quote:

Kelly's no pop puppet
Sunday, March 30, 2008 23:59 IST

Since making her debut on the premiere season of American Idol in 2002, Clarkson has sold over 18 million albums worldwide, earned two Grammy Awards and produced a string of Top 10 hits.

Proving that she's no pop puppet, the 25-year-old singer clashed with execs at her record company when she wanted to move away from the pop-friendly sound she'd cultivated on her debut album Thankful and follow-up effort, Breakaway. For her third album, My December, the singer wrote or co-wrote every track on the deeply personal album.

"I'm a very intimate writer," she explains. "I don't have a filter; I just literally write what's coming straight out of my head and heart. I've written on every album, but I was more involved on this one and that's why it's more intimate and raw."

Looking back, she sees the romance as a learning experience. "I learned a lot, not necessarily about the person, but about the way I handled the situation and that's what My December is about. The record is a diary about what I went through."

Do you think American Idol is more about popularity than talent?
No, I think it really recognises talent. I think it's a great way for unsigned singers to be heard. Chris Daughtry didn't even win and came in fourth, but he's doing phenomenally well right now and selling millions. And Carrie Underwood, she's really successful. She's the biggest thing in country music. And why? Because she's talented.

How do you explain someone like Sanjaya staying in the competition?
The show is successful because it's funny. It's fun to watch people come on and do their thing. It's just a fun, family show.

Are the judges fair?
They are. People tend to criticise Simon or Randy for being too harsh, but they are tame compared to music critics. And they are nothing compared to what people say about you in magazines (laughs).

People might say the judges are being too mean, but they are just setting us up for what the real industry is like.

Speaking of critics, there's been a lot written in the press about your weight. Does that get you down?
Obviously you don't like hearing someone call you fat, but I grew up in a small town so I'm used to everybody having an opinion about me. Everybody wants something to talk about, so you are either going to be too skinny or too fat.

When I was working a lot on my Breakaway tour I lost a dramatic amount of weight because we were working so much. Suddenly there were all these reports that I had an eating disorder.

And I promise you, I will never have an eating disorder! I love food far too much. Just two months before that, they were writing that I was far too fat. You are never going to please everyone so my friends and I usually just have a good time with it. But I think it's good to have people in the industry who are normal. It's not normal for people to be 100 pounds (45 kg) unless they have a small build.

Performers like Britney Spears have buckled under the pressures of fame. How do you stay so grounded?
I think it's very different when you grow up in this industry. I had a normal upbringing. I went to proms and I went through that awkward junior-high stage. I've had some normalcy and stability in my life whereas Britney has lived her life under a microscope. I think it's really hard for her. I pray for those people all the time because I don't know how they handle it. I think the key to staying grounded in this industry is to surround yourself with good people