Talk Show: Kelly Clarkson, Favorites, Extras
Ever since skyrocketing into the music stratosphere as the first American Idol winner in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has wowed audiences with her singing and charmed them with her style. One music critic described her as the “kind of performer you want to sit down and have a beer with after the show.”
Sky Senior Editor Deborah Caulfield Rybak felt the same way after sharing a lively Q&A with the Grammy winner about touring with Maroon 5, her new album, Wrapped In Red, her glowing personal life and her strong feelings about a certain red-suited icon.
Sky: You’ve been touring with Maroon 5 for the past few months—what’s that been like?
Kelly Clarkson: I say this every tour, but I totally mean it this time [laughs]—this really is my favorite tour yet! Our bands’ energies complemented each other so well on and off the stage. I also loved touring with another vocalist. Adam seriously sings his tail off every night! But what you probably really want to know is that Adam golfs a lot and sometimes walks around shirtless backstage on his way to and from his yoga room [more laughs].
Sky: Wrapped In Red is your first themed project. What made you decide to do a holiday album?
Clarkson: I have wanted to make a Christmas album since I was a kid. This is a huge check-off on my bucket list! I’m not even joking when I say I used to listen to Bing Crosby’s and Mariah Carey’s Christmas albums in the summer. Christmas represents love and family and I am so in love and loving my new family. My former self would punch me in the face right now at how annoyingly happy I currently am [laughs].
Sky: How did you pick from existing songs? Did you have favorites growing up?
Clarkson: Classics like “White Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” were no-brainers; they just epitomize Christmas. I also wanted to represent all sides of my voice and personality as well as my love for different genres, so I chose a lot of songs with that in mind. I am so proud that I will have this album to show my grandkids!
Sky: Tell me about co-writing “Wrapped In Red” and the other new songs on the album. And why is “Winter Dreams” dubbed “Brandon’s song”?
Clarkson: I chose the title “Wrapped In Red” before we even wrote the song; it fit perfectly. My friends and I were hanging out in my living room one night and we just started writing it. My inspiration came from that scene in Love Actually when the guy shows up at Keira Knightley’s door with the words he wants to say to her written on paper. We finished it so quickly, recorded it into an iPhone for reference and voila! As for “Winter Dreams,” it was super organic as well. It was around Christmastime last year just after Brandon [Blackstock] and I had gotten engaged and I was hanging out late one night with my guitar player and his wife, and we were talking about gooey love stuff and how I wanted to write a Christmas song about that happy time. I love that we’ll always have that song.
Sky: While we’re on the subject of your album and your soon-to-be family, how has it been working with Reba McEntire? You’ve said her songs comforted you as a girl and now she’s about to become your mother-in-law.
Clarkson: The fact that Reba is going to be my mother-in-law is just surreal to think about. She has been a huge support system for me. I grew up very much a gypsy and we didn’t have a lot. I had Reba posters on my walls and she was usually in my headphones, too. I recorded a version of “Silent Night” on my album with Trisha Yearwood and Reba. It was a highlight of my life to harmonize with two of my childhood musical heroes.
Sky: Now that you’re in your 30s, what do you look forward to leaving behind from your 20s?
Clarkson: Everything! [Laughs.] You can have my 20s! The obvious is that I found love when I was 30 and that’s pretty magical. But I also just feel clearer about who I am and what I want out of life. I’m learning a lot about boundaries and protecting my energy.
Sky: Who are you listening to these days?
Clarkson: I’ve listened to Kacey Musgrave’s album, Same Trailer, Different Park, a lot this year. Katy Perry’s song, “Roar,” is infectious. I love the message and groove in Macklemore’s “Same Love.” Oh, I’m super impressed with Ariana Grande! A fan tweeted me about her, and I bought her album.
Sky: You’ve been described as having a “fierce fan base.” Tell me about them.
Clarkson: My fans are fierce! What I love about them is they come from all walks of life. They are older and younger, gay and straight, women and men. When I look into the audience, it makes me feel proud that so many different people can relate to my music. I think a lot of people feel invested in me because they voted for me on Idol, and I’m really happy they continue to enjoy the ride with me!
Sky: How many tattoos do you have? What is your tat philosophy?
Clarkson: I have 13 tattoos. They are pretty small, but meaningful. Some represent friendship, some are just reminders, like the one on my wrist, “Love Them More.” There is a lot of criticism in this industry and it serves as a reminder to me when I’m feeling attacked. I have “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” written in Morse code on my side—it serves as documentation of a pretty cool time in my career.
Sky: What smartphone app can’t you live without?
Clarkson: I use Shazam a lot to find out about songs, and I am on my movie finder app a lot, especially on tour! My friends are getting me into Instagram. And I go on Twitter rampages a lot, too.
Sky: Yes, we know. Given that you got an alleged 442 percent bump in sales for tweeting that you liked Ron Paul during the last presidential election, would you like to say something about Santa Claus?
Clarkson: Oh, gosh, don’t remind me—442 percent? OK, yes, I am a big fan of Santa Claus! He’s been pretty awesome to me and I think we can all agree on this one!
http://deltaskymag.delta.com/Sky-Ext...GW0kes.twitter
Expected tho. I guess she won't win FVOTY but at least she's building up her image in the country world. 
