2. Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You PEAK: #1 (7 weeks)
Guess this means you’re sorry
You’re standing at my door
Guess this means you take back
What you said before
Like how much you wanted
Anyone but me
Said you’d never come back
But here you are again
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye
Maybe I was wrong for tryin’ to pick a fight
I know that I’ve got issues
But you’re pretty messed up too
Anyway, I found out I’m nothing without you
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
Being with you is so dysfunctional
I really shouldn’t miss you, but I can’t let go
Oh yeah
Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you
This was probably my most anticipated comeback of 2009. I was curious to hear how Kelly Clarkson would re-invent herself after her previous album, "My December", failed to live up to expectations... and this song, while reminiscent of her older sound, definitely caught my attention right away! It had the highest debut of 2009, entering my chart all the way up at #2 and spending 7 weeks at #1, a record within the year. However, all of that was not quite enough to get my #1 song of the year! Who could've possibly had the power to outrank one of my favourite Kelly Clarkson singles ever?
1. Kate Voegele - 99 Times PEAK: #1 (4 weeks)
So, you see
You've got me back again for more
And it seems
Your song is in my head
This is war
Mystery; how I could feel you breathe me
I was sure you would keep
Every promise; you would keep
Every word
Well,
I try to put your stories in line
But nothing adds up right
For every 99 times
You looked me in the eye,
You looked me in the eye
And swore you weren't lying
Well, I was so blind
I never saw the signs
I'm getting out tonight
And you're not invited
Its a shame
That you left me hanging like you did
It was brave
But it was much more foolish
Don't you think?
Cause you know I wont be satisfied
Until you realize
For every 99 times
You looked me in the eye,
You looked me in the eye
And swore you weren't lying
Well, I was so blind
I never saw the signs
I'm getting out tonight
And you're not invited
These things are oh, all so typical
These things are unforgivable
I'm gone and you're invisible now
Don't let me catch you followin'
Don't ask, cause I'm not offering
You've caused enough of my suffering, oh
For every 99 times
You looked me in the eye,
You looked me in the eye
And swore you weren't lying
Well, I was so blind
I never saw the signs
I'm getting out tonight
For every 99 times
You looked me in the eye,
You looked me in the eye
And swore you weren't lying
Well, I was so blind
I never saw the signs
I'm getting out tonight
Quote:
Voegele explained in publicity materials this gritty, hard-driving number: "It's about the different emotions you experience after finding out somebody you're close to has been feeding you a story that isn't true. You end up feeling stupid and pissed off and I guess I dealt with those emotions by putting on some black boots, messing up my hair, turning up the distortion on my guitar and getting in front of the mic to pretend I was Chrissy Hynde. That was pretty much all it took."
The song's music video features Kate with the seventh season Dancing With The Stars champion, Derek Hough. It was shot in Los Angeles with director Frank Borin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem). Kate commented in People magazine: "The video was so much fun to shoot and Derek was awesome. Great dancer, great musician, great kisser. That guy's got a few things going for him!"
Honestly, after all Kate Voegele has done to influence my life in 2009... could I really have put anyone else at #1?
I'd talk about how her lyrics show raw attitude here, and show how she really thinks about cheaters... and how the catchy chorus sticks in my head... but I'd rather discuss about how Kate has influenced my year personally.
At the beginning of the year, I promised myself that I would go wherever I could to see Kate Voegele perform live. And indeed I did this, seeing her a total of four times within 2009. "99 Times" is one of those songs that, upon seeing her perform it live, I ended up enjoying more than I had before, leading to a 36-week chart run, with four of those weeks at #1 and 14 of those in the top 10.
I had the privilege of meeting Kate twice in 2009; once in Fort Lauderdale where she signed my copy of her CD "A Fine Mess", and in Toronto where I got my picture taken with her. And honestly... having met her made me appreciate her even more than before, as it's shown that, despite all the fame that has come her way, that she still is willing to take time out to meet her fans that helped make everything possible for her.
So thanks Kate for making my 2009 a memorable year... and hopefully 2010 will be just as memorable!