This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
The problem with talent shows like American Idol — which Kelly Clarkson famously won last year — is that talent is only one small part of being an artist. You also need to possess plenty of originality, creativity, commitment, vision and independence.
None of which those shows measure, encourage, or even appreciate, judging by the bits I have seen. No, what they’re after is exactly what Clarkson delivers on her debut album Thankful: Assembly-line hip-pop fluff and bland power ballads aimed at the lowest common denominator and designed to offend no one. Can Clarkson sing? Sure — though she needs to stop oversinging everything like she’s trying to impress Simon. Or to put it another way, she needs to find her own artistic voice if she gets to make a second album. Then she’ll really have something to be thankful for.
