i think she's hugely talented, actually sounds better performing live than on record, and is hot as hell, but she's trying to reach a market that unfortunately does not/will not get her the numbers/respect that she's due.

she's worked with katy perry, ryan tedder, darkchild, and esther dean her past few albums to try to keep up with what's hot currently, but with her look (white america considers her overweight) she won't be able to reach the heights she attained back during the breakaway era (when she was "thin" enough for white america).

and bc of her connection to american idol, she won't be able to get into the adele lane bc she won't be considered a real artist; she's seen as just as a puppet, even though she's tried to separate herself from that with my december, which was artistically daring (for a american idol-made pop star at least) but sold like shit.

clarkson fans think she can make some noise doing a country album. her performances in that genre with reba mcentire and jason aldean have both been hugely successful compared to her non-country offerings, but i think that's misleading bc country fans are probably the only ones left that actually buy albums. add that again to the american idol ties, she will forever be judged against fellow ai winner and true country artist carrie underwood, and will always fall short.

i think she needs to work with the adult contemporary heavyweights like david foster, richard marx, diane warren, et. al., and try to dominate that lane. i personally believe she can also do well doing straight r&b, just as long as she doesn't try to keep up with current trends.

"the older i get man, the dumber that i was" the grouch