Thankful (Kelly Clarkson album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Thankful
Type = Studio album
Artist = Kelly Clarkson


Released = Start date|2003|4|15
(see release history)
Recorded = 2002-2003
Genre = Pop, R&B, pop rock, soul, funk
Length = 45:48
Label = RCA
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:zw508qczbtq4 link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/321297/kellyclarkson?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple1 link]
*Slant Magazine Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=290 link]
Last album =
This album = "Thankful"
(2003)
Next album = "Breakaway"
(2004)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = Studio album


Lower caption = Japanese edition Singles
Name = Thankful
Type = studio
single 1 = A Moment Like This / Before Your Love
single 2 = Miss Independent
single 3 = Low
single 4 = The Trouble with Love Is
single 1 date = September 17, 2002
single 2 date = May 2003
single 3 date = August 25, 2003
single 4 date = December 2003

"Thankful" is the debut album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released in the United States by RCA on April 15 2003 (see 2003 in music). "A Moment Like This" was its first single, followed by "Miss Independent", "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is".

Initially scheduled for a November 2002 release, the album was a success when it was eventually released. It debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 with 297,000 copies sold. "Miss Independent" went on to be a Top 10 hit in the US. Further singles "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is" failed to replicate this success. Still, the album went on to be certified double platinum, with almost 3 million copies shipped.

The album's success was more limited internationally, however, it did sell 900,000 copies outside of the United States, without a major international release.

Reception

Critical reception

Critical response for "Thankful" were generally positive. On Metacritic, a website that compiles various reviews, the album received a score of 62, indicating generally favorable reviews. [cite news|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/clarksonkelly/thankful?q=kelly%20clarkson|title=Thankful by Kelly Clarkson|publisher=Metacritic|date=24 February 2008|accessdate=2008-02-24] Entertainment Weekly noted that "Clarkson glides through octaves with the masterful control of someone who's been doing this for decades". [cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,444557,00.html|title=Thankful by Kelly Clarkson|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|date=25 April 2003|accessdate=2008-02-24] Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, praising Clarkson's talent and vocal abilities, while criticizing the album for feeling manufactured. They note that " [her] high notes are sweet and pillowy, her growl is bone-shaking and sexy, and her midrange is amazingly confident for a pop posy whose career is tied for eternity to the whims of her American Idol overlords". [cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kellyclarkson/albums/album/321297/review/5942494/thankful|title=Kelly Clarkson - Thankful|publisher=Rolling Stone|date=15 May 2003|accessdate=2008-02-24]

ales and chart performance

Release of the album was preceded by the single "Miss Independent", which become a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a #1 top 40 smash. In thanks to the success of the single, as well as buzz from her American Idol win (Clarkson also appeared several times on the show's second season to promote "Thankful"), the album sold well in the United States. It managed to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 297,000 copies sold. The album sold over 1 million copies in six weeks. [cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-08-09-clarkson-sales_N.htm |title=Clarkson slipping into a sales slump|publisher=USA Today|date=2007-08-10|accessdate=2008-02-24] The album's success was more limited internationally, however, selling a mere 900,000 copies outside of the United States.

Further single releases "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is" did not replicate the success of the previous single. "Just Missed the Train" and "You Thought Wrong" had been planned for possible single releases, but after the underperformance of "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is", they were canceled. [cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480236/20031106/clarkson_kelly.jhtml |title=Kelly Clarkson Hits The Roof For New Clip, Plans DVD|publisher=MTV|date=2003-11-06|accessdate=2008-02-24]

Track listing

#"The Trouble with Love Is" (Kelly Clarkson, Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken) – 3:42
#"Miss Independent" (Christina Aguilera, Clarkson, Rhett Lawrence, Matt Morris) – 3:35
#"Low" (Jimmy Harry) – 3:28
#"Some Kind of Miracle" (Diane Warren) – 3:39
#"What's Up Lonely" (Rogers, Stephanie Saraco, Sturken) – 4:09
#"Just Missed the Train" (Danielle Brisebois, Scott Cutler) – 4:12
#"Beautiful Disaster" (Rebekah Jordan, Matthew Wilder) – 4:12
#"You Thought Wrong" (featuring Tamyra Gray) (Clarkson, Babyface, Gray, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas) – 3:51
#"Thankful" (Clarkson, Edmonds, Mason, Thomas) – 3:02
#"Anytime" (Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters) – 4:08
#"A Moment Like This" - 3:48
#"Before Your Love" - 3:59
#"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Carole King Larkey, Gerald Wexler, Gerry Goffin) - 2:36 (Japanese edition)

Release history

Initially, the album had been scheduled to be released in November 2002, only a few months after the completion of the first season of American Idol. [cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1459155/20021213/clarkson_kelly.jhtml|title=For The Record: Quick News On Kelly Clarkson And Justin Guarini, Eve, D12, Ben Lee, Sheryl Crow & More|date=13 December 2002|accessdate=2008-02-24] However, Clarkson's demanding schedule and difficulty finding tracks that suited her taste and image forced the album to be delayed several times. By the time the album was released, over six months had elapsed since "A Moment Like This" had hit #1. Because of this, as well as the song's status as a "bonus track" on the album, has led to some debate as to whether "A Moment Like This" constitutes the album's first single, or if it is "Miss Independent", which Clarkson debuted on the April 9, 2003 episode of the second season of American Idol, a mere week before her album was released.

References

Notes

* Two songs originally on the album, "Trace of Gold" and "Today for Me", were replaced just before the album release by "Anytime" and "A Moment Like This". Early released versions of the CD still show the original tracks on players that read the data from the CD itself (such as Windows Media Player). The two songs have yet to be heard by the general public.

* Copies of "Thankful" sold during its first year of release contained a computer program that could be loaded, and used with the internet for artist updates and music videos. The program ceased to function when her official RCA website was launched.