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| My December | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 22, 2007 (2007-06-22) | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2007 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:37 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Kelly Clarkson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from My December | ||||
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My December is the third studio album by American pop rock singerKelly Clarkson. The album was released on June 22, 2007, throughRCA Records. Clarkson confirmed the name of the album in her journal on her fanclub website on February 27, 2007.
Since its release,My December has shipped one million copies in the United States and has been certified platinum. It was also certified platinum in Canada. The album was voted as the fifth best album of 2007 by the readers ofBillboard.[3] It ranked at number 53 on the Australian year-end albums chart.[4] The album earned positive reviews, and critics noted the album's strongerrock influence when compared with Clarkson's previous albumBreakaway (2004).[5]
Clarkson began writing and composing songs forMy December during her internationalThe Breakaway Tour. In an interview, Clarkson was quoted as saying she suffered from exhaustion from her busy career and problems in her personal life, stating: "It was the lowest point of my life and my career."[6]
During this period, Clarkson wrote songs that would eventually become part of her album,My December, calling it "free therapy".[6] These feelings inspired the song "Irvine", which tells of when she was inIrvine, California and cancelled an event to meet fans due to burnout.[7] "Irvine" would be later used in the season five premiere episode ofOne Tree Hill titled "4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days". "Irvine" ends at a length of 4:15, leading to a minute of silence, followed by a three and a half minute hidden track entitled "Chivas".
Prior to the album's release, sources reported thatClive Davis, the head ofSony BMG, was dissatisfied with the album. Davis reportedly wanted Clarkson to make significant changes to the album, with some rumors claiming that he even wanted to delete the entire album, and have her record all new material. Clarkson reportedly refused to change any of the material. Initially, these reports were denied by representatives for bothRCA and Clive Davis, with Davis specifically stating that Clarkson is "one of the top four artists at Sony-BMG" and wanted to ensure that she is treated as such.[8][9]
Clarkson stated "I've sold more than 15 million records worldwide, and still nobody listens to what I have to say. I couldn't give a crap about being a star. I've always just wanted to sing and write."[10]
American Idol judgeSimon Cowell commented on the situation in an issue ofEntertainment Weekly, saying Clarkson was strong-willed and reluctant to repeat herself creatively: "She made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record."[11]
The controversy fell quiet for a brief stint, but resumed when Clarkson cancelled her tour forMy December and fired her manager,Jeff Kwatinetz.[12] Kwatinetz, also the album's executive producer, had defendedMy December to Clarkson's label, saying the singer was "burdened with these expectations" to stay with her established musical formula but also insisting "she's pushed herself, she's evolved and she's grown."[13]
Narvel Blackstock,Reba McEntire's ex-husband, was hired by Clarkson as her personal manager. In regards to her cancelled tour, disappointing ticket sales were acknowledged as a factor,[14] and Clarkson stated that it (touring) was "too much too soon".[15] Following the dismissal of her manager and cancelling her tour, Clarkson appeared in an issue ofElle, where it was revealed that Davis offered Clarkson $10 million to remove five songs from the album in favor of five more radio-friendly songs of Davis' choosing — including "Black Hole", which appeared onLindsay Lohan's album,A Little More Personal (Raw).[16] Clarkson refused the offer, and stated these types of disagreements "only drives me more. If your thing is to bring me down, cool. I'll just work harder. Reba McEntire responded to the situation in the same magazine issue, praising Clarkson's tenacity and comparing her to singerDolly Parton who also took charge of her career.[17]
Further articles displaying Clarkson "downplaying" her record label were written. In an edition ofUSA Weekend, Clarkson stated:[18]
I'm going to be real honest with you: I am not a fan. I do respect him [Clive Davis], but I don't want to barbecue with him. We don't braid each other's hair. And despite the rumors, he is nowhere near a father figure.
AlthoughAmerican Idol judge Simon Cowell, who had sided with Clarkson earlier, seem to grow weary of the controversy, as he was quoted saying:
Kiss and make up, decide what's best, get on with it! Clive Davis, at 80, is better than 99 per cent of the people in the music business in their 20s, 30s and 40s. And he's not 80, he's less than 80. Kelly is one of the best and she always will be, but Clive is the boss of the record company. It's his job to advise."[19]
A few weeks after the release ofMy December, Clarkson publicly stated that all of the controversies regarding her "feud" with her label have been "blown way out of proportion". In a statement on her website, Clarkson stated:[20][21]
There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the release ofMy December, much of which has focused on a supposed feud with my record label, in particular, Clive Davis. I want to set the record straight on this by saying that I want my band, my advisors, those close to me and my record label to be one big, tightly- knit family. Like any family we will disagree and argue sometimes but, in the end, it's respect and admiration that will keep us together. A lot has been made in the press about my relationship with Clive. Much of this has been blown way out of proportion and taken out of context. Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I'm well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time. He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was not obligated to do so. I really regret how this has turned out and I apologize to those whom I have done disservice. I would never intentionally hurt anyone. I love music, and I love the people I am blessed to work with. I am happy that my team is behind me and I look forward to the future.
Some[who?] felt that Clarkson was shunned by Davis during his appearance on the finale show ofAmerican Idol season 6, when he proceeded to promote otherIdol contestants' current singles or albums, but failed to mention Clarkson's upcomingMy December album, or its first single "Never Again", and furthermore went out of his way to praise professional songwriters such as those who had written "Breakaway" and "Since U Been Gone".[22] He did, however, briefly mention that Clarkson had sold over 15 million albums worldwide to date, when discussing the current state ofIdol sales.[citation needed]
In addition, Clarkson claimed that she was pressured by her record label to sing "Never Again" at the charity eventIdol Gives Back to promote the song, saying:
My label wanted me to sing "Never Again", and I was like, to promote yourself on a charity event is beyond crass. People are starving and dying and I'm up there singing some bitter pop song? And believe me, everyone wanted me to sing it. Because they are jaded and they have no soul. Imagine sitting in a room full of people totally against you. Can't they hear themselves speaking? Capitalize onAIDS? Are you kidding? Insulting an entire nation of people? I just refused.[23]
Instead, Clarkson sangPatty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain" at theIdol Gives Back special, getting a standing ovation, and saved "Never Again" for her appearance on the season finale show.[citation needed]
My December was released on June 26, 2007 in North America.[24] In numerous interviews and press releases, the release date forMy December had been stated as July 24, 2007.[25][26][27]
Clarkson had stated onJimmy Kimmel Live! that the release date forMy December had been pushed up, in an effort to allow fans to become familiar with the album before its upcoming promotionaltour.[citation needed] The tour was then cancelled on June 14, 2007, with low ticket sales being acknowledged and Clarkson noting that it was "too much too soon".[28] Clarkson rescheduled her tour to the fall of 2007 and performed in smaller venues than originally planned.[29]
The album had been put up for pre-order oniTunes on June 12, including an offer fromTicketmaster for preferred seating to the upcoming tour. However, the offer was removed after the tour was cancelled. The album itself remained available for pre-order. A deluxe edition was also released with extra songs and a making of the album video.
Internationally, the album was released on June 23, 2007[30] in Australia and June 25, 2007[31] in the United Kingdom.
Clarkson announced on her website that theMy December Tour would start on July 11, 2007 inPortland,Oregon. The tour had 37 dates across the US and Canada.[32]Mat Kearney was scheduled to open for her[33] and another possible special guest may have accompanied her.
However, on June 14, 2007, the tour was canceled.Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino released a statement:[34]
"Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew. In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run."
Clarkson posted a response on her official website promising a new tour would happen:[35]
"I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better."
A new My December Tour for Fall 2007 in North America was announced on September 4, 2007 onBillboard.com.[36] Clarkson was scheduled to play 26 dates in 3,000-to-7,500 seattheatres rather than the previously scheduled arenas.[36] The twenty city tour began inVerona, New York on October 10, 2007 and finished inNashville, Tennessee on December 3, 2007.
When the second incarnation of the tour appeared on Ticketmaster,Jon McLaughlin was confirmed to be opening for Clarkson for the majority, if not all of her North America dates.[37]
"Never Again" was released as the first worldwide single fromMy December. Clarkson confirmed its release on her official website on April 4, 2007[38] and debuted the song onLos Angeles' 102.7KIIS-FM's radio showOn-Air with Ryan Seacrest on April 13, 2007. The song was released on theiTunes Store on April 20, 2007 and was made permanently available for sale on April 24, 2007. It debuted and peaked at number eight on theBillboard Hot 100, but unlike her previous singles, it encountered radio resistance. Despite its poor radio airplay, the song logged an impressive number of over 100,000 paid digital downloads in its first week on the charts.[39] As of May 2010, the song has sold over one million digital downloads.
Clarkson confirmed "Sober" as the second single fromMy December on her journal in the Official Kelly Clarkson Fan Club. The song was released to airwaves on June 6, 2007. Industry experts stated that "Sober" was a crucial single for Clarkson, as the lead single fromMy December, "Never Again", charted well due to strong digital downloads but encountered radio airplay resistance in a number of US markets, especially when compared to the radio success of all five of her singles from her previous albumBreakaway. "Never Again" had been descending in radio airplay after failing to break the top 20 on the Pop format, and therefore was one reason why "Sober" was released so soon after "Never Again" (just over five weeks later, and three weeks before the release of the album). Whether radio accepted "Sober" was considered key in determining the sales potential ofMy December. After the failure of the song (Clarkson's least successful single in the US to date), sales of theMy December album in the US largely ceased, and no further US singles from the album were released.
However, in an interview with Nashville radio station 107.5 The River, Clarkson said that she released "Sober" so early because she wanted to show the diversity of music inMy December. In July 2007, "Sober" was a highlight of Clarkson's five-song set atLive Earth atGiants Stadium, with the audience audibly applauding her vocal line during the song's climax near the end. It has also been considered as a fan favorite from the album. "Sober" did have a featured spot in Clarkson's My December Tour, being played at the start of the encores and receiving a strong audience response. No music video was made for the song.
"One Minute" managed to gain airplay in Australia, which led the label to officially release it as the second single there and the third single overall. ACD single was released on September 22, 2007.[40] However, it ultimately failed to make a major dent in Australia, debuting at number 36 on the charts before quickly exiting. "Don't Waste Your Time" was released as the third and final single and the fourth single overall. It was released in several European countries via iTunes in fall of 2007. It was released as a CD single in Germany in December 2007. It was also released in Australia in February 2008. A music video was released to promote the song and combined real-life images and computer-animated graphics.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 64/100[41] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| About.com |  [42] |
| Blender | [43] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[44] |
| The Guardian | [45] |
| Rolling Stone | [46] |
| Slant Magazine | [2] |
| Spin | 7/10[47] |
| Sputnikmusic | 1.5/5[48] |
| Stylus | B[49] |
The first single, "Never Again", was released on April 13, 2007 in the US, debuting in the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100 thanks to strong digital sales. The album opened successfully; its opening week sales comparable to those of Clarkson's first two albums.[citation needed] It was suggested that so much controversy would have hindered the sales of Clarkson's then-new album. M. Tye Corner ofAOL Music had opined early on that the controversy could "affect sales a bit in the first few weeks and when the record c[ame] out."[50] In spite of the controversy surroundingMy December, the album garnered fairly positive reviews from music professionals and critics.[50] The album scored 64/100 onMetacritic,[51] indicating generally positive reviews.Slant Magazine reviewedMy December mostly positive, with the album receiving a 3.5/5 star review. An excerpt from the review, in response to the disappointing performance of "Never Again", read: "But who cares about hits—or appeasing the kids—when the songs are this good?"[2]The Times wrote: "Clarkson has the moxie to rock without worrying about what anybody else thinks... Her gift is finding the source of vitality in absolute mainstream, people-pleasing pop, which by its nature breaks stylistic rules in favor of magpie mash-ups, bold appropriations and happy accidents."[52]
AllMusic, however, gave a more lukewarm review, giving it 3/5 stars, saying: "It's what Kelly wanted to do, so on that level it's a success, and one that listeners who share her viewpoint (and quite likely her age) will respond to but for everybody else,My December is a disappointment." Commenting on Clarkson's feud with her record label, they also claimed: "My December proves that both camps were correct: Davis is correct that there are no big crossover hits here, yet it's also true that this is an artistic move that Clarkson needed to make. If left up to Davis, she would simply be another vocalist singing professional product."[1]Rolling Stone, giving a similar lukewarm review, wrote: "Clarkson clobbers you over the head with her emotions and arena-ready choruses. The result is a record that's bland in some spots and annoying in others."[46]
A 2016 article from Sputnikmusic describedMy December as "the most logical progression for Kelly's career"; noting the album's genre-hopping betweenpop,pop punk,alternative rock,hard rock,soul,R&B, andfolk without one genre sounding out of place, and further noting that "it would be really interesting to see if she ever makes an album likeMy December again".[53] A 2017 article fromAXS commemorating the ten-year anniversary ofMy December stated that "My December was an album Clarkson made for herself and taught her more about not only herself but when to stand up for what she believes in. "It's my face, it's my time," she said of the record. During the feud, other artists jumped to her defense includingDaryl Hall ofHall & Oates who also had a conflict with Davis during their run. To date, it still remains a favorite of fans."[54]
My December, in its debut, not only was one of the best selling albums of the week, but sold faster than Clarkson's previous album,Breakaway (which peaked at number three on the USBillboard 200 albums chart).[55] The album debuted at number two in the United States with sales of approximately 291,000 copies — a mere 6,000 copies less than Clarkson's debut hitThankful sold in its first week. It came behindHannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, which sold about 326,000 copies that week.[56]
The album also debuted at number two in the United Kingdom, selling 40,509 copies in its first week. The album eventually fell to number nine in its second week, and number twenty in its third week.[57]
My December was certified platinum in the United States by theRIAA on the December 12, 2007.[58] The album made it to number 66 on the US albums year-end-chart of 2007,[59] while Clarkson herself was the sixty-third top selling artist of the year in the United States.[60]
The album debuted and peaked at number four on theAustralian ARIA Charts, falling off the Top 20 in five weeks. It fell off the charts after eighteen weeks.[61]
As of September 2017, the album had sold 858,000 copies in the United States.[62]
All songs produced byDavid Kahne. All songs co-produced byJason Halbert and Jimmy Messer.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Never Again" |
| 3:37 |
| 2. | "One Minute" | 3:05 | |
| 3. | "Hole" |
| 3:02 |
| 4. | "Sober" |
| 4:52 |
| 5. | "Don't Waste Your Time" |
| 3:36 |
| 6. | "Judas" |
| 3:37 |
| 7. | "Haunted" |
| 3:19 |
| 8. | "Be Still" |
| 3:25 |
| 9. | "Maybe" |
| 4:23 |
| 10. | "How I Feel" |
| 3:41 |
| 11. | "Yeah" |
| 2:43 |
| 12. | "Can I Have a Kiss" |
| 3:32 |
| 13. | "Irvine" (includeshidden track "Chivas") |
| 8:45 |
| Total length: | 51:37 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Irvine" |
| 4:15 |
| 14. | "Chivas" |
| 3:30 |
| 15. | "Fading" |
| 2:52 |
| Total length: | 54:29 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Dirty Little Secret" |
| 3:34 |
| 15. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Radio Remix) |
| 4:11 |
| 16. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Club Mix) |
| 7:55 |
| 17. | "Not Today" |
| 3:30 |
Vocals
Musicians
Orchestra on "Sober" and "Be Still"
Production
Studios
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[88] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[89] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Ireland (IRMA)[90] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| South Korea | — | 2,138[91] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[93] | Gold | 156,000[92] |
| United States (RIAA)[58] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | June 22, 2007 | CD | Sony BMG | |
| Australia | June 23, 2007 | |||
| France | June 25, 2007 | |||
| United Kingdom | RCA | |||
| United States | June 26, 2007 | |||
| Thailand | July 5, 2007 | CD | Sony BMG | |
| Japan | July 25, 2007 | BMG Japan |
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
| Remix albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Video releases | |
| Concert tours and residencies |
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| Television | |
| Bibliography | |
| Related articles | |
| Family |
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