My December
Encyclopedia
My December is the third studio album
by American
pop rock
singer Kelly Clarkson
. The album was released on June 22, 2007 throughout most of Europe (such as Germany
, Ireland
, Italy
and the Netherlands), on June 23, 2007 in Australia
, on June 25, 2007 in the United Kingdom
, Hong Kong
and Poland
, and on June 26, 2007 in North America
. 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 U.S and has been certified Platinum. It has also been certified Platinum in other countries, including Canada and Australia. The album was voted as the fifth best album of 2007 by the readers of the Billboard Magazine. It ranked at #53 on the Australian Year End Chart.
. In numerous interviews and press releases, the release date for My December had been stated as July 24, 2007.
Clarkson had stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live
that the release date for My December had been pushed up, in an effort to allow fans to become familiar with the album before its upcoming promotional tour
. 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". Clarkson rescheduled her tour to the fall of 2007 and performed in smaller venues than originally planned.
The album had been put up for pre-order on iTunes
on June 12, including an offer from Ticketmaster
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.
Internationally, the album was released on June 23, 2007 in Australia
and June 25, 2007 in the U.K.
During this period, Clarkson wrote songs that would eventually become part of her album, My December, calling it "free therapy". These feelings inspired the song "Irvine", telling of when she was in Irvine, California
. "Irvine" would be later used in the season five premiere episode of One Tree Hill
entitled "4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days
".
, the head of Sony-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 both RCA 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.
However, Clarkson later confirmed the rumors to be true. Not only did she state that Davis wanted to hold the album from being released as scheduled, she also stated that her label thought the album was "too negative" and dark. Clarkson has stated multiple times that she recognizes that My December may not rival the showstopping sales of Breakaway. However, she compares it to Bruce Springsteen
's landmark 1982 album Nebraska
, which was explicitly anti-commercial but has since gained a huge reputation of, as she said, "an artist's record". Clarkson stated:
Idol
judge, Simon Cowell
, commented on the situation in issue of Entertainment Weekly
, saying:
The controversy fell quiet for a brief stint, but resumed when Clarkson cancelled her tour for My December and fired her manager, Jeff Kwatinetz. Interestingly, Jeff Kwatinetz had defended My December to Clarkson's label, saying:
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire
's husband, has since been hired by Clarkson as her personal manager. In regards to her cancelled tour, disappointing ticket sales were acknowledged as a factor, and Clarkson stated that it (touring) was "too much too soon". Following the dismissal of her manager and cancelling her tour, Clarkson appeared in an issue of Elle Magazine, where it was revealed that Davis offered Clarkson $10 million dollars to remove five songs from the album in favor of five more radio friendly songs of Davis' choosing — including "Black Hole" which appeared on Lindsay Lohan
's album, A Little More Personal (Raw)
. Clarkson refused the offer, and stated that:
Reba McEntire
responded to the situation in the same issue, praising Clarkson:
Further articles displaying Clarkson "downplaying" her label were written. In an edition of USA Weekend
, Clarkson stated:
Although American Idol
judge Simon Cowell
had sided with Clarkson earlier, it seemed he begun to grow sick of the controversy as he was quoted saying,
A few weeks after the release of My December, Clarkson publicly stated that all of the controversy regarding her "feud" with her label has been "blown way out of proportion". In a statement on her website, Clarkson stated:
", and furthermore went out of his way to praise professional songwriters such as those who had written "Breakaway
" and "Since U Been Gone
". He did, however, briefly mention that Clarkson had sold over 15 million albums worldwide to date, when discussing the current state of Idol sales.
In addition, she claims that she was pressured by the label to sing "Never Again
" at the charity event Idol Gives Back
to promote the song, saying,
Instead, Clarkson sang Patty Griffin
's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)
" at the Idol Gives Back
special, getting a standing ovation, and saved "Never Again
" for her appearance on the season finale show.
", was released on April 13 in the U.S., and despite debuting in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100
thanks to strong digital sales, it never achieved substantial airplay and was pulled from many stations only a couple of weeks following its release.
Otherwise, the album opened successfully. In spite of its uncommercial nature, its opening week sales were comparable to those of Clarkson's first two albums.
Many fans reacted positively to the preview of the album. On sites like Clarkson's official website, AOL
, iTunes
and Rolling Stone
, customer reviews currently average 4 out of 5 stars.
In spite of all the controversy surrounding "My December", the album has garnered fairly positive reviews from professionals and critics as well.
Slant Magazine
reviewed My December mostly positive, with the album receiving a 3.5/5 star review, equivalent to the score given to Breakaway. An excerpt from the review, in response to the disappointing performance of "Never Again
", reads, "But who cares about hits—or appeasing the kids—when the songs are this good?"
The Times
writes: "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."
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 the record label, they also claim, "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."
Rolling Stone
, giving a similar lukewarm review, writes, "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." However, Rolling Stone praised the album for tracks such as "How I Feel", "Irvine" and "Yeah", noting that Clarkson may have another "'Since U Been Gone' in her yet".
It has been suggested that so much controversy could hinder the sales of Clarkson's new album. M. Tye Corner of AOL
music says that so much controversy could "affect sales a bit in the first few weeks and when the record comes out," but he thinks that Clarkson will still "come out on the top."
The album scored 64/100 on MetaCritic
indicating generally positive reviews. Clarkson's debut album, Thankful
, scored 62/100. Reviews for Breakaway were not compiled on the site. Her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, scored 70/100.
with sales of approximately 291,000 copies — a mere 6,000 copies less than Clarkson's debut hit Thankful
sold in its first week. It came behind Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
, which sold about 326,000 copies that week.
The album debuted at #2 in the U.K.
selling 40,509 copies, eventually falling to #9 in its second week, and #20 in its third week.
The album was certified platinum in the United States by RIAA on the 12 December 2007. My December, made it to #66 on the album year-end-chart of 2007, while Clarkson was the sixty-third top selling artist of the year.
The album debuted and peaked at #4 on the Australian ARIA Charts
, falling off the Top 20 in 5 weeks. It fell off the charts after 18 weeks.
" was the first single from My December worldwide. Clarkson confirmed its release on her official website on April 4, 2007 and debuted the song on Los Angeles
102.7 KIIS-FM
's radio show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" on April 13, 2007. The song was released on the iTunes Store
on April 20, 2007 and permanently available for sale on April 24, 2007. It debuted and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, but unlike her previous singles it encountered radio resistance. Despite its poor radio airplay, the song logged an impressive number of 991,000 digital downloads. As of May 2010, the song has sold over one million digital downloads.
" as the second single from My December on her journal in the Official Kelly Clarkson Fan Club. The song was released to airwaves on June 6, 2007. Industry experts state that "Sober" was a crucial single for Clarkson, as the lead single for My December, "Never Again", charted well due to strong digital downloads but encountered radio airplay resistance in a number of U.S. markets, especially when compared to the radio success of all five of her singles from her previous album Breakaway. "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 of My December. After the failure of the song (Clarkson's least successful single in the U.S. to date), sales of the My December album in the U.S. largely ceased, and no further U.S. 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 in My December. In July 2007, "Sober" was a highlight of Clarkson's five-song set at Live Earth at Giants 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 of 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.
" started gaining airplay in Australia which led the label to officially release it as the second single in Australia. A CD-single was released on September 22, 2007 in Australia. However, it ultimately failed to make a major dent on the charts, debuting at number 36 before quickly exiting the charts.
was released as the third and final single. It was released in several European countries via iTunes in November 2007. It was released as a CD Single in Germany in December 2007. It was released in Australia in February 2008. The music video combines real images and computer animated graphics.
would start on July 11, 2007 in Portland
, Oregon
. The tour had 37 dates across the U.S.
and Canada
. Mat Kearney
was scheduled to open for her 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:
Clarkson posted a response on her official website promising a new tour would happen:
"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 in Billboard.com and elsewhere, Clarkson was scheduled to play 26 dates in 3,000-to-7,500 seat theatre
s rather than the previous arenas. The twenty-tour city tour began in Verona, New York
on October 10, 2007 and finished in Nashville, 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.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
singer Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
. The album was released on June 22, 2007 throughout most of Europe (such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Netherlands), on June 23, 2007 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, on June 25, 2007 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and on June 26, 2007 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. 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 U.S and has been certified Platinum. It has also been certified Platinum in other countries, including Canada and Australia. The album was voted as the fifth best album of 2007 by the readers of the Billboard Magazine. It ranked at #53 on the Australian Year End Chart.
Release date
My December was released on June 26, 2007 in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In numerous interviews and press releases, the release date for My December had been stated as July 24, 2007.
Clarkson had stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
that the release date for My December had been pushed up, in an effort to allow fans to become familiar with the album before its upcoming promotional tour
My December Tour
The My December Tour was the second headlining concert tour by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, and followed the release Clarkson's third studio album, My December. Originally a large-scale summer tour timed to coincide with the June 2007 availability of the album, public career battles...
. 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". Clarkson rescheduled her tour to the fall of 2007 and performed in smaller venues than originally planned.
The album had been put up for pre-order on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on June 12, including an offer from Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...
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.
Internationally, the album was released on June 23, 2007 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and June 25, 2007 in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Story
Clarkson began writing and composing songs for My December during her international Breakaway World Tour. In an interview, Clarkson was quoted:During this period, Clarkson wrote songs that would eventually become part of her album, My December, calling it "free therapy". These feelings inspired the song "Irvine", telling of when she was in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. "Irvine" would be later used in the season five premiere episode of One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
entitled "4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days
4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days (One Tree Hill)
"4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days" is the first episode of the fifth season of the television series One Tree Hill, and eighty-ninth episode in total. The episode premiered on the The CW on January 8, 2008. It became the first episode that has been ordered for mid-season. The episode aired at 8/7C, with...
".
Conflict with record label
Prior to the album's release, sources reported that Clive DavisClive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
, the head of Sony-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 both RCA 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.
However, Clarkson later confirmed the rumors to be true. Not only did she state that Davis wanted to hold the album from being released as scheduled, she also stated that her label thought the album was "too negative" and dark. Clarkson has stated multiple times that she recognizes that My December may not rival the showstopping sales of Breakaway. However, she compares it to Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's landmark 1982 album Nebraska
Nebraska (album)
-Themes:The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm...
, which was explicitly anti-commercial but has since gained a huge reputation of, as she said, "an artist's record". Clarkson stated:
Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
judge, Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, commented on the situation in issue of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, saying:
The controversy fell quiet for a brief stint, but resumed when Clarkson cancelled her tour for My December and fired her manager, Jeff Kwatinetz. Interestingly, Jeff Kwatinetz had defended My December to Clarkson's label, saying:
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
's husband, has since been hired by Clarkson as her personal manager. In regards to her cancelled tour, disappointing ticket sales were acknowledged as a factor, and Clarkson stated that it (touring) was "too much too soon". Following the dismissal of her manager and cancelling her tour, Clarkson appeared in an issue of Elle Magazine, where it was revealed that Davis offered Clarkson $10 million dollars to remove five songs from the album in favor of five more radio friendly songs of Davis' choosing — including "Black Hole" which appeared on Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
's album, A Little More Personal (Raw)
A Little More Personal (Raw)
A Little More Personal received mixed reviews from critics. The album holds a score of 50 out of 100 based on 9 critical reviews, according to the music review aggregator Metacritic...
. Clarkson refused the offer, and stated that:
Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
responded to the situation in the same issue, praising Clarkson:
Further articles displaying Clarkson "downplaying" her label were written. In an edition of USA Weekend
USA Weekend
USA Weekend is a national publication distributed through more than 800+ newspapers in the United States. It reaches 47 million readers in 22.6 million households every weekend. Awarded for its journalism and design, USA WEEKEND focuses on social issues, entertainment, health, food and travel....
, Clarkson stated:
Although American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
judge Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
had sided with Clarkson earlier, it seemed he begun to grow sick of the controversy as he was quoted saying,
A few weeks after the release of My December, Clarkson publicly stated that all of the controversy regarding her "feud" with her label has been "blown way out of proportion". In a statement on her website, Clarkson stated:
Idol controversy
Some felt that Clarkson was shunned by Davis during his appearance on the finale show of American Idol season 6, when he proceeded to promote other Idol contestants' current singles or albums, but failed to mention Clarkson's upcoming My December album, or its first single, "Never AgainNever Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
", and furthermore went out of his way to praise professional songwriters such as those who had written "Breakaway
Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Breakaway" is a 2004 song co-written by Avril Lavigne, Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard and produced by John Shanks. It was recorded by pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement by Disney Records, where it quickly became a charting...
" and "Since U Been Gone
Since U Been Gone
"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
". He did, however, briefly mention that Clarkson had sold over 15 million albums worldwide to date, when discussing the current state of Idol sales.
In addition, she claims that she was pressured by the label to sing "Never Again
Never Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
" at the charity event Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
to promote the song, saying,
Instead, Clarkson sang Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)
"Up to the Mountain " is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee...
" at the Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
special, getting a standing ovation, and saved "Never Again
Never Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
" for her appearance on the season finale show.
Critical and commercial reaction
The first single, "Never AgainNever Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
", was released on April 13 in the U.S., and despite debuting in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
thanks to strong digital sales, it never achieved substantial airplay and was pulled from many stations only a couple of weeks following its release.
Otherwise, the album opened successfully. In spite of its uncommercial nature, its opening week sales were comparable to those of Clarkson's first two albums.
Many fans reacted positively to the preview of the album. On sites like Clarkson's official website, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, customer reviews currently average 4 out of 5 stars.
In spite of all the controversy surrounding "My December", the album has garnered fairly positive reviews from professionals and critics as well.
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
reviewed My December mostly positive, with the album receiving a 3.5/5 star review, equivalent to the score given to Breakaway. An excerpt from the review, in response to the disappointing performance of "Never Again
Never Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
", reads, "But who cares about hits—or appeasing the kids—when the songs are this good?"
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
writes: "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."
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 the record label, they also claim, "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."
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, giving a similar lukewarm review, writes, "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." However, Rolling Stone praised the album for tracks such as "How I Feel", "Irvine" and "Yeah", noting that Clarkson may have another "'Since U Been Gone' in her yet".
It has been suggested that so much controversy could hinder the sales of Clarkson's new album. M. Tye Corner of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
music says that so much controversy could "affect sales a bit in the first few weeks and when the record comes out," but he thinks that Clarkson will still "come out on the top."
The album scored 64/100 on MetaCritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
indicating generally positive reviews. Clarkson's debut album, Thankful
Thankful (Kelly Clarkson album)
-Sales 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 , the album sold well in the United States...
, scored 62/100. Reviews for Breakaway were not compiled on the site. Her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, scored 70/100.
Track listing
- "Chivas" (hidden trackHidden trackIn the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
, starts 5 minutes and 18 seconds into "Irvine") – 3:32
iTunes bonus tracks
Japanese release bonus track
Note: The version containing this song was released on July 25, 2007.Credits and personnel
- Chapman Baehler – Photography
- Dwight Baker – Composer
- Joe Barresi – Engineer
- Rob Bril – Additional Drum Programming
- Jeff Carney – Double Bass
- Kelly Clarkson – Composer, Executive Producer
- Cenovia Cummings – Violin
- Kara DioGuardi – Composer
- Aben Eubanks – Composer, Guitar, Keys, Lap Steel
- Erik Friedlander – Cello
- Rachel Goodwin – Makeup
- Jason Halbert – Composer, Co-Producer, Keys, Musician
- Joyce Hammann – Violin
- Aaron Heick – Alto Saxophone
- Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– Mastering - David Kahne – Engineer, Keys, Producer, Programming
- Brett Kilroe – Art Direction, Design
- Chantal Kreviazuk – Composer
- Jeff Kwatinetz – Manager, Executive Producer
- Andy Laster – Barritone Saxophone
- Raine Madia – Composer
- Campbell McAuley – Hair
- Calamity McEntire – Composer
- Jimmy Messer – Additional Engineer, Bass Guitar, Composer, Co-Producer, Guitar, Keys
- Lori Miller – Violin
- Billy Mohler – Bass Guitar
- Chris Owens – Assistant Engineer
- Malcolm Pardon – Composer
- Shawn Pelton – Drums
- Fredrik Rinman – Composer
- Mick Rossi – Conductor & Additional Orchestrations, Orchestra Arrangements & Orchestrations
- Mike Scielzi – Assistant Mix Engineer
- Sara Seiver – Cello
- Roger Shell – Cello
- Antoine Silverman – Violin
- Andrew Sterman – Conductor, Tenor Saxophone
- David Siskovic – Additional Beats
- Jennifer Sousa – Album A&R Coordination
- Wendy Sutter – Cello
- Hiroko Taguchi – Violin
- Entcho Todorov – Violin
- Emma Trask – Styling
- Andy Wallace – Mixing
- Mike WattMike WattMichael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
– Bass Guitar - Paul Woodiel – Violin
Chart performance
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 #3). The album debuted at #2 in the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with sales of approximately 291,000 copies — a mere 6,000 copies less than Clarkson's debut hit Thankful
Thankful (Kelly Clarkson album)
-Sales 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 , the album sold well in the United States...
sold in its first week. It came behind Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus is the second soundtrack album from the Disney Channel original series Hannah Montana. The album was released on June 26, 2007 by Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records. In the television series and film, American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus...
, which sold about 326,000 copies that week.
The album debuted at #2 in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
selling 40,509 copies, eventually falling to #9 in its second week, and #20 in its third week.
The album was certified platinum in the United States by RIAA on the 12 December 2007. My December, made it to #66 on the album year-end-chart of 2007, while Clarkson was the sixty-third top selling artist of the year.
The album debuted and peaked at #4 on the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, falling off the Top 20 in 5 weeks. It fell off the charts after 18 weeks.
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
June 22, 2007 | Sony BMG | CD | |
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
June 22, 2007 | Sony BMG | CD | |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
June 23, 2007 | |||
| Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
June 23, 2007 | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
June 25, 2007 | |||
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
June 26, 2007 | RCA Records | CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
July 5, 2007 |
International sales and certifications
| Country/Market | ref | Peak | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 4 | Gold | 35,000 | |
| Austria | 8 | |||
| Belgium (Flanders) |
23 | |||
| Canada | 2 | Platinum | 100,000 | |
| Czech Republic | 33 | |||
| Denmark | 17 | |||
| Estonia | 26 | |||
| Finland | 19 | |||
| France | 180 | |||
| Germany | 5 | |||
| Greece | 16 | |||
| Ireland | 2 | Gold | 7,500 | |
| Japan | 42 | |||
| Mexico | 27 | |||
| Netherlands | 7 | |||
| New Zealand | 8 | |||
| Poland | 39 | |||
| Sweden | 38 | |||
| Switzerland | 5 | |||
| Taiwan 5-music |
7 | |||
| UK | 2 | |||
| United States | 2 | Platinum | 815,000 |
"Never Again"
"Never AgainNever Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December ....
" was the first single from My December worldwide. Clarkson confirmed its release on her official website on April 4, 2007 and debuted the song on Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
102.7 KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
's radio show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" on April 13, 2007. The song was released on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on April 20, 2007 and permanently available for sale on April 24, 2007. It debuted and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, but unlike her previous singles it encountered radio resistance. Despite its poor radio airplay, the song logged an impressive number of 991,000 digital downloads. As of May 2010, the song has sold over one million digital downloads.
"Sober"
Clarkson confirmed "SoberSober (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Sober" is a song composed by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson, Aben Eubanks, Calamity McEntire, and Jimmy Messer. It was released as the second and final U.S. single from her third studio album, My December in the United States.-Background:...
" as the second single from My December on her journal in the Official Kelly Clarkson Fan Club. The song was released to airwaves on June 6, 2007. Industry experts state that "Sober" was a crucial single for Clarkson, as the lead single for My December, "Never Again", charted well due to strong digital downloads but encountered radio airplay resistance in a number of U.S. markets, especially when compared to the radio success of all five of her singles from her previous album Breakaway. "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 of My December. After the failure of the song (Clarkson's least successful single in the U.S. to date), sales of the My December album in the U.S. largely ceased, and no further U.S. 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 in My December. In July 2007, "Sober" was a highlight of Clarkson's five-song set at Live Earth at Giants 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 of 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"
"One MinuteOne Minute
"One Minute" is a song composed by pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, with the help from Chantal Kreviazuk, Kara Dioguardi, and Michael Raine Maida. It is the second single from her third studio album, My December, released in Australia on September 22, 2007...
" started gaining airplay in Australia which led the label to officially release it as the second single in Australia. A CD-single was released on September 22, 2007 in Australia. However, it ultimately failed to make a major dent on the charts, debuting at number 36 before quickly exiting the charts.
"Don't Waste Your Time"
Don't Waste Your TimeDon't Waste Your Time
"Don't Waste Your Time" is a song composed by pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, Fredrik Rinman, Jimmy Messer, and Malcolm Pardon, sampling riffs from Ira Losco's "Uh Oh". It is the second and final European single from Clarkson's third studio album, My December, released in several...
was released as the third and final single. It was released in several European countries via iTunes in November 2007. It was released as a CD Single in Germany in December 2007. It was released in Australia in February 2008. The music video combines real images and computer animated graphics.
Chart positions
| Year | Single | Peak positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. Pop Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
CAN Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 2007 | "Never Again Never Again (Kelly Clarkson song) "Never Again" is a song written by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single from her third studio album, My December .... " |
8 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| "Sober Sober (Kelly Clarkson song) "Sober" is a song composed by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson, Aben Eubanks, Calamity McEntire, and Jimmy Messer. It was released as the second and final U.S. single from her third studio album, My December in the United States.-Background:... " |
110 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Don't Waste Your Time Don't Waste Your Time "Don't Waste Your Time" is a song composed by pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, Fredrik Rinman, Jimmy Messer, and Malcolm Pardon, sampling riffs from Ira Losco's "Uh Oh". It is the second and final European single from Clarkson's third studio album, My December, released in several... " |
— | — | — | — | — | |
| "One Minute One Minute "One Minute" is a song composed by pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, with the help from Chantal Kreviazuk, Kara Dioguardi, and Michael Raine Maida. It is the second single from her third studio album, My December, released in Australia on September 22, 2007... " |
— | — | — | 36 | — |
My December tour
Clarkson announced on her website that the My December TourMy December Tour
The My December Tour was the second headlining concert tour by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, and followed the release Clarkson's third studio album, My December. Originally a large-scale summer tour timed to coincide with the June 2007 availability of the album, public career battles...
would start on July 11, 2007 in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The tour had 37 dates across the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Mat Kearney
Mat Kearney
Mathew William "Mat" Kearney is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Kearney has received critical acclaim and widespread recognition for his Columbia Records debut, Nothing Left to Lose. So far, he has a total of four top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40...
was scheduled to open for her and another possible special guest may have accompanied her.
However, on June 14, 2007, the tour was canceled. Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
CEO Michael Rapino released a statement:
"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:
"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
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
was announced on September 4, 2007 in Billboard.com and elsewhere, Clarkson was scheduled to play 26 dates in 3,000-to-7,500 seat theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s rather than the previous arenas. The twenty-tour city tour began in Verona, New York
Verona, New York
Verona is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,425 at the 2000 census. The source of the town name is unknown, though it's possibly named after Verona, Italy....
on October 10, 2007 and finished in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
on December 3, 2007.
When the second incarnation of the tour appeared on Ticketmaster, Jon McLaughlin
Jon McLaughlin
Jon McLaughlin is a pop rock singer-songwriter and pianist from Anderson, Indiana. His debut album Indiana was released on May 1, 2007, preceded by his first EP Industry, also known as Jon McL, in February 2007...
was confirmed to be opening for Clarkson for the majority, if not all of her North America dates.