As the world well knows by now, Kelly Clarkson can do no wrong. Her voice seems to be the perfect fit for any and all songs–a fact she’s made more than clear on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Her fans will undoubtedly have their favorite Clarkson covers, but it seems the singer herself has an opinion on the matter…
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “Love Me Like a Man” (Bonnie Raitt)
Judging by this cover of Bonnie Raitt‘s “Love Me Like a Man,” Clarkson’s voice is tailor-made for the blues. She turns the soul up on her vocals tenfold and delivers a smoky rendition of this jaunty track. On top of expressing her love for her own cover, she gave a shoutout to Raitt’s live vocals: “The live version…look it up,” she once advised.
Who won’t put himself above me
Who just loves me like a man
2. “Happier Than Ever” (Billie Eilish)
Billie Eilish has a distinctive voice. It’s hard to match her unique lilt. While Clarkson’s rendition of “Happier Than Ever” doesn’t exactly do that, the ‘American Idol’ alum made it stunningly her own. She kicks off the song with the same low-key delivery that Eilish makes use of, but by the time the chorus comes around, Clarkson explodes into her famous belt.
Clarkson seems to be similarly enthralled with that cover. She told ‘Watch What Happens Live!’ host Andy Cohen that it was one of her favorite songs she’s ever tried on for size.
When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever
Wish I could explain it better
3. “Why” (Annie Lennox)
Clarkson’s top favorite cover is “Why” by Annie Lennox. “I love Annie Lennox, and it’s like my favorite song,” Clarkson continued in the same ‘WWHL!’ interview. “That probably is No. 1, my favorite.”
It’s not hard to figure out why Clarkson loves this cover so much. You can tell just how connected she is to the song when listening to her sing it. She injected the full spectrum of emotions into this cover.
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
