Three-time Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson has dropped “red flag collector,” another preview to her tenth studio album. Chemistry will arrive via Atlantic Records on June 23.
Videos by American Songwriter
The preview track was released alongside a live rendition, as Clarkson previously performed “red flag collector” at a one-night-only show at Los Angeles’ Belasco Theatre. Before breaking into the dark anthem fueled by frustration and divorce, she delivered a monologue that embodied her rollercoaster emotions during the songwriting process.
“Here’s the thing…mama was very angry,” Clarkson admitted through laughter. “This song, in particular, so divorce okay. Things get said that you are like, ‘What?’ You just get caught off guard, and you’re like, ‘I need to write a song, or I’m gonna set my house on fire.’ So, I feel like the first one’s healthier. You can tell by the title it’s called “red flag collector.”
The guitarist sets the tone, kicking off the introduction with stirring-guitar licks and eerie whistles. Listeners can hear the heartbreak and anger in Clarkson’s voice, as she delivers the reflective banger that displays her pop-punk side. The razor-sharp lyrics were inspired by her public divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
After seven years of marriage, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020. Before the lengthy settlement battle, she acknowledged several red flags, which are pushed to the forefront in the Jason Halbert-produced anthem.
As you run your mouth | Puff your chest | Play cowboy in the wild, wild west | I don’t mind, you know best | Keep on riddin’ til you can’t see us | I learned the hard way about love | Sometimes it just isn’t enough, Clarkson declared before the spit-fire second verse. But sure, you can have the towels (They’re all yours) | Tell ’em all I’m crazy (Loco) | What a nice cliché me, I guess | Some things never change (B*tch) | Finding out what went down | As soon as I wasn’t around |Broke my heart, but, hey, I’ll be okay.
“Red flag collector” serves as the fourth release from her forthcoming 14-track record. The radio-ready hit comes on the heels of Steve Martin-assisted “i hate love,” “favorite kind of high,” and double singles “mine” and “me.”
“Having chemistry with someone is an incredible, and overwhelming, feeling,” said Clarkson in a statement. “It’s like you have no choice in the matter. You are just drawn to each other. This can be good and bad. This album takes you down every path that chemistry could lead you down.”
Not only will the project convey Clarkson’s authenticity and vulnerability, but it will also showcase her soaring vocals that can’t be matched.
Come Friday, July 28, the vocalist will deliver the much-anticipated LP at Chemistry…an intimate night with Kelly Clarkson in Las Vegas. The high-demand show will take place at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. According to a press release, the set will be designed exclusively for the legendary stage. Find the upcoming tracklist below:
chemistry:
1. skip this part
2. mine
3. high road
4. me
5. down to you
6. chemistry
7. favorite kind of high
8. magic
9. lighthouse
10. rock hudson
11. my mistake
12. red flag collector
13. i hate love (feat. Steve Martin)
14. that’s right (feat. Sheila E.)
Photo by Brian Bowen Smith / Atlantic Records
