Written by Peter Burditt
Videos by American Songwriter
Kelly Clarkson showcased a portion of two new songs from her upcoming album Chemistry this past weekend in the unusual fashion of a flashmob. Clarkson took to the streets of Los Angeles performing her new songs “me” and “favorite kind of high” accompanied by singers from the LA-based choral company Tonality.
Clarkson started out her public appearance by singing “favorite kind of high” outside a SweetGreens shop in an outdoor LA mall. Clarkson then wrote in an Instagram post that “this was so fun y’all” and that the assisting musicians were “amazing singers.” After the last lyric, Clarkson warmly says to the involuntary audience, “Enjoy your lunch,” and then receives a roaring applause.
Subsequent to this performance, Clarkson waltzes into a Blue Bottle coffee shop and sings “me.” The setting of the coffee shop, paired with Clarkson’s booming vocals, and the support of the backup singers made a pleasant surprise for the shop’s customers. Once finished, Clarkson again uses her charm and humorously breaks the act by walking up to the register and uttering, “I’d like a vanilla latte.”
The two songs Clarkson sings for her audience are set to release on June 23 in her new album Chemistry. In addition to the two songs Clarkson performs in her flashmob, another highly anticipated song on the album is “red flag collector.” Clarkson promoted this song on a TikTok post where she articulated her red flags in a relationship.
Needless to say, the album itself has much buzz surrounding it due to Clarkson’s unorthodox means of promotion and the context regarding the album’s subject matter following the singer’s divorce. Furthermore, Clarkson released the single “i hate love” from the album, which features a banjo piece played by comedian and musician Steve Martin.
All things aside, Clarkson’s flash mob was a surprise musical act of kindness that wowed both live audience members and Clarkson fans watching from their phones.
Photo credit: Brian Bowen Smith / Atlantic Records
