The cover from Kelly Clarkson’s “comeback” single was discussed a bit in the comments for yesterday’s 2009 predictions post, but I figured it deserved a thread of its own, since reactions have been pretty polarizing. Is it a sign that Kelly is really, really being punished for the flop of My December by being forced into a Katy Perry-like makeover, complete with crappy oral sex jokes (note the lollipop)? Is the title “ironic”? (I’d guess the answer to that one is “probably.”) Where do you find a font that has a “K” with a devil tail? What does this mean for the pyro-to-vocals ratio of her inevitable American Idol appearance? (Also, what’s that shade of lipstick she’s wearing? I think it would look pretty good on me, to be honest.)
Not everyone is as wary of the cover as I am, of course: Reactions from commenters yesterday that were positive included “looks like an album cover from 1977″ and “I love the kinda Annie-ish tone to it. ” And British pop omnivore Tom Ewing thinks that it looks like a Pulp single. Maybe I’m just scarred by the last year of American pop—particularly “Suck” writer Max Martin’s credit on “I Kissed A Girl”—to think of these much better antecedents for the above imagery.
Like the Britney Circus promo pics she’s been photoshopped/prozaced to death! Is she meant to be a plastic love doll?
oh, so they did wind up using that song that was featured as a songwriter’s demo on the Bill Maher/Clive Davis episode of Iconoclasts.
Pulp single cover-esque? Possibly.
Roxy Music album cover-esque? Certainly.
Bad pun? absolutely.
That is one shiny-ass lollipop.
Well, at least she’s not talking into a watermelon like Katy Perry’s last single cover.
“Suck” and “You” both have the devil seriffs on the ends. Everything else that’s been pointed out was pretty impressive as well. I don’t know, I guess that as someone who loves feats of hyperrealism and extremes of commercial design, this is a fucking amazing piece of work. The color choices and the positioning of each element is both stellar and a little horrifying. It’s like something you would see as a joke in “Southland Tales” or “Idiocracy.” However, the feminist part of my brain is screaming that this is going to be a step backwards for empowered women in popular culture. From a career arc perspective, “Since U Been Gone” is so exhilirating and cathartic because it’s about attaining a new level of strength, independence, and actualization by realizing that a man isn’t everything. Meanwhile, the subtext of this thing looks like it’s probably going to be “I am a glistening lust object and am incomplete without your dick inside me.” That said, I still don’t think the music itself will be as robotically gross as “I Kissed a Girl”
She looks like a chubby 12 year-old boy in drag.
@owenmeany:
giggle.
I mean…
The only thing I could possibly say in Kelly’s defense (if by some strange twist of fate she’s actually into the image presented here): Could she be venturing into “persona” territory? Like Christina’s notorious “Dirrty” girl, this might be Kelly’s attempt at a little role-play. It’s not like she can’t be ‘herself’ again with the next track.
OK, that’s all I got. Other than digging the pic on an aesthetic level (I’ve always had a penchant for those ’70s disco girlie covers), if this is the label’s way of STILL making Kelly pay for nipping at the hand of Clive Davis, well, that just sucks. Ms. Clarkson has suffered enough for that indiscretion. The failed album, the crapped-out tour, the endless press talking about the Davis feud…
@Maura Johnston:
In a perfect world Promo reps wouldn’t be able to influence radio, but this is not a perfect world. No label support = no airplay = no sales. There were plenty of hits to play at that time, no PD needed to deal with the politics of RCA’s “artist gone rogue”. “Never Again” was a huge hit for Yahoo Music, one of the few outlets that receives almost no pressure from the majors.
If my comments are “troll-y” then so are your posts. It’s your blog, you can say whatever you want. But it’s my comment so the same rules apply. It will probably come as no surprise that I don’t exactly hold bloggers in high regard. “Those who can’t, criticize”. I’ll cop to that.
As for my Chinese Democracy comment, you were just plain wrong.
Ahem. Still loves it! And to really compare this to Katy Perry, please look at the cover of that lady’s single, “I Kissed A Girl.”
[upload.wikimedia.org]
Compare the obvious ironic hyperrealism in Kelly’s cover to Perry’s vapid look and the random use of FunFontPack1996.
As for the music: it will probably be better than anything off My December, but will not reach the heights of “Since U Been Gone.” Despite this, everyone will brand it a “disappointment.” Wheeee!
@music666: Look, I didn’t hate “My December.” But the *perception* of it flopping — as you said, we live in an imperfect world! — is what’s key here, and what’s 99.9% probably the reason for the above makeover. You may remember that shortly after the album was released there were Clive-planted gossip items extolling Clarkson taking a pop direction on the forthcoming record. (Perhaps that’s why it’s going to be called “Masquerade”?) I’d love to see those Yahoo! Music charts you’re citing though.
And I guess we’ll have to wait and see about “Chinese Democracy,” although given that at the time you said that the label wanted instant success with it I guess you’ll have to wait and see as well. (”Better” seems to be doing OK on the rock charts and the album had a bit of a sales rebound last week, too. So maybe I’m wrong! I’m pretty much always ready to admit that, honestly, unless someone takes a “you’re stupid but I’m not going to tell you why” tone in their arguments.)
@Maura Johnston:
You’re welcome to pick up the phone and call the head of programming for Yahoo. I’m sure he’d be happy to tell you. I’ll even get a quote sent your way if you’d like.
As for Chinese Democracy, I pointed out that you were INCORRECT about health of the current single at radio, then EXPLAINED why. I don’t think you’re stupid and I DO explain myself in the comments. You make it your job to know this stuff, so know it. Your buddies at FNX can probably lend you their Mediabase password.
PS - I am no longer “in the industry”. Much like Nick Denton I saw that ship sinking and bailed.
re: the lipstick.
You have a few options to achieve the desired look:
1) You may notice that it bears a slight resemblance to a look sported by Hedwig, in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This affect was achieved by starting with a layer of matte red lipstick covered with Cookie Puss Liquid Sparkle in Red Devil. Liquid Sparkle is like, glitter in some kind of weird suspension that you can brush all over your person to achieve glam rock perfection. Be forewarned, however, that it will leave your lips rather … dry, but it LASTS if you sip everything through a straw and avoid moistening your lips in any way.
2) For a more glossy and moist (and slightly less over-the-top-drag-queeny option), head to your nearest Mac counter and ask for some Ruby Woo lipstick (or any other colour that suits you) and DazzleGlass in Miss Dynamite. Layer the DazzleGlass over the lipstick — voila! You are Clarkson-as-Lolita-ified.
Maybe it’s about Clive Davis
That seems like a really great pop song title to me (at least, assuming that it’s not a crappy oral sex joke). And after “Hot N Cold” and “So What” I’m pretty primed for more Max Martin right now.
I once told a devil tale. Scary!
Things I hope will happen in 2009 include (but are not limited to): the end of using lollipop imagery as oral sex metaphor. Based on this cover/awful song title, I may yet get my wish.
Withholding further judgment till I hear the song…I know I’m boring.
==TJ==
Lollipop imagery sucks.
something amiss?
I think this could be awesome if her hair was styled different, and if that dress were actually made of candy wrappers (which that fabric totally looks like). LOL.
overall, not feeling the styling.
can’t wait to hear this song though!
:)
I like the font and the lipstick. The hair not so much. I’m indifferent to the lollipop, but I will probably hate the song.
Once again Maura, you are WAY off base - My December wasn’t a flop. It had great callout research and was testing very well at Top 40 radio. The problem was Clive’s bruised ego - he BURIED that record internally, the staff was ordered to kill the project. I have no connection or loyalty to Kelly, for the record.
@music666: but wouldn’t it be considered a flop given that it didn’t sell (it shipped platinum, and scanned 782k through late october)? that would seem to me to be the definition of a “commercial flop,” clive agenda or no clive agenda. shoot, i’m on kelly’s side here; i don’t want her paying a katy perry penance to her label. but you have to be honest, that “great callout research” you cite didn’t result in much airplay for any of the songs (i know you work in the industry, but as a mere mortal, i didn’t hear “sober” on the radio once).
maybe if you could explain WHY i am wrong instead of just using attacks, perhaps by fleshing out your construct of an alternate universe where ‘december’ and ‘chinese democracy’ aren’t falling on mostly deaf ears, your comments would be a little less troll-y. just saying!
It’s a tribute to Twisted Sister’s Love Is For Suckers.
I’d just like to say that using Avant Garde on a single cover is as good as admitting that the song is ready to flop.
I think if it weren’t for the disgusting blow job reference and the yucky font this would be a cute cover. And the overly airbrushed skin which makes her look like a video game character. Oh and the strange dots (reflections?) in her eyes. I think I hate this more than I originally thought.
I wish she didn’t have to be sexual in such a gross, trite way.
Last album had good songs, but no singles. That’s the reason why it flopped. I liked the album as much as “Breakaway,” but it wasn’t nearly as catchy as that gem. Just saying.
Also…HUGE fan of Kelly, not a fan of this album cover. Let’s hope the song is good.
The key thing about the cover is the song title. Everything else looks pretty par for the course for a late 90s-to-today female pop star cover. HFCS reprazent.
Also, it reminds me of a certain Twisted Sister album cover, but this probably says more about me than the cover.
@the rich girls are weeping: I love you.
@music666: Yes, I educated myself on radio charts and how they’re constructed (which honestly, I think is something a lot of people can use, since the whole up/down movement is what most people use as their only gauge) after that incident. But I do think that Guns’ label has to be more invested in a long-term thing now, since the short-term sales/positive exposure of “CD” was really not all that high. I think you’d agree with that assessment, no? Anyway, I have Mediabase access through other outlets, and yeah, I need to use it more. But you’re always welcome to e-mail me and disabuse me of other incorrect assumptions you think I might have. I really do want to learn, because as another guru in a slightly different discipline writes, “nobody knows anything.” And I think I make that known with most of the things I write.
@Maura Johnston: Just call me Idolator’s resident makeup adviser. (;
@music666: I had some very good dealings with the album’s PR people at the time (even though the guy I was dealing with jumped the Sony ship a couple of months later). I work in journalism but, yeah, I thought it was promoted well enough to writer-types like me and I still think the reason it flopped on radio was because it had no other singles/good songs in general.