Idolator

I'm probably risking the wrath of our good Idolators...

Does Kelly Clarkson really write her own songs? I think she's a fine entertainer and I'm impressed by her song choices, but I always assumed she picked them out of a book. Admittedly, I could be wrong about this.

@chrisb: I can answer that: No, she doesn't, and at least since she picked out "Since U Been Gone," that hasn't really mattered.

P.S. This is good. It's no "Since U Been Gone," but then following up one of the best singles of the entire decade is a bit of a tall order.

The remarkable thing is that she (fine, chrisb, her writers/producers/svengalis) isn't/aren't watering down the indie-rock influences at all. Listen to the guitar/drum buildup coming into the chorus - girlfriend's been listening to some Sleater-Kinney or something. Swear to god, you could play this on Yeah Yeah Yeahs-friendly modern rock stations and, so long as the DJ didn't bias the listeners by back-announcing, it could pass.

Someone please tell Daughtry this is what rock music is supposed to sound like.

@dennisobell: following up? There were two or three singles between this and SUBG.

And "indie-rock influences"? I like indie and all, but this is just rock music, da? If anything, this sounds like recent hard rock, a little too much. This is no more or less watered-down indie than 90% of recent teenpop.

And that build-up (the one 2:30ish you mean?) is practically europop!

@Dick Malone: Am well aware of all of the intervening singles since that track ("Behind These Hazel Eyes," "Because of You," etc.), but come on, saying that this - the first single of an album three years in the making - isn't the followup to "Since U Been Gone" is like saying Quentin Tarantino isn't following up Pulp Fiction every time he makes a movie.

Viz. indie rock: I'm not claiming this sounds like Bowery Ballroom-on-a-Tuesday-night indie, but the guitar and drum sound they're going for is clearly post-Modest Mouse - i.e., indie on a major label, which half the music we debate the merits of here is (up to and including Idolator poll-winner TV on the Radio, on Interscope).

Viz. Europop: you have a point. And this is bad because...?

I prefer the Alanis version. Maybe he wouldn't have broken up with her if she showered and put on a pair of shoes.

I've seen this trick before, pony.

I love it!!

It's better than her other songs with the exception of Since U Been Gone which I am still not sick of....