Kelly Clarkson Reveals Why She Chose ‘The Voice’ Over ‘American Idol’ Revival
Kelly Clarkson fans may have been surprised to learn she is snagging a red coaches’ chair on The Voice rather than being a part of the American Idol reboot, since that’s where she got her start. But as Clarkson explains, it wasn’t due to any hard feelings about her past experience with the show. It’s everything to do with her family’s lifestyle.
Clarkson’s husband Brandon Blackstock also manages Blake Shelton, a mainstay coach on The Voice, so she’s familiar with the schedule they’d keep being a part of the show.
“I want it to be a great experience for my whole family, and that’s what I have to think about at this point in my life,” she explains. “We’re used to the Voice schedule, we already have to work around it because of our family. We have four children — that can be very taxing with a schedule. It was just a no-brainer for me with The Voice because of that alone.”
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Clarkson is excited about Idol, however, quick turnaround though it may be.
“It’s a little too soon, because I was pregnant with my son when it ended, and he’s only 1,” she tells EW with a laugh.
Though she feels confident in her decision to go with The Voice, there’s a part of her that is sad to miss out on being a part of Idol. “I was kind of bummed too when [Idol] came to me. I hope it’s super successful,” she says.
Clarkson hopes by being a coach on The Voice she can help someone have a successful career after the show — something few artists have accomplished after runs on reality competitions.
“Would it have been awesome to come back to the show that started me and help give someone that start? Yes!” Clarkson says. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t do the same thing on The Voice. That’s my goal. I want to have someone on my team, whether they win or not, to have a successful career after being on the show.”
The artist — who recently signed to a new label and is bringing out her soulful side with a new record — explains she’s looking for someone who really wants to make music and not just see their name in lights.
“A lot of people that I know, especially from Idol, don’t necessarily want to be singers or artists; they just want to be famous,” she says. “That is not going to bring you happiness. And a lot of it falls through the cracks because people make decisions based on what they think will make them famous instead of what will be good for them. I don’t really care about being famous. … I’m not trying to impress anyone. I’m just me, and if you like that, cool. If you don’t, that’s totally cool too.”
Clarkson’s new record, Meaning of Life, is due out in October, and she just released a new single called “Love So Soft.” It’s a sassy, R&B-pop jam that brings out all the best sides of her vocals and keeps her personality intact. The artist has said this album is the one she’s always wanted to make, and with a new label, Atlantic, she’s going to be branching out with her style. Another track recently leaked from an unreleased album (according to the video’s caption) called “Soap and Water” has a country flair, which is another genre she’s expressed interest in recording. Hopefully soon!
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