Kelly Clarkson Draws From The Empowered Woman Well...Again

Let me start off by saying I have no problem whatsoever with women being strong, independent, wearer of the pants in the family, etc...That message always will have a listening ear where I'm concerned. However, Texas native Kelly Clarkson is trying my patience on a number of levels. In the early 2000s I took to "Since U Been Gone" like a duck to water. Had an impressive beat and excellent vocal chops. She continued in the empowerment vein with Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You). Easy to get into a lather there. Propulsive beat and Kelly out in front leading the charge with a no holes barred approach. Here we are in 2015 and Kelly, once again, wants to share with us how unafraid she is, how she's blossomed into a bona fide world beater. I don't care how much high drama you put into the accompanying video. We're treading familiar terrain and now she's behaving like the party guest who doesn't know when to leave. Lots of folks unleashing their inner "hear me roar" Wait a second. Didn't Katy Perry do the whole "I am woman, hear me roar thing not too long ago? To be frank the video looks pretty cheesy. Not that it's horrific cheesy. Just not the kind of thing that would convince me to sashay into a crime riddled area and start cleaning house. Conviction has never been Kelly's problem. Versatility's in Kelly's bag of tricks, too. I thought "Because Of You" was a heart wrenching ballad touching on what the harshness of one man can do to a tender sweet young thing's psyche. "Invincible" does so much chest beating it's a wonder Kelly's rib cage isn't throbbing in agony. I'll send the get well soon card if it helps. The lady doth play on her inner warrior too much. She's awash in how no one hears silent tears. She can take it world, so give her your worst. Beat down on her like a waterfall because freedom is within her grasp. She's lost the scared little girl persona. Can't you sense those balled up little fists of hers vowing she can make it work? Since her American Idol beginnings Kelly's career has been hotter than a gig in Satan's steamiest underworld. "Invincible" probably won't scream career extender and that's due in no small measure to the truism that she needs to either buy a different bag of tricks or refine the bag she's functioning with. Hell, Kelly went aerobic workout for "Heartbeat Song". That proves the woman could potentially have a few of that brand of music in her arsenal. When you try vehemently, over and over to convince your audience how tough you are, what that suggests is you're really trying to convince yourself above all else. At this stage in her career I doubt there's much for her to prove. If you're so inclined, track down this track on the brand new "Piece By Piece" effort. From this blogger's vantage point "Invincible" is far from that. Bolstering up her vocal material would go a long way towards a nifty patch job.