Kelly Clarkson's star was born a long time ago. In fact, 2025 will mark 23 years since America voted to make Clarkson the first — and still in many minds the best — American Idol winner. So even though she had nothing to prove Thursday (November 14) on Kellyoke's latest segment on her daytime talk show, Clarkson certainly did in a cover of Lady Gaga's “Always Remember Us This Way” from A star is born.
“This Arizona sky is burning in your eyes/ You look at me and, baby, I want to catch fire/ It's buried in my soul like California gold/ You found the light in me that I couldn't find,” Clarkson sang. her warm vocals conveying the stirring emotion of the ballad. There was an extra pain in her voice as she hit the tune's plaintive chorus, “When the sun goes down/ And the band won't play/ I'll always remember us like this.”
And then Clarkson shifted into second gear as the band revved up the set and the singer rose to a higher register to croon, “Oh yeah, I don't wanna be just a memory, baby,” clutching the microphone stand with both hands as she hit a sharp high note to match her guitarist's spiraling solo.
By the time she hit the second round of the chorus, Clarkson was in full go-for-it mode, climbing to hit a note somewhere near the outer sphere before taking a breath and a dramatic pause as she landed the plane as softly as possible. . “When you look at me/ And the whole world fades away/ I'll always remember us like this,” she sang in a near whisper.
Gaga's “Always Remember Us This Way” was written by the singer along with Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey and Lori McKenna and co-produced by Gaga and Dave Cobb. The song appeared on Gaga's 2018 soundtrack A star is born remake and was nominated for Grammy Song of the Year.
Watch Clarkson sing “Always Remember Us This Way” below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/kelly-clarkson-cover-lady-gaga-always-remember-us-this-way-kellyoke-1235830214/
