Meaning of Life
| Kelly Clarkson
Meaning of Life
Meaning of Life is the eighth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released by Atlantic Records on October 27, 2017. Executive produced by Clarkson and Craig Kallman, the album is her debut release for the label after successfully completing her recording contract with RCA Records, which she had won as the first American Idol winner. Weary of the structure of the previous record deal where she was strictly limited to releasing pop music, Clarkson wanted to pursue a different genre soul and R&B music, which she had previously wanted to make and had only finally found the opportunity to do so after being signed by Kallman to the label.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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SPIN
Meaning of Life is very much the pop-soul album Clarkson had tried to execute before American Idol, and—15 years later— is curiously the exact kind of album you would expect from an Idol winner. Clarkson’s vocals are full-throated and unsurprisingly great, and the repertoire—rangy ballads, brassy uptempo cuts—is chosen to showcase it.
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Rolling Stone
The inaugural American Idol’s live shows have always been electric affairs, with the Texas-born singer and her backing band tearing through soulful throwdowns. Her eighth album – and first on Atlantic Records, her new label now that she’s fulfilled her Idol prize’s contractual obligations – is her first to truly capture that vibe.
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GOLD DERBY
The “intimate, R&B-drenched” album is full of “confidence.” Its emphasis on soul is “euphorically liberated.” The production is “thoroughly modern,” blending “retro flourishes and crisp electronics.” And she “ushers in a more soulful phase with class
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Entertainment Weekly
As cohesive and self-assured as this collection feels, Meaning doesn’t seem especially interested in scaling the heights of early smashes like “Since U Been Gone” or “Because of You.” Instead, it swings low and sweet — a refreshingly real dispatch from an artist expressing exactly what she feels in this moment, and nothing less.
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Boston Globe
Here, she finally transitions from the anthemically angst-ridden pop-rock that’s thus far defined her sound to the euphorically liberated pop-soul that’s personally shaped her, both as a born-and-raised Texan and a lifelong worshipper at Aretha’s altar.
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ALL MUSIC
As the title suggests, there's a maturity in the perspective of Meaning of Life: it's filled with songs about love and living, it's rooted in the past and living in the moment. The blend of contemporary and classic suits Clarkson, who sounds assured here in a way that differs from her earliest records.
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The Guardian
While the first single from this new album – Love So Soft – is little more than Candyman-era Christina Aguilera with a hint of on-trend trap, there are plenty of strong and saleable tracks here.
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VARIETY
On her first album for Atlantic, Clarkson means to evoke the Queen of Soul, although that retro move is undercut by contemporary production that still has an eye and an ear on modern radio.
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Los Angeles Times
On "Meaning of Life," the 35-year-old Texas native turns away from super-charged pop-rock and embraces a slightly more relaxed R&B style; her motivating impulse, she told the New York Times, was imagining what kind of record her childhood idol, Aretha Franklin, would make today.
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The Atlantic
Her eighth studio album is her first since leaving RCA, and she has said it’s the album she’s always wanted to make: one that answers the question, as she put it to The New York Times, “What if Aretha was born now and made a record today?”
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Newsday
Clarkson has had finer singles, but “Meaning of Life” is the best album of her career, a chance to declare her ambitions and deliver on them time and time again for her most cohesive album yet.
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plugged in
Meaning of Life is Clarkson's first album since leaving RCA, the label where she'd spent her entire career. Her newfound professional freedom finds her embracing a soul-meets-gospel vibe that's a far cry from her pop-rock anthems of the past.
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SLANT MAGAZINE
Meaning of Life doesn’t reinvent the genre, nor does it try to, but it portrays an artist continuing to redefine herself—in the process, solidifying her position as one of her generation’s greatest singers.
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THE YOUNG FOLKS
Overall, the songs on this album are well-done and Clarkson continues to impress with her vocals in all regards.
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The New Zealand Herald
As far as her vocal talents go, she's unfaultable. This album has seen her finally step into the realms of soul and R&B which her voice was made to dominate. But she doesn't quite commit.
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IDOLATOR
On the album, Kelly has clearly discovered the meaning of her life. It is not defined by any man who holds her and brings her purpose. Instead, she found it in vibrant rhythms, bold productions and thrilling runs. She found it in the relationships she fostered and the experiences she has had. She created something that will move a collective audience, and it is easily one of the brightest moments in 2017.
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POP CRUSH
It was a surprise to Clarkson, herself, that casual followers didn't know she could sing well, but as of October 27, pleading her case will stand as a needless effort — her eighth studio album is, from top to bottom and from start to finish, as good as a collection of pop vocals gets. The argument makes, builds upon and resolutely proves itself.
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Album Confessions
Meaning of Life is an exceptional record, first and foremost. The 14-track effort is rightfully Kelly Clarkson’s most cohesive, powerful and authentic full body of work in her incredibly-successful 15-year career. If this is the album she always wanted to craft, switched record labels to do so, then the gamble paid off.
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GULF NEWS
Her last album, 2015’s Piece by Piece, was almost mournful in contrast to the 14-track Meaning of Life, which is brimming with humour, sass and light. It’s not hard to imagine Clarkson smiling a lot in the recording studio.
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CELEB MIX
She may be best known for her pop rock anthems but the eight studio album from Kelly Clarkson heralds the return to her one and true love of soul music.
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Cryptic Rock
All in all, Meaning of Life defines a moment in Clarkson’s career where she is comfortable with who she is. The record displays growth musically compared to previous records. It is evident Clarkson’s musical and creative freedom was unleashed, and it surely paid off
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IMMORTAL REVIEWS
Kelly Clarkson bounces back with confidence in Meaning Of Life, continuing to uplift every listener in every song with loads of strength in her voice and her person.
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The Times
And Clarkson makes the most of her wide-ranging and powerful pipes, which are capable of expressing emotion without resorting to the vocal gymnastics on which lesser singers rely.
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abc NEWS
“Meaning of Life” is the eighth album from the original “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson, and it is a mature, deeply soulful record with a lot of grit and a lot of heart.
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Renowned for Sound
While Clarkson’s previous releases have featured smatterings of broader influences, they have clung steadfastly to the idea of Clarkson as a pop-rock singer. Her vocals can definitely lend themselves to this style, but with Meaning of Life she unequivocally offers up a pop album steeped in soul and R&B, which allows her additional room to showcase her powerful voice.
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Press Play OK
You could take that to mean something about the general state of the genre this year, especially among the big-hitters, but to be honest Meaning of Life won’t let you to do that. Instead it put its leading lady front and centre; Kelly Clarkson hasn’t changed, she’s aural congeniality, and, well, the world seems a little bit better for it.
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Hidden Jams
Meaning Of Life comes closer to representing all sides of Kelly than any album before. And it’s clear in each and every song that she was putting her all into this project. It’s the most cohesive, authentic record she’s released yet, perhaps aside from her underrated gem, My December.
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Entertainment Focus
Meaning of Life is a new start for Clarkson and she sounds better than ever. Her voice has a lot of soul in it and it’s nice to hear that showcased much more on this album.
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Album Confessions
Meaning of Life is an exceptional record, first and foremost. The 14-track effort is rightfully Kelly Clarkson’s most cohesive, powerful and authentic full body of work in her incredibly-successful 15-year career.
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aus pOp
Over the years, Kelly Clarkson has managed to defy all the odds and forge out a successful international career and has grown her back catalogue with a multitude of monster hits. ‘The Meaning Of Life’ continues to grow that list of great tunes and provides a fresh way to connect with her as an artist.
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The Kelly Alexander Show
Meaning of Life is an R&B, soul and gospel influenced record that excellently displays Clarkson’s vocal ability while also finally trying something new for the singer of those loveable but unfortunately clichéd pop anthems.
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Shuffleplay
Meaning Of Life is a mixture of soul and R&B glazed with modern production elements.
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TIME
Clarkson’s debut with Atlantic Records finds her as fans prefer: a confident artist with a sense of humor and sass to spare.
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CROSS CULTURE
This is some of the best vocal work Kelly Clarkson has done to date, and rarely if ever does it feel like a retread of her past work. As a music listener, I value thematic cohesion and new exploration, and Clarkson offers both of those in The Meaning of Life, even if the themes could have been much better conceived.
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VULTURE
But by and large, Meaning of Life is a simmering pot of warm grooves and powerful vocals, a career pivot to the music that Kelly Clarkson ought to have been allowed to make right out of the gate.
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A Bit Of Pop Music
After a whole lot of trouble and disagreements with her previous label RCA Records, she signed with Atlantic, and with them she is finally making the music she always wanted to make. Soulful and personal!
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Liverpool Independent News - Medium
Most albums have a couple of songs that are weaker than others, but Clarkson’s amazing voice and talent is consistent throughout each and every tune, making Meaning of Life some of her best work to date.
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Strangely Pop Cultured
I have been a huge fan of Kelly’s since I was twelve and I can honestly say this is her best album yet. This was absolutely the direction she needed to go with her music, both sonically and thematically.
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Otago Daily Times
The big, syrupy ballads, meanwhile, accentuate Clarkson’s undeniably powerful voice, creating a comfort zone that feels genuine.
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Beat
Her first full-length album with Atlantic Records, the album, aptly titled Meaning Of Life, is much more R&B-influenced than its pop-rock predecessors, and there isn't one track that fails to please.
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This Is JVKE
But even without a feature, Clarkson made a really solid album that is well-rounded with soaring vocals, emotional and slick lyrics, all topped off with smooth production. Meaning Of Life is definitely a standout record for 2017.
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telegram.com
What’s that great sound on Kelly Clarkson’s new album? It’s proud, it’s sexy, it’s funny. Oh, yes, that’s the sound of freedom. On “Meaning of Life,” her first album since leaving long-time home Sony, the former “American Idol” winner seems liberated, more soulful and less poppy. - Mark Kennedy
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buzz
After releasing her last album, “Piece By Piece” in 2016, Kelly Clarkson has returned better than ever with a brand new sound in her new album, “Meaning of Life.” While Clarkson stays true to the messages she tries to convey through her music, this new album is soul-inspired and entirely different from the pop hits of her past.
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LUXE KURVES MAGAZINE
The new record, Meaning of Life, dropped this past friday. And simply put, the album is fierce, fresh, and a downright Lemonade level of good.
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Lainey Gossip
I do know that Kelly Clarkson is, as the Times calls her, a “music-industry unicorn” who can release hit after hit, regret those hits and that her EIGHTH studio album is one of the best of her career.
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