Kelly Clarkson shares rollercoaster journey, sings emotional ‘lighthouse’ on the Tonight Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show season 5 premieres on Monday (Oct 16). The new season brings the American Idol OG winner to her new digs in New York City at the iconic Rockefeller Center. The singer didn’t have to leave the building while promoting her show on both the Today Show, and the Tonight Show.
On Friday (Oct 13), Kelly Clarkson performed the emotional “lighthouse” from her latest album chemistry. She also sat down with host Jimmy Fallon to chat about the big changes in her life. She tells a funny story about inadvertently shutting down Mariah Carey when she offered to co-write songs with the singer. It happened while Mariah served as a mega-mentor for the The Voice Knockouts in 2018 while Kelly was a coach.
“Do you realize that you just told Mariah Carey no?”
After Mariah made the offer, Kelly said the first thing that popped into her head, which is that she can only be vulnerable when she’s writing on her own. Her friends pointed out, “Do you realize that you just told Mariah Carey no?” She declared “I love you Mariah Carey!” and is willing to change up her writing style for the honor of teaming up with the queen.
Changing the lyrics to ‘Piece by Piece’ was a last minute thing
Speaking of vulnerability, Kelly shared about changing the lyrics to “Piece by Piece,” a song she wrote while still married to ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Expressing surprise that people made such a big deal over it, she explained, “I was finding a hard time singing it. I was like ‘I don’t know if I want to really sing that, you know?’ I was at a very different place.” The song is about finding a good husband and father despite her own father abandoning her as a child.
She admits that the last two seasons of the talk show were very hard behind the scenes.” She sort of alludes to the ‘toxic workplace’ accusations, saying she was on “autopilot’ sending out “representatives” because otherwise she would have broken down.
After spending two seasons on autopilot, Kelly and her family are in a good place
But now, she gushes, she’s in a good place. “I’m excited about season 5 here in New York…I’m in such a great place. My little kids are in such a great place. I’m happy. I’m present in interviews.” Kelly is mother to River Rose and Remington.
Fans want Kelly to release “Piece by Piece” the “healing version.” Kelly admits to changing the lyrics right before the show during her Las Vegas residency. She sang it only because fans really wanted to hear it.
An emotional rendition of the song ‘Lighthouse’ from her new album chemistry
Kelly closed The Tonight Show with an emotional performance of her song “lighthouse.” The song details the end stages of a relationship, and how good times look different in retrospect.
“What you loved, what you wanted what you held so high when we first met in hindsight,” the lyrics go, “Were the things that you tried and asked me to change, as if I could do that…What good’s a lighthouse when the light is burning out.”
It’s a lovely, yet gut-wrenching performance. Watch it below.
