Miss Independent (Kelly Clarkson song)

"Miss Independent"
Single by Kelly Clarkson
from the album Thankful
Released	April 10, 2003
Format	Digital download, CD, cassette, 12"
Recorded	2003
Genre	Pop rock, R&B
Length	3:35
Label	RCA, Arista Records
Writer(s)	Rhett Lawrence, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Matt Morris
Producer	Rhett Lawrence
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Kelly Clarkson United States singles chronology "Before Your Love"/"A Moment Like This" (2002) "Miss Independent" (2003) "Low" (2003) Kelly Clarkson UK singles chronology "Miss Independent" (2003) "Low" (2003)

"Miss Independent" is the first single (first in Australia and the United Kingdom) from pop rock singer, Kelly Clarkson's multi-platinum debut album, Thankful, and her second overall single. The song was written by Rhett Lawrence, Clarkson, Christina Aguilera and Matt Morris. It was Clarkson's second Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the only American Idol winner to have two Top 10 singles on the chart. The song was Aguilera's first hit as a songwriter for another singer.

On March 29, 2005, the single was certified gold by RIAA and has sold over 1,000,000 copies in all formats in the US. The song received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Aguilera's "Beautiful".

Song information

"Miss Independent" was originally written by Aguilera, Rhett Lawrence, and Matt Morris for her sophomore album, Stripped. But having been half-finished by the time Stripped was released, her record label decided to let Clarkson contribute to the lyrics and record the song.

In this rhythmic pop number, Clarkson describes a woman ("Miss Independent") who lets down her emotional barriers to fall in love. The single is also a downloadable content for Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and Lego Rock Band.

Chart success

"Miss Independent" performed strongly on the Billboard charts, and managed to peak at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, the single came out at the time that the Billboard Hot 100 airplay was changing to include fewer top-40 stations, and more R&B and rhythmic stations. The single also did not have a commercial release on vinyl or CD-single forms to give it a boost on the charts. The single was released as a digital download. It charted and peaked at number two on the first ever digital download chart in July 2003. The song was a smash on top-40 radio formats, and peaked at number one for six weeks on Top 40 Mainstream and an equal six weeks on the Top 40 Tracks.^{[citation needed]}

Internationally, the song was also a hit. In Canada, it reached a peak of number six, a ranking it also attained in the United Kingdom. In Australia, the song peaked at number three on the charts. "Miss Independent" was tied with "Since U Been Gone" as Clarkson's highest-peaking single in Australia until 2011 when "Mr. Know It All" topped the chart.^{[citation needed]}

Music video

The music video (directed by Liz Friedlander) shows Clarkson singing at a house party. The video appeared on the yearly MuchMusic program Fromage (French for "cheese"). On this countdown composed of "cheesy" music videos, "Miss Independent" finished second to Britney Spears's single "Me Against the Music".^{[citation needed]}

Another video was believed to have been made for the United Kingdom. This video, however, is in fact a T4 performance edited to look like a video. In it, Clarkson is shown performing on top of a building with a cityscape background. The same U.S. video was used to promote the single in the UK and Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Miss Independent".

US single

1. "Miss Independent" - 3:35
2. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" - 2:36
3. "Miss Independent" (MaUVe mix) - 7:55

US Promo CD

1. "Miss Independent" - 3:35
2. "Miss Independent" (Call Out Hook) - 0:10

US 12" Promo

1. "Miss Independent" (Junior's Kelly Rock Mix) - 9:04
2. "Miss Independent" (Hani's Extended Club Mix) - 9:08

European/Australian CD single

1. "Miss Independent" - 3:35
2. "Respect" - 2:15
3. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" - 2:36
4. "Miss Independent" (music video) - 3:35

UK CD single

1. "Miss Independent" - 3:35
2. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" - 2:36
3. "Miss Independent" (MaUVe mix) - 7:55
4. "Miss Independent" (music video) - 3:35

UK cassette single

1. "Miss Independent" - 3:35
2. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" - 2:36
3. "Miss Independent" (MaUVe mix) - 7:55

UK 12" single

1. "Miss Independent" (MaUVe Full Vocal Mix - 7:55
2. "Miss Independent" (Shanghai Surprise Mix) - 7:33
3. "Miss Independent" (MaUVe Dub) - 7:55

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United States	April 10, 2003	RCA Records	Digital download (radio only)
	May 25, 2003	RCA Records	CD single
Australia	August 4, 2003		CD single

Comprehensive charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position	Year end position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	3	53
Austrian Singles Chart	39	-
Canadian Singles Chart	6	-
Dutch Top 40	9	80
Irish Singles Chart	11	-
Sweden Singles Chart	25	-
Swiss Singles Chart	44	-
UK Singles Chart	6	-
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	9	44
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs	1	9
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	14	31
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	28	-

Sales and certifications

Country	Certification	Sales
United States	Gold	759,000

Personnel

• Lead Vocals by Kelly Clarkson.
• Background Vocals by Kelly Clarkson & Suzy Benson.
• Produced by Rhett Lawrence.
• Published by Rhettski (ASCAP), Xtina Music (BMI), Copyright Control (ASCAP), LogRhythm Music (BMI)
• Writers: Rhett Lawrence, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Matt Morris
• Recorded & Mixed at Sound Gallery Studios, Los Angeles, California