Sober (Kelly Clarkson song)
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| Single by Kelly Clarkson | |||||||||||
| from the album My December | |||||||||||
| B-side | "Dirty Little Secret" | ||||||||||
| Released | June 12, 2007 (U.S. radio)[1] | ||||||||||
| Format | Digital single | ||||||||||
| Recorded | 2007 | ||||||||||
| Genre | Pop rock, soft rock | ||||||||||
| Length | 4:52 (Album Version) 3:48 (Radio Edit) |
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| Label | RCA | ||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Kelly Clarkson, Aben Eubanks, Calamity McEntire, Jimmy Messer | ||||||||||
| Producer | David Kahne | ||||||||||
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"Sober" is a song composed by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson, Aben Eubanks, Calamity McEntire, and Jimmy Messer. It was released as the second and final U.S. single from her third studio album, My December (2007) in the United States.
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[edit] Background
The song was inspired by Clarkson's friend Calamity McEntire, who told her to "pick her weeds and keep the flowers". According to Clarkson the song is about survival and knowing what to do when something goes wrong. "It's not easy getting over whatever your addiction may be," she says. "The whole point of that song is, the temptation is there, but I'm not going to give in to it."[2] Clarkson added that "Sober" is her favorite song on My December. "Musically, it's almost hypnotic. You just get lost in it, it's just so beautiful. This song is about surviving something you think you can get past or over. I'm not an alcoholic; that's not what it's about. It's just a metaphor. Everyone has something they are addicted to that they can do without in their life, so it could be about whatever your addiction is."[3]
Aben Eubanks wrote the original demo for "Sober" and said that the finished version was very much the same as his demo.[4] There are two versions of the song, the radio edit and album version, with the only difference being five lines and time duration. The recording features a variety of arrangement and production elements, from a timpani playing against a strumming acoustic guitar line to a mid-section with more frenetic drumming set against strings to a final wind down from the climax featuring a cello line that takes the song to a quiet conclusion.
[edit] Single release
"Sober" was the second single from My December. The song was released to airwaves on June 12, 2007. Industry experts state that "Sober" was a crucial single for Clarkson, as the lead single for My December, "Never Again", charted well due to strong digital downloads but encountered radio airplay resistance in a number of U.S. markets, especially when compared to the radio success of all five of her singles from her previous album Breakaway.[5][6] "Never Again" had been descending in radio airplay after failing to break the top 20 on the Pop format, and therefore was one reason why "Sober" was released so soon after "Never Again" (just over five weeks later, and three weeks before the release of the album). Whether radio accepted "Sober" was considered key in determining the sales potential of My December.[7]
In their year-end review of music, Slant Magazine listed "Sober" as the 29th best single of the year, also noting the My December controversy: "we got the lovely, tortured, and understated "Sober," which, sans promotion from a label that — perhaps vindictively — opted to cut its losses, flopped like a drunk falling off the wagon."[8]
In July 2007, "Sober" was a highlight of Clarkson's five-song set at Live Earth at Giants Stadium, with the audience applauding her vocal line during the song's climax near the end.
No music video was made for the song.
As of February 2010, it has sold 113,000[9] copies in the United States.
[edit] Media
The song was featured on the hit television show Smallville on the episode "Bizarro", which is the opener for Season 7.[10]
[edit] Track listing
- "Sober"
- "Dirty Little Secret"1
1 This song is a bonus track from iTunes and is available on only some copies of this single.
- Unofficial remixes
- DJ VNo Club Mix
- Aleko's Dark Tribal Dub
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 10[11] |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 93[12] |
[edit] Reception
Chuck Taylor of Billboard regarded the disappointing performance of "Never Again". However, he praised "Sober" as a single that would "reintoxicate [Clarkson's] deserved stance as a staple act".[13]
"'Sober' is a better bet to propel the pop queen back to the top with affecting downtempo velocity, a doleful message of overcoming temptation and a vocal inflamed with convincing pensive emotion."
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson's Biography". KellyClarksonWeb.com. Retrieved June 3, 2007.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson First Listen". Music.AOL.com. Retrieved June 3, 2007.
- ^ http://kckellyville.com/index.php?p=livechat1
- ^ Kelly Clarkson and Those Rumors About Her Upcoming Album
- ^ "Idols on the airplay charts - Idol Chatter - USATODAY.com". USA Today. http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2007/05/idols_on_the_ai.html.[dead link]
- ^ Roger Friedman, "FOX 411: Kelly Clarkson: 'My December' Trouble", FOX News, June 5, 2007.
- ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/features/2007yearinmusic.asp
- ^ Mansfield, Brian (February 11, 2010). "Bonus Soundscan Numbers for Kelly Clarkson and More!". USA Today: Idol Chatter. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2010/02/bonus-soundscan-numbers-for-kelly-clarkson-david-cook-more/1. Retrieved 02/11/10.
- ^ "CWTV Music - Smallville - Season 7 - Episode 701". The CW Television Network. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5rHsXE9zI. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ "Sober" Debut in the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
- ^ "Sober" Debut in the U.S. Billboard Pop 100. Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
- ^ Sober
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