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Already Gone (Kelly Clarkson song)

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"Already Gone"
Song

"Already Gone" is a song by American singer–songwriter Kelly Clarkson. The song is released as the third single from her fourth album All I Ever Wanted. Lyrically, "Already Gone" is about the break up of a relationship; the music consists of an arrangement using a piano, drums, and string instruments. The result is a power ballad with pop, soft rock, classical, and R&B undertones. It was co-written by Clarkson and Ryan Tedder, who also produced it.

Clarkson has criticized Tedder for providing the same musical arrangement to Beyoncé Knowles for her 2009 song, "Halo", without informing her. She also voiced dissatisfaction with her record company bosses for subsequently deciding to release "Already Gone" as a single. The accompanying music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and features Clarkson wearing a gold evening gown and jewelry while laying on a chaise longue in an apartment. Shots of floating objects intersperse a second scene where Clarkson is wearing a black dress and singing in a rehearsal room surrounded by an invisible orchestra.

Clarkson began promoting "Already Gone" as a single in July 2009, performing it live on Late Night with David Letterman and Good Morning America. It was used as the "exit song" on the fifth season of So You Think You Can Dance.[1] In September 2009 she performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and VH1 Divas, The View the following month and at the AMA's in November. She has included "Already Gone" in the encore set of her 2009 All I Ever Wanted Tours.

Background and release

"Already Gone" is one of four songs co-written by Kelly Clarkson and OneRepublic's lead singer Ryan Tedder that appear on Clarkson's fourth studio album All I Ever Wanted.[2][3] In late 2008, Clarkson heard Beyonce Knowles' song "Halo",[4] which appears on Knowles' third studio album I Am… Sasha Fierce. She noticed distinct similarities between "Halo", for which Tedder received co-writer and producer credits,[5] and confronted Tedder for using the same arrangement on two different songs, claiming that people would assume she was stealing it from Knowles.[6] Because All I Ever Wanted was being pressed, it was too late to remove "Already Gone" from the albums tracklisting.[6]

"Ryan and I met each other at the record label, before he was working with anyone else ... We wrote about six songs together, four or five of them made the album. It was all fine and dandy. I’d never heard of a song called 'Halo'. Beyoncé's album came out when my album was already being printed. No-one’s gonna be sittin' at home, thinking 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to.' No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, 'I don’t understand. Why would you do that?'"[6]

"'Already Gone' is one of the best songs I've written or produced since 'Bleeding Love' and stands tall on it's [sic] own merits apart from 'Halo.' They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, [and] lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful [and] absurd. I think when people hear 'Already Gone' they will hear what I hear—one of the greatest female vocalists on earth giving her most haunting and heart-breaking performance on a song she helped write. I challenge people to listen and form their own opinions."

Ryan Tedder, reacting to criticism by Clarkson[7]

Ryan Tedder responded to the allegations with a statement, arguing that the two songs are "entirely different" and that the criticism was "hurtful and absurd".[7]

The first two singles lifted from All I Ever Wanted were uptempo dance-pop songs, so executives at RCA Records decided to release a slower ballad as the third single and chose "Already Gone".[6] Clarkson claims she "fought and fought" with her bosses to prevent it from being released as a single, so as to not disrespect Knowles.[6] She wanted "Cry" to be released as the album's third single,[8] but conceded that, "in the end, they’re releasing it without my consent. It sucks, but it's one of those things I have no control over ... At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it."[6] Clarkson later told MTV that it was unfortunate that the two songs sound exactly the same, but that her and Beyoncé's melodies on the two songs are different.[9]

Composition

Kelly Clarkson - "Already Gone" (2009)
A 39-second sample of the bridge and chorus of "Already Gone", highlighting Clarkson's vocals which span from B3 to E5, and the musical composition
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Already Gone" is a soft rock ballad with R&B and classical music influences.[6] The music is described by CBC News as having "a pounding heartbeat, twinkly piano and swooping strings",[6] and by MTV as "somber piano, crashing drums and hand-claps".[10] The Hartford Courant explains that the piano and string arrangements "roll mournfully" over the percussion.[11] Set in common time, it has a moderately slow tempo with a metronome of 74 beats per minute.[12] "Already Gone" is written in the key of A major, with Clarkson's vocal range spanning from B3 to E5.[12] It is arranged in the chord progression of A-E-F#m-D-A-E-F#m-D-Bm-D in the verses, and changes to A-E-F#m-E-D-E in the chorus.[12]

The song's narrative depicts Clarkson telling her lover that although he has done nothing wrong in their relationship, it was never meant to be and is destined for failure. She tells her partner that he could not have been any better, and therefore, to avoid hurting him in the future, he should move on, as she is already gone.[13][14] Clarkson sings with what The Hartford Courant describes as "layered vocals",[11] that "toe the line between underlying pain and an almost cold, removed sense of resignation ... Each line trails into an unknown, undefined distance."[13]

Music video

File:Alreadygonevideo .JPEG
Clarkson in the music video for "Already Gone".

The music video was shot in Toronto on June 20, 2009 at The Carlu, and was directed by Joseph Kahn,[15][16] who had previously worked with Clarkson on the videos for "Never Again", "Walk Away" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes".[17] The video is set primarily in an apartment and a rehearsal room and features Clarkson "lounging on chaises and lolling around ... while 'zazzed [sic] out in the sort of gowns and jewels we've yet to spot this girl-next-door pop star wearing in real life".[16] Clarkson explains that the video is a departure from her previous videos, and that she is "completely glammed out. It's the opposite of my everyday life."[16] The video begins with Clarkson alone in an apartment wearing a gold evening gown, sequined elbow gloves, and a large pearl necklace, while lying on a chaise longue. This scene alternates with a second location, where Clarkson wears a black dress, singing in a rehearsal room, surrounded by invisible members of an orchestra playing their instruments. As the video alternates back and forth between the two locations, slow-motion shots of falling champagne glasses, floating pearls, and flying violins separate the scenes.

Clarkson's official website announced July 22 that the video was almost completed and would premiere the following week.[18] It was uploaded to the site on July 27.[19] Following its release, Kahn posted statements to his Twitter account that his vision of the video was not realized, and complained, "I don’t think I won a single battle".[20] Rolling Stone described the video as "boring stuff",[21] and Leah Collins of Dose said the video was uncontroversial, "unless there's more meaning to those lingering shots on pearl necklaces than we thought".[16]

Live performances

Due to the controversy surrounding the album version's similarity with "Halo", and because Clarkson wanted to perform a "diva-esque" version of "Already Gone",[9] she composed a new musical arrangement with her musical director Jason Halbert for performances during her 2009 All I Ever Wanted Tour.[22] She sings it as part of the concerts' encore.[23] Eric R. Danton of The Hartford Courant thought "the simpler acoustic setup ... worked beautifully" when she performed on the first night of her tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut,[23] and Keith O'Connor wrote in The Republican that it was one of the night's highlights.[24] The Atlantic City Weekly's Lori Hoffman described it as an "emotional wallop" and a stand-out moment of the October 10 concert at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[25] Rolling Stone commented that during her performance at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, the audience sang along to "Already Gone", and that Clarkson "was happy to play cheerful conductor, holding up her mic stand to the crowd."[26] MTV reported that Clarkson's performance of the song at Zootopia was also one of the fans' favorite moments.[27] On October 31, in St. Charles, Missouri, Clarkson mashed "Already Gone" with "Halo".[28]

Clarkson began promotion for "Already Gone" in July 2009, debuting it on Late Night with David Letterman on July 13, in a live performance in which she "belted out"[29] the lyrics to the reworked arrangement.[16] It was also performed at a free outdoor concert in Central Park, New York, on July 31 which was broadcast live on Good Morning America.[30][31] The same arrangement was used at the Samsung AT&T Summer Krush concert on September 14, and was broadcast on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following day.[32][33] On September 17, she performed the song on VH1 Divas,[34] and on October 8, she sang it on The View.[35]

Clarkson also performed the song at the 2009 American Music Awards.

Critical reception

Already Gone received positive reviews overall, and is regarded as one of the musical and lyrical highlights of the album. The New York Post called the song a "mixture of old school Stevie Nicks and some Julia Roberts romantic comedy theme song, delivered together in true Clarkson fashion ... she spits emotion and heart into a song that makes me want to curl up in a blanket and long for someone".[36] About.com's Top 40 Pop called "Already Gone" "a towering song ... [It] will break your heart, and Kelly Clarkson's delivery is nearly perfect here."[13] The Daily Star reviewer Sarah-Louise James commented on "Already Gone"'s similarity to "Halo", ending with "For the record, this track, with its spine-tinglingly emotive breakup lyrics, is way better than 'Halo'."[37]

While discussing "Already Gone", Entertainment Weekly's resident critic Ken Tucker said Clarkson "knows that the anguish she likes to sing about is enjoyed by millions of people as grandiose admissions of vulnerability. Yet the music that delivers that message is anything but vulnerable. There's a reason they call them power ballads: a sad song blasted at full volume is a metaphor for finding strength in pain."[38] His point was echoed by The Hartford Courant's Danton, who stated that Clarkson "pours on the heartache",[11] and by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune, who called the song an "extravagant ballad".[39] It was also described as "already sound[ing] timeless" in The Huffington Post.[40] In the Houston Chronicle, Joey Guerra wrote that "'Already Gone' ... is a striking change of pace [from the other songs on All I Ever Wanted]. The tempo slows, and Tedder gives Clarkson’s vocals a gauzy quality that synchs perfectly with the mournful lyrics. It’s an emotive, emotional shot of electricity."[41] Billboard likened Clarkson's ghostly delivery to Sinéad O'Connor.[42]

The song did receive some criticism. Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that the lyrics are not unique or enlightening,[43] and Tedder's production on the track was also panned. Slant Magazine said that "Ryan Tedder's production on 'Already Gone' is identical to Beyoncé's 'Halo' to the point of distraction, but the former song has a far stronger melody and Clarkson turns in one of her most evocative performances",[44] and Jon Caramanica wrote in The New York Times that Tedder "drowns [Clarkson] under murky piano on 'Already Gone'."[45]

Chart performance

In North America, "Already Gone" entered the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100 charts at number 70 on 28 March 2009,[46] due to digital download sales of the album track, which was released two weeks earlier.[47] It dropped out of both charts the following week, but it re-entered the Hot 100 chart in August 2009 at number 89. As of the chart dated November 21, 2009, it has peaked at number 17.[46] It also re-entered the Canadian Hot 100 in August, and has peaked at number 15 as of the chart dated November 21, 2009.[46]

Internationally, "Already Gone" has seen moderate success. It entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 70 on July 13, 2009[48] and peaked at number 12 on September 13, 2009.[49] In New Zealand, it peaked at number 23 and spent eight weeks on the chart.[50] In Europe, the song charted in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. It also charted on the UK Singles Chart on August 9, 2009 at number 153 and peaked at number 66 in September.[51]

References

  1. ^ Parker, Lyndsey (July 27, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson's New Single Controversy: All She Never Wanted". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  2. ^ ""Already Gone"". ASCAP. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  3. ^ Levin, Nick (March 11, 2008). "OneRepublic frontman teams up with Clarkson". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  4. ^ Santilli, M.J. (July 28, 2009). "Kelly's Beyoncé Drama". New York Post. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  5. ^ ""Halo"". ASCAP. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Liss, Sarah (July 27, 2009). "American Idyll". CBC News. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  7. ^ a b "Ryan Tedder responds to Kelly Clarkson/Beyonce controversy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  8. ^ Presenter Larry Flick (3 August 2009). "The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick". Sirius Satellite Radio. SIRIUS OutQ. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  9. ^ a b Montgomery, James. "Kelly Clarkson To Put Ryan Tedder Drama To Bed On Upcoming Tour". MTV. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  10. ^ Montgomery, James (July 27, 2009). "Think Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" Sounds Like Beyonce's "Halo?" So Does Kelly ..." MTV. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c Danton, Eric R. (March 9, 2009). "CD Review: All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson". The Hartford Courant. Tribune Company. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  12. ^ a b c "Already Gone - Sheet Music". Music Notes. Alfred Music Publishing. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c Lamb, Bill. "Kelly Clarkson - "Already Gone"". About.com. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  14. ^ "CD reviews: Kelly Clarkson delivers, Nat King Cole tribute doesn't". The Daily Iowan. March 10, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
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  21. ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 27, 2009). "Clarkson's "Already Gone" Video Debuts, Despite Kelly's Protests". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
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  24. ^ O'Connor, Keith J. (October 5, 2009). "Clarkson puts on solid, no-frills show". The Republican. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  25. ^ Hoffman, Lori (October 12, 2009). "Clarkson In Concert". Atlantic City Weekly. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  26. ^ Ganz, Caryn (October 7, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson Mixes Biggest Hits With White Stripes, Kings of Leon Covers in New York". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  27. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (May 17, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas Party Jersey-Style For Zootopia". MTV. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  28. ^ Hilton, Perez (November 3, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson Mashes Up Already Gone & Halo!". PerezHilton.com. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
  29. ^ "Kelly Clarkson: It "Sucks" People Think I "Ripped Off" Beyonce". Us Magazine. July 27, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
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  31. ^ "'GMA' Summer Concerts in Central Park". Good Morning America. ABC News. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  32. ^ "Kelly Clarkson To Rock Free Hollywood Concert". Access Hollywood. September 1, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  33. ^ "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". Jimmy Kimmel Live!. September 15, 2009. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ Ditzian, Eric (September 17, 2009). "VH1 Divas Ushers In A New Class With Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson". MTV. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  35. ^ Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters (co-hosts); Ana Ortiz (guest host) (October 8, 2009). "The View". Season 13. ABC. WABC-TV. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Brockington, Ryan (July 13, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted" CD Review". New York Post. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  37. ^ James, Sarah-Louise (September 7, 2009). "Single – Kelly Clarkson: "Already Gone"". Daily Star. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  38. ^ Terry Gross (host); Ken Tucker (guest) (April 14, 2009). "American Idol Clarkson Releases Fourth Album". Fresh Air. National Public Radio. WHYY-FM. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); External link in |transcripturl= (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |transcripturl= ignored (|transcript-url= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Kot, Greg (March 5, 2009). "Album review: Kelly Clarkson's 'All I Ever Wanted' Album review: Kelly Clarkson's 'All I Ever Wanted'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  40. ^ Ragogna, Mike (March 9, 2009). "HuffPost Reviews: Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted / Gin Blossoms Playlist Your Way". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  41. ^ Guerra, Joey (March 9, 2009). "Review: Pop perfection from Kelly Clarkson". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  42. ^ Linden, Sheri (March 6, 2009). "Billboard CD reviews: Kelly Clarkson, Bela Fleck". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  43. ^ Abbott, Jim (March 12, 2009). "For the Record: Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, Buddy and Julie Miller". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
  44. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (March 2, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  45. ^ "Critics' Choice - New CDs - New CDs from Kelly Clarkson, Chris Cornell and Madeleine Peyroux". The New York Times. March 8, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  46. ^ a b c d e "Already Gone". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  47. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (March 4, 2009). "Music Review – All I Ever Wanted ". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 31, 2009.
  48. ^ "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association, Pandora Archive. August 5, 2009. pp. 2, 4. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
  49. ^ a b "Kelly Clarkson – "Already Gone" (Song)". Hung Medien. October 25, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
  50. ^ a b c "Kelly Clarkson – "Already Gone" (Song)". Hung Medien. October 25, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009. Cite error: The named reference "nz" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  51. ^ a b "The OCC UK singles chart - 19/09/09". Music Week. United Business Media. September 20, 2009.
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  53. ^ "Kelly Clarkson – "Already Gone" (Nummer)" (in Flemmish). Hung Medien. October 3, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
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  55. ^ "Kelly Clarkson – "Already Gone" (Song)". Hung Medien. September 18, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2009.
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  57. ^ "Your weekly sales fix: Carrie Underwood, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert". USA Today. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2009/11/your-weekly-idol-sales-fix-the-digital-tracks-1-2/1" ignored (help)
  58. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2009 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. October 31, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
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