Avril Lavigne Talks Writing Kelly Clarkson’s Hit “Breakaway” & Praises Her “Incredibly Strong” Vocals

American Idol alum turned music sensation Kelly Clarkson broke into the industry with her 2003 debut album, Thankful. Yet – it was her follow-up record, Breakaway, that placed her name on radars nationwide and took her career to new heights. While Clarkson’s pop-rock voice…

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Tiffany Goldstein

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Posted on January 5, 2022

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Avril Lavigne, Photo Courtesy of ABC; Kelly Clarkson, Photo Courtesy of NBC

American Idol alum turned music sensation Kelly Clarkson broke into the industry with her 2003 debut album, Thankful. Yet – it was her follow-up record, Breakaway, that placed her name on radars nationwide and took her career to new heights.

While Clarkson’s pop-rock voice might have complemented the title track perfectly, Avril Lavigne was the mastermind behind the lyrics. The “Girlfriend” singer sat down with Audacy’s Kevan Kenney early in November 2021 to discuss the backstory behind the award-winning smash hit “Breakaway” and to gush over Clarkson’s unmatched talents.

“’Breakaway’ was a song that I worked on and co-wrote for my first album, Let Go, and I just didn’t like it,” revealed the pop-punk artist about the best-selling album that features hits ‘Complicated’ and ‘Sk8er Boi.’ “It was just a ballad, and I was like ‘feels like a church song’ and I was just like not there.”

Although the track that embodies suffering, escapism, and love all in one did not find a place on Lavigne’s fan-favorite LP, it did find its special home. “It went to Kelly Clarkson, and I’m pretty sure it went number one,” she adds with a beaming smile.

Back in 2004, Clarkson was working tirelessly in the studio to produce original content – when Whitney Houston approached her with “Breakaway.” At the time – Houston, who also served as a producer, wanted the newcomer to record the mid-tempo anthem for Disney’s film, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

“Breakaway” became the lead single on her second album, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 charts and secured a spot in the top 20 for over a year – leaving the record to go platinum six times.

Along with “Breakaway,” – her chart-topping tracks “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Because of You,” “Since U Been Gone,” and “Walk Away” built the well-rounded project, which made it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.

“She’s an incredibly strong, beautiful voice with insane range, and she took that song to the next level,” shared the writer. “Kelly Clarkson f**king owned it. So, that was cool.”

When Lavigne was asked if she ever joined forces with the genre-crossover musician to sing the karaoke-worthy tune, she replied with a sense of disappointment. “No, but that would be fun,” she answered before rattling off Clarkson’s career highlights.

“She’s done a lot with her career. She’s done American Idol, killed it as a singer, she’s done country stuff, she’s like doing so much, and now she has a talk show. That’s so dope, and she’s so good at it,” she laughs.

After Lavigne nonchalantly confirmed that she is the ultimate Kelly Clarkson fan-girl, she shared that the song “Breakaway” made a surprise appearance on one of her set lists. “On my last tour, I actually performed that and added that song into my set list for the first time.”

It remains unclear if the eight-time Grammy-nominated singer will be showcasing her “Breakaway” rendition on her upcoming Canada tour, which is set to kick off In May 2022. While fans eagerly wait to see if the music phenomenon will pull out the reminiscent anthem, they know for sure that they will be singing along to her latest release, “Bite Me.”

Most recently, Lavigne took center stage with Travis Barker at Dick Clarke’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve to perform the party starting single. Music-goers can witness Lavigne make her comeback and ring in the new year below.  

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