Kelly Clarkson is getting candid about her personal life in her upcoming album entitled Chemistry, and she’s sharing a glimpse of what fans can expect from the forthcoming debut with two brand-new songs, “mine” and “me” out today (April 24).
The 40-year-old pop superstar teased the tunes on Instagram on Thursday, (April 13) ahead of their release, writing, “‘mine / me’ are out everywhere tomorrow 🍷💔☀️.”
In her post, she included the lyrics to the two tracks and the cover art, in which she wears a black dress and dramatic eye makeup.
“Mine”
The first of the two tracks, “mine” is featured at No. 2 on the 14-track offering and finds Clarkson showcasing her signature vocals over a subtle accompaniment. She sings of regretting her decision to stay with a significant other as long as she did, singing the words, “Thought with you maybe my heart / wasn’t meant to break / Can’t believe I let you in, I can’t believe I stayed / As long as I stayed, yeah.”
A revenge tune of sorts, she then goes on to share wishes that her ex will get the karma he deserves and eventually feel the same pain she went through with the next person he gets into a relationship with. By the chorus, Clarkson is raising her white flag, admitting that she was blind throughout the relationship, realizing the time she spent with someone she deemed special “was all a lie.”
“Go ahead and break my heart, that’s fine (So unkind) / Eternal sunshine of thе spotless mind (Oh, love is blind) / Why am I missin’ you tonight? (Was it all a lie?) / Someone’s gonna show you how a heart can be used / Like you did mine,” she sings throughout the chorus of the track.
“Me”
Written in a similar vein as “mine,” “me” also includes the context of navigating through a tough breakup and coming out better on the other side. The powerhouse songstress begins the song by reflecting on the past and admitting she lost herself in someone else.
“Too much I’ve had to live for, put my life on hold for / I’m always pleasin’ someone, honestly, now I’m done,” she sings before entering a chorus that finds her taking back who she once was, “I don’t need somebody to hold me / Don’t need somebody to love me / Don’t need somebody to pick these pieces up / I put together my broken / Let go of the pain I’vе been holdin’ / Don’t need to need somebody / When I got me.”
Chemistry
The idea for Chemistry emerged after Clarkson filed for divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in the summer of 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The ex-spouses, who share daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander, had previously been married for nearly seven years, and the forthcoming album details the aftermath of Clarkson’s side of the breakup she went through with Blackstock.
“The whole divorce thing happened, and I needed to write it,” Clarkson told Variety in September of 2022. “And then I didn’t know if I was going to release it because you can be very angry in that state of mind. So some of the songs, they definitely cover the gamut of emotions; there’s everything on the album. It’s almost like the arc of a relationship because the beginning is so beautiful and sweet, and then it evolves. And sometimes it doesn’t evolve how you want.”
“Having chemistry with someone is an incredible and overwhelming, feeling. It’s like you have no choice in the matter. You are just drawn to each other. This can be good and bad,” Clarkson further explained Chemistry in a post on Instagram on Friday (April 14). “This album takes you down every path that chemistry could lead you down. We decided to release “mine” and “me” at the same time because I didn’t want to release just one song to represent an entire album or relationship. There are many stages of grief and loss on this album. Each song is a different stage and emotional state.”
Clarkson’s New Album Will Feature 14 Songs
Along with her message, the original American Idol winner shared the album art and track listing for Chemistry. The image shows her dressed in a flowing pink gown with transparent images of herself on each side. Clarkson’s album is broken up into Side A and Side B, featuring seven songs on each. Both “me” and “mine” appear in the first half of the project.
See Kelly Clarkson’s Chemistry Track List Below
Side A
- skip this part
- mine
- high road
- me
- down to you
- chemistry
- favorite kind of high
Side B
- magic
- lighthouse
- rock hudson
- my mistake
- red flag collector
- i hate love (feat. Steve Martin)
- that’s right (feat. Sheila E.)
Arriving on June 23, Chemistry is available for pre-save and preorder now HERE.
Additionally, Kelly Clarkson recently announced an exclusive Las Vegas residency, dubbed chemistry … an intimate night with Kelly Clarkson.
“I am so excited for these shows and couldn’t think of a better place to get back on stage than Las Vegas! The crowds in Vegas are such an amazing collection of people that simply want to have a great time and that’s what we’re going to do!” Kelly Clarkson previously shared via a press release. “So many of my musical idols have had, and still have, incredible residencies on The Strip, and I’m so excited to create my own!”
The 10-show residency runs July 28 through August 19. All shows are listed to begin at 8 p.m. and tickets are on sale now.
