Kelly Clarkson Calls Stronger Her 'Best Album'

Kelly Clarkson's Stronger, the follow-up to 2009's All I Ever Wanted, is an album full of power pop that finds Kelly delivering an empowerment message with her signature sassiness.

Released on Monday (October 24), Stronger is a mix of ballads and uptempo tracks. Lead single "Mr. Know It All" kicked off the release and sets the tone for the record, which includes production and songwriting credits from industry heavyweights like Toby Gad, Clarkson fave Claude Kelly, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Brian Kennedy.

"I worked really hard on it," said Clarkson, who is now five albums into a nearly decade-long career. "And it's my best album, I think, to date."

The singer had to deal with some issues, however, including some delays before the record finally got an official release date; many tracks even leaked onto the Internet. But Clarkson knows how to handle adversity, as her album title reflects.

"There were a few different titles that were going around and I think the reason why we came up with Stronger was just because every song was about empowerment and almost like overcoming stuff," she explained. "So, even if it was a bad situation and a sad song, it was about overcoming that. So by the end of the song, it's kind of more inspiration than sad. So I think that's why [we named it that], and I think after 10 years of doing it you feel a little stronger personally and musically. People know you better. It's just easier, I think."

The album's track list is full of song titles that include the word "you": "What Doesn't Kill You," "I Forgive You," "You Love Me." So we asked Clarkson, exactly who did she have on her mind while recording the album.

"I don't know. I guess I was the opposite of a narcissist this time," she laughed. "They're all different 'you's.' I didn't have a bad breakup or anything," she continued. "I just think life is about relationships so I always write all about these different ones going on in my life. And I don't have a filter, so it's pretty verbatim."

With her album finally out, Clarkson is looking forward to hitting the road. "Starting the tour in January, we're doing that right now [and] we're developing that right now."

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