If Kelly Clarkson never released another album and disappeared from the entertainment industry all together, she would be justified. There's been so much drama lingering around My December, her highly anticipated third album, My December, since she entered the studio last year that it's enough to drive any human being into a nervous breakdown (a real one Mariah!). From the heavy pressure to try to top the un-toppable "Since U Been Gone" to behind-the-scene tussles with a scared record company unsure of Kelly's darker direction to all the various reactions surrounding December's bitter lead single, "Never Again", and it's "disappointing" chart success. If Clarkson is planning an early retirement, she should think twice, cause My December definitely looks to be one of the strongest female pop/ rock albums ever, even if it doesn't pull in the deserving overwhelming sales and radio scans it's predecessor Breakaway achieved.

"Hole" perfectly captures Clarkson at her wit's end, unable to cope with all the attention being thrown her away. Jerky guitar riffs bounce back and forth around her, illustrating the crippling chaos her surroundings have become. "Tired of everything around me/ I smile but I don't feel a thing", the opening lines sting, Clarkson unable to keep her inner feelings a secret any longer. All the hoopla is nipping at her soul, leaving her hollow and in desperate need for some relief ("I've given up on faith/ On everything/ All I wanted/ All I needed/ Was some peace/...It's all wrong/ I'm so sick of this"). As the rock unleashes in full blast on the soaring hook, Kelly releases her pent-up emotions. When it's all over, you're left silent, mouth widely agape at her raw display of fiery rage.

On "Can I Have A Kiss", all she wants is to share one final liplock with a lover before they part ways forever. The song references mopey grunge listlessness amid breathless vocals, a rainy day ambiance that projects the inescapable sadness of the situation. "I see that you're torn/ I've got some scars of my own," she mutters, the pain of realizing that they might not be meant for eachother too overbearing to consider for the time being. They just need to live in this one moment, forget about the future and enjoy the bliss of a make-out session that defines the most satisfying perk of their union ("I just want to know what it feels like to touch...something I'm so sure of").

All the BCBG's gloss she's enveloped herself in hasn't been able to take away from her massive pipes, a winning trait that works magic when put up against production that's matching in volume. But with the arresting "Chivas", a bonus cut that marks her purest performance to date, Clarkson goes for a stripped down setting that reminds us why we voted on her to win that televised talent show all those years ago. Sounding like an off-the-cuff jam in the baby stages of creation, the acoustic ballad affords her the hushed space for her soulful, Southern belle inflections to emerge into the forefront.

Her chops feeling a bit well-worn (hearkening back to a booze-soaked Janis Joplin), Clarkson embeds herself in the role of waking up one morning and realizing being with her boyfriend is not what she wants. This is "Since U Been Gone"'s celebration of independence done with a nastier tone. She rips into his faults ("You're too high maintenance babe/ All the time you spent trying to fit in/ And no one even cares") and then smacks herself for taking so long to snap out of it and realize how low she had been setting her standards ("It wasn't even good"). The song's title alludes to her trading in one partner for one proven to be much more reliable and satisfying, a bottle of Scotch ("I love you Chivas", she quietly sneaks in before a drunken giggle signals the end of the track). Powerful in it's intimacy and honest lyricism, it's a Kelly we have never seen before and one we hope to meet more often.

With these lovely numbers as evidence, Clarkson has finally erased the "A Moment Like This" junk that made her an American (Idol) sweetheart and firmly grounds herself into the realist rock goddess she was born to be. No, there's no sure hooks here to grant her #1 pop hits, but the artistry that is given is undeniably moving and much more inviting to sink your teeth into; that holds more weight than any high placing on a Billboard chart can attain. Kelly, sweetie, ignore those know-nothing execs and quick-to-judge critics cause My December looks to definitely be something you can be proud of.

Download: "Hole"
Download: "Can I Have A Kiss"
Download: "Chivas"