Kelly Clarkson Conjures Some ‘Magic’ With Simmering Coldplay Kellyoke Cover
Written by djfrosty on April 21, 2023
The enduring trick of Kelly Clarkson‘s daily Kellyoke segment on her eponymous daytime talk show is that the singer always finds a way to make her carefully curated covers feel brand new in her hands.
Take Clarkson’s s simmering version of Coldplay‘s “Magic,” which she performed on Friday’s (April 21) Kelly Clarkson Show. The already pretty mellow original — which appeared on the band’s 2014 Ghost Stories album — bops along at a medium pace, fueled by singer Chris Martin’s keening “ooh-ooh-ooh” vocalizations, a spare, muffled snare beat and spacey guitars.
Clarkson’s version borrowed the same hypnotic bass strum and spare beat, but amped up the heartache with her signature yearning vocals and flawless runs. “And if you were to ask me/ After all we’ve been through/ ‘Still believe in magic?’ Oh yes, I do,” she sang in her higher register, repeating the last line for devastating emotional emphasis.
The three-time Grammy winner confirmed last week that her anticipated post-divorce record, the 14-track Chemistry, is due out on June 23 and will be split into two sides, “Mine” and “Me.” She also revealed that there are two very unique guests joining her on the collection, actor/comedian/banjo player Steve Martin (on “i hate love”) and legendary percussionist/singer Sheila E. (on “that’s right.”)
“Having chemistry with someone is an incredible, and overwhelming, feeling,” Clarkson said about the record in a statement. “It’s like you have no choice in the matter. You are just drawn to each other. This can be good and bad. This album takes you down every path that chemistry could lead you down. There are many stages of grief and loss on this album. Each song is a different stage and emotional state.”
Watch Clarkson’s Kellyoke cover of “Magic” below.